Ulster County gets a bit healthier

Moves up to 15th in state rankings; Dutchess drops from 10th to 17th

KINGSTON, N.Y. >> Ulster County is continuing its upward climb as one of the healthiest counties in the state, while Dutchess County is headed in the opposite direction, according to rankings newly released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The rankings, compiled by the foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute, are based on national data on more than 30 health measures, including high school graduation rates, access to healthy foods, rates of smoking, obesity, and teen births.

Ulster County ranked as the 15th healthiest in 2017 among the 62 counties in New York state, up from 16th in 2016. Dutchess County dropped from

10th in 2016 to 17th in 2017.

Ulster County ranked 33rd in New York in 2010, a year after County Executive Michael Hein took office. In his first State of the County address, Hein announced a multiyear year effort to make Ulster County “the healthiest county in the state.”

“Improving public health informs virtually every public decision we make,” Hein said in an interview Wednesday.

“A dramatic leap from 33rd to 15th in such a short period of time has only been possible because of extraordinary communitywide efforts and an overarching commitment to public health that permeates almost every decision we make,” he said in a prepared statement.

According to the report, Ulster County fares better than the state averages in a number of key measurement areas, including child poverty (18 percent compared to 22 percent statewide), the uninsured population (9 percent vs. 10 percent statewide), physical inactivity (20 percent compared to 24 percent statewide) and teen births (15 percent compared to 21 percent statewide).

But, according to the report, a larger segment of Ulster County’s population smokes (16 percent compared to 15 percent statewide), and obesity continues to be higher in Ulster County when compared to statewide data (27 percent compared to 25 percent statewide).

Among other local rankings:

• Delaware County plummeted to 51st in 2017 from 42nd in 2016.

• Columbia County slipped to 30th from 29th.

• Greene County climbed to 53rd from 59th.

• Orange County was unchanged at 23rd.

• Delaware County held steady at 61st, ahead of only Bronx County.

According to the 2017 rankings, the five healthiest counties in New York state are, in order, Saratoga, Rockland, Nassau, Westchester and Putnam.

The five counties in poorest health, starting with the least healthy, are Bronx, Sullivan, Cattaraugus, Hamilton and Niagara.