Gwinnett is one of Ga.'s healthiest counties; See where it ranked

Gwinnett County is one of Georgia’s healthiest counties, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Factors including length of life, quality of life and health behaviors like smoking and obesity were used to rank the health of Georgia’s 159 counties. Forsyth County was found to be the healthiest, while Quitman County was the least healthy. Quitman, in southwestern Georgia on the border with Alabama, is also the state’s second-least populous county.

Gwinnett performed highest in length of life, quality of life and health outcomes. Its length of life, measured by number of premature deaths, was third-highest in the state, and its quality of life ranked ninth.

Quality of life was determined by the average number of poor physical and mental health days (3.4 for each measurement), the percentage of children born with a low birth weight (8 percent) and the percentage of residents considered in poor or fair health (15 percent). Quality of life and length of life were combined to measure Gwinnett County’s health outcomes rank, which was also fourth in the state.

Despite high rankings in other categories, Gwinnett County ranked low in physical environment, with long commutes and driving alone to work contributing to a ranking of 125 out of 159.

Read the full report for Gwinnett County and the statewide rankings here.