This Is The Worst County To Live In Utah

Salt Lake City UT

29 July, 2021

1:53 PM

Description

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Salt Lake City 2021-07-28 Life expectancy fell by 1.5 years in the United States in 2020. The decline, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis, represents the most pronounced regression in public health in the United States since World War II. While the most recent dip in life expectancy in the U.S. is alarming, there are many parts of the country where poor health outcomes and other socioeconomic hardships have long been the norm. Using an index of three measures — life expectancy at birth, bachelor's degree attainment, and poverty rate — 24/7 Wall St. identified the worst counties to live in in every state. There are 29 counties in Utah, and of them, San Juan County, located in the southeastern corner of the state, ranks as the worst place to live. The 25% local poverty rate is the highest of any county in the state and more than double the 9.8% poverty rate across Utah. Americans with college educations are generally less exposed to economic slowdown than those with lower educational attainment, and in San Juan County, only 18.3% of the adult population have a bachelor's degree, compared to 34.0% of Utah residents over age 24. Indeed, San Juan County's monthly jobless rate of 5.3% is nearly double the comparable 2.7% rate across Utah. Data on bachelor's degree attainment and poverty are from the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. Data on average life expectancy at birth came from the 2021 County Health Rankings, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, and are based on mortality data from the years 2017 to 2019. Supplemental data on population and income are from the ACS, and unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted for May 2021 and are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the worst county to live in every state. Can't see the article's infographic? Click here to view the original story.This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.