Washington State is a great place to live with plenty of opportunities for good healthcare. The state has many local hospitals and medical facilities that provide quality care and services to its residents. Healthcare providers in the area have access to a wide variety of medical resources, including emergency services, primary care physicians, specialty clinics, and mental health care. Additionally, there are a number of community health centers throughout the state that provide preventive health care services and screenings for those who may not be able to afford private insurance. Washington State also offers numerous programs designed to improve the health and wellbeing of its citizens by providing education, prevention and treatment programs for various ailments. All of these initiatives work together to ensure that everyone in the state has access to quality healthcare regardless of their economic or social circumstances.
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 212 physicians per 100,000 population in Washington. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Washington area is 80.2 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
80.2 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Washington area is 48 (100=best). The US average is 55.
48 / 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 Washington area is 83 (100=best). The US average is 87.
83 / 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 Washington commutes 27.1 minutes one-way, which is longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Washington area is 48 (100=best). The US average is 58.
48 / 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.