Polk County, FL is a vibrant area with many services and facilities available to its residents. The county has multiple local hospitals and medical facilities, such as the Lakeland Regional Health System, Watson Clinic, and All Children's Specialty Care of Polk County. These facilities offer a wide range of healthcare services ranging from primary care to specialized treatments. The county also offers community-based organizations that focus on health education, prevention programs, and access to resources for those in need. These include the Healthy Start Coalition of Polk County and the Florida Department of Health in Polk County. With these resources available, Polk County strives to ensure that all its residents have access to quality health care when needed.
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 128 physicians per 100,000 population in Polk County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Polk County area is 94.2 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
94.2 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Polk County area is 46 (100=best). The US average is 55.
46 / 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 Polk County area is 90 (100=best). The US average is 87.
90 / 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 Polk County commutes 26.0 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 Polk County area is 58 (100=best). The US average is 58.
58 / 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.