NATIONAL RANKING
Area ranks in top 2% of 500 healthiest communities in America
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Saratoga County ranked in the top two percent nationally in the recent 2022 US News and World Report’s Community Health Rankings, which analyzes the top 500 healthiest communities across the United States in 10 categories that drive community health.
Saratoga County placed 60th with a score of 79 (out of 100) on the overall rankings, beating the state median score of 57 and the US median score of 47. The report analyzes communities’ population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure.
“The 2022 Healthiest Communities Report establishing Saratoga County as the healthiest county in New York State underscores what we in local government, our economic development partners, and local business leaders have known for a long time- Saratoga County is a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Town of Moreau Supervisor, Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. said in a press release.
“We’ve set the conditions for a robust economy and a healthful quality of life across Saratoga County through thoughtful planning, conservative budgeting practices, and limiting bureaucratic red-tape that leads to overregulation.
The proof is in our results- a safe and welcoming community for all in a county that also boasts the lowest property and sales taxes in New York State.”
Below is an overview of Saratoga County’s scores by category (score is out of 100):
• Education: 80
• Public Safety: 78
• Economy: 77
• Population Health: 77
• Infrastructure: 76
• Food & Nutrition: 72
• Equity: 71
• Environment: 67
• Housing: 64
• Community Vitality: 53 Education:
Saratoga County beats the national average in strength of its community education system with a higher high school graduation rate (90.8% compared to 89.3%, nationally) and 53.6% of residents with an advanced degree (30.6% nationally). Public Safety:
Saratoga County’s per capita spending on health and emergency services outpaces the nation with the county at $441 and the national median at $358 and the violent crime rate in Saratoga County is half that of the national average at 102.6 compared with 204.5 per 100,000. Economy:
Saratoga County’s poverty rate of 5.9% is well below the national average of 13.6%; its median household income is $84,971 (compared to $58,759 nationally); and its business growth rate stands at 8.2% compared to the national rate of 7.7%.
“This recognition is both an honor and testament to what our businesses across industry sectors rely upon,” said Dennis Brobston, president of Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC). “This data proves to our target industries that if you need to be in the Northeast United States, you’ll join a dynamic and diverse, thriving economic eco-system that is also a wonderful place to call home.”
“Saratoga County, NY continues to grow upon our Global Hub of talent, innovation, and opportunity. The combined efforts of county leadership, partner organizations and continued development investment positions us to support existing industry and encourage continuous investment; while also attracting targeted, complementary businesses,” Brobston continued.
“For all the reasons outlined, we are incredibly proud of the work that has been put forth to not only create, but maintain this standard of quality of living that has been designed and nurtured to what we all know and enjoy in our everyday lives.”
“We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has ranked Saratoga County, home of our GlobalFoundries headquarters in Malta, New York, as one of the 2022 Healthiest Communities nationwide and the highest ranked County in the State, based on their measure of health-related outcomes of society,” said Peter Benyon, GlobalFoundries General Manager Fab 8.
“Many positive factors including education, population health, local economy, the environment, public safety and more are what our employees enjoy here and help us to retain and attract new workforce talent to this area. Come join us in one of the healthiest communities in the nation!”
“When I moved to Saratoga Springs from New York City six years ago, I had no idea of the depth and breadth of cultural offerings that the city boasted. But now, as the head of Saratoga Performing Arts Center, which brings an estimated 100 million dollars into our local economy, I appreciate first-hand how special Saratoga is. And it is no surprise that it is the highest ranked county in NY State for its unparalleled quality of life,” said Elizabeth Sobol, President & CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
“One sign of a healthy community is the presence of the arts. Saratoga has long been a place of inspiration where people can connect with each other and become immersed in incomparable arts and cultural experiences. A vibrant cultural landscape serves as a beacon for investment, a beacon for relocation, and a beacon for tourism. We are proud to live and work in a community that respects and elevates the arts.”
According to the US News Healthiest Communities Rankings 2022 report, the “rankings measure crucial health-related components of society with the aim of empowering citizens, health care leaders and officials to make decisions about policies and practices that can improve health outcomes for all.
“Guided by a pioneering framework developed by a committee appointed to advise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the project scores nearly 3,000 counties on 89 indicators across 10 categories that drive overall community health. Population health and equity are the most heavily weighted categories, based on the assessments of more than a dozen leading experts on what matters most to a community’s health.”