Putnam County, Tennessee is a rural area with an abundance of natural beauty and charm. With just over 72,000 residents, Putnam County offers true small-town living at its finest. Despite the county’s small size, there are plenty of medical facilities available for local residents and visitors alike. The Cookeville Regional Medical Center serves as the hub for most medical services in the area. This hospital has a comprehensive range of medical amenities including emergency care, surgery, radiology and lab services. Other local medical facilities include Upper Cumberland Surgery Center in Cookeville, DeKalb Community Hospital in Smithville, and Livingston Regional Hospital in Livingston. Each of these hospitals offer excellent care to Putnam County residents and beyond. With their commitment to strong patient care combined with the beautiful scenery of Putnam County, people living here know that they are able to get top notch health care while enjoying all this area has to offer.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 220 physicians per 100,000 population in Putnam County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Putnam County area is 124.5 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
124.5 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Putnam County area is 91 (100=best). The US average is 55.
91 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Putnam County area is 97 (100=best). The US average is 87.
97 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Putnam County commutes 22.9 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Putnam County area is 65 (100=best). The US average is 58.
65 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.