Wayne County's health is ranked lowest among all of Michigan's counties. That's according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute.
Neighboring Washtenaw County ranked fifth in the data set followed by Oakland County. Leelanau was the first.
The report analyzed economic security, air and water quality, access to clinical care and housing costs. Another factor: affordable childcare.
Michael Stevenson contributed to the report.
"When families need to dedicate more of their income towards childcare, it means they’re making some really difficult tradeoffs around where they live, or what kind of food they buy or what kind of access to care that they receive," Stevenson said.
The report also found that women, people of color, seniors and people with low incomes faced the highest health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Where you live really impacts how well and how long you live, and across the country, we see that in counties that are often ranked among the healthiest, that they also benefit from really strong social and economic conditions," Stevenson said.