Fox Health: 'America's healthiest community' is small town near Washington, DC

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'America's healthiest community' is small town near Washington, DC

A neighboring Washington, D.C., community has been named the healthiest in America. U.S. News data editor Julia Haines and Falls Church Director of Housing and Human Services Dana Jones discuss the results....                        ...                        ...                            ...A You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login is being recognized for its tip-top health status.......Falls Church, Virginia, has been named America's healthiest community by U.S. News and World Report.......The annual ranking lists the top 500 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login nationwide using a score of zero to 100 across 10 categories, based on assessments of nearly 3,000 counties and county equivalents.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......The categories include population health, equity, education, economy, housing, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, environment, public safety, community vitality and infrastructure.......Falls Church scored high in multiple categories — 97 in population health, 96 in economy, 94 in food and nutrition, 95 in infrastructure, and a perfect score of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......."The Little City" dethroned Los Alamos County, New Mexico, which took second place in 2024, followed by Douglas County, Colorado; Sioux County, Iowa; and Hamilton County, Indiana.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Falls Church also landed the top spot in 2018.......The city was found to have the top walkability score and ranked high for its proximity to destinations like libraries, museums or playgrounds, according to U.S. News.......Falls Church has a 93% preschool enrollment rate and a 97% high school graduation rate.......Eight in 10 residents have at least an associate's degree, earning the city a high score You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......There are 92 metrics that make up each of the 10 assessed categories, U.S. News data editor Julia Haines shared with Fox News Digital.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......For example, the population health category considers metrics like You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, lack of health insurance, and life expectancy, which is the heaviest weighted of all categories, according to Haines.......This is followed by equity, education and the economy. ......Falls Church ranked high in a number of these categories, Haines said......."We like to say that consistency is key across our rankings, so doing well in a number of categories and subcategories helps a county succeed," she told Fox News Digital.......As U.S. News marks its sixth edition of Healthiest Communities, Haines said she hopes the annual list starts conversations among communities and individuals.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"[The list] allows our readers to not only identify how their communities succeed, but also where they may fall short, perhaps motivating readers and community leaders to find solutions," she said......."For example, someone may find that while their county is doing really well, a county just a few miles away could be struggling, indicating that something may be causing that shift down the road."......Dana Jones, the director of Housing and Human Services in Falls Church, said the local reaction to the designation has been "one of joy that the city has been recognized for something we make a real effort toward."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"Residents and employees see the correlation between You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login and quality of life," she told Fox News Digital.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Jones echoed some attributes that she believes gave Falls Church an advantage, including the city's nationally recognized farmers market, "outstanding education system" and walkability.......Mayor Letty Hardi displays You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login by walking and jogging around town and hosting the annual Mayors' Fitness Challenge, Jones noted.......Some of the other contributing factors to the city's ranking include "trail improvements, a focus on bike safety and the availability of healthy food," according to Jones.......Above all, she added, community members want "the best for themselves and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, including comprehensive health and a safe and affordable place to live."...

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