Merrick County, Nebraska is a great place to live with plenty of amenities and resources available to its residents. One such area of resource is health care. The county boasts several hospitals and medical facilities providing excellent care for its citizens. These hospitals include Merrick Medical Center, Immanuel Medical Center, and the Merrick Family Clinic. Additionally, there are many smaller clinics scattered throughout the county offering primary care services as well as specialized treatments for specific ailments. These clinics provide high quality medical services to ensure that patients receive the best possible care when they seek medical attention in Merrick County. All of these health care providers are dedicated to providing their patients with access to quality healthcare no matter their financial situation or health status.
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 39 physicians per 100,000 population in Merrick County. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Merrick County area is 130.5 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
130.5 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Merrick County area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 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 Merrick County area is 67 (100=best). The US average is 87.
67 / 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 Merrick County commutes 19.5 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 Merrick County area is 82 (100=best). The US average is 58.
82 / 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.