2019 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report: Secure, affordable housing shapes how well and how long we live
By Steve Smith
Across the U.S., more than 1 in 10 households (11%) spend more than half of their income on housing costs (severe housing cost burden).
Severe housing cost burden affects health and is linked to barriers to living long and well. Across counties, increases in the share of households severely cost burdened are associated with more food insecurity, more child poverty, and more people in fair or poor health.
These are just a few of the findings revealed in the 2019 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
By ranking the health of nearly every county in the nation, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R) illustrates how where we live affects how well and how long we live. CHR&R also shows what each of us can do to create healthier places to live, learn, work, and play – for everyone. This year highlights an important element that shapes how well and how long we live: secure, affordable housing.
The report clearly demonstrates that where we live dramatically affects how well, and how long, we live.
