A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has deemed New Haven County the least healthy in the state and Tolland County the healthiest.
New Haven County has higher than average rates of adult smoking, at 17 percent, a 27 percent adult obesity and a child poverty rate of 16.
"I don’t think people are intentionally living an unhealthy life,” Steven DiPierdomonico, of New Haven, said. He said health has to do with resources.
"We rank all the counties within each of the states across the nation on how well we're feeling and how long we live," Brenda Henry, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said.
Tolland County was the healthiest, followed by Middlesex County, Fairfield County, Litchfield County, New London County, Hartford County and Windham County.
The rankings are based in part on the number of people who died before age 75, the number of people who reported being in poor health and low birth-weight infants.
Researchers also looked at data from the Centers for Disease Control and lifestyle factors, including education and air pollution, in the hopes that city leaders will step up and help people get the resources they need to be healthier.
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“Despite how healthy people want to be, they don't have the necessary support. That's where we need people to come together," Henry said.
