How healthy is Franklin County?

By Bart Moss / For the FCT

In spring 2018, U.S. News and World Report published its study of the healthiest communities in the United States. When it comes to such a nationwide ranking, how does Franklin County stack up?

The study was done on a county-by-county basis, with Falls Church, Virginia, located just outside of Washington, D.C., ranking as the healthiest community in America.

When people think about health, they automatically assume things along the lines of diet and exercise.  However, there is much more that goes into the overall health of a community.

The U.S. News and World Report study looked at a variety of factors when rankling counties throughout the country. The report studied overall population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality and infrastructure. Each of these categories were weighted and listed in the order of their relative importance to the study.

The report ranked counties in each of these categories and came up with an overall basis score.

While obviously arriving at a national and state ranking, the report also developed a peer group ranking- counties similar to each other. To see the entire methodology of the study, visit https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/methodology.

No Alabama county ranked in the Top 100 counties of either of the four peer groups. Franklin County fell into the peer group “Rural, Up-and-Coming” and was not ranked; only the Top 100 counties in each peer group were ranked.

The national average composite score was a 52.3. The state of Alabama’s score was 37.8. Franklin County’s score was 30.9.

To put that into perspective, all four counties surrounding Franklin County ranked above the state average: Colbert County, 47; Lawrence County, 41; Marion County, 39; and Winston County, 39.

Factors that had a negative impact on Franklin County’s score

Some areas stood out when it came to the factors that determined Franklin County’s score, and most were in the overall health of the population. The average life expectancy of a Franklin Countian is 73.3 years. The state life expectancy average is 74.8 years, and the national life expectancy average is 77.9 years.

Three statistics that stood out in Franklin County were lack of physical exercise; the disparity in deaths of despair; and teen birth rate.

According to the report, 34 percent of Franklin Countians get no physical activity in their leisure time. The state average is 24.5 percent.

The “deaths of despair” rate in Franklin County was 48.5 per 100,000 people, whereas the state rate was 38.5 per 100,000 people. “Deaths of despair” are defined as those that come from suicide and accidental drug overdose because of addiction. The opioid crisis that has hit rural America hard is an issue being addressed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Finally, the teen birth rate in Franklin County is 13.7 percent, whereas the state average is 5.9%.

Two statistics stood out in education. On the positive side, Franklin County spends more per pupil – $11,447 – than the national average of $11,430 and far more than the state average of $9,768. However, only 18.1 percent of Franklin Countians have an advanced degree, as opposed to 27.3 percent of the United States, according to the report.

Another area Franklin County struggled in was local economy.

Franklin County has a reported poverty rate of 22.5 percent as opposed to a 20.2 percent poverty rate statewide and a 16 percent poverty rate nationwide.

Franklin County’s median household income is $35,372. The state median is $36,924, and the national median is $45,114.

Franklin County’s business growth rate was calculated at 5.3 percent, a couple of percentage points lower than the state at 7.6 percent and nation at 8.3 percent.

Finally, the last area Franklin County took a hit on was crime – but the news wasn’t all bad. Franklin County fared well on property crime rate at 2,141.1 per 100,000 – much lower than the state average of 2,438 per 100,000.  Also, Franklin County’s homicide rate, 4.5 per 100,000, is lower than the state average of 7.1 per 100,000.

The two crime statistics that hurt Franklin County were the violent crime rate and vehicle crash fatality rate.  Franklin County had a violent crime rate of 380 per 100,000: much higher than the state at 318 per 100,000 and nation at 200 per 100,000. Franklin County’s vehicle crash fatality rate, 26.8 per 100,000, was also much higher than the state, 19.5 per 100,000, and nation, 16.3 per 100,000.