LIBERTY, NY — The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute released their annual health rankings on March 25, and in New York State, Sullivan County was rated 61 out of 62 counties in terms of health.

This year the rankings took income inequality into account. “Income Inequality is the ratio of household income at the 80th percentile to that at the 20th percentile, i.e., when the incomes of all households in a county are listed from highest to lowest, the 80th percentile is the level of income at which only 20% of households have higher incomes, and the 20th percentile is the level of income at which only 20% of households have lower incomes. A higher inequality ratio indicates greater division between the top and bottom ends of the income spectrum.”

According to the study, 20% of the Sullivan households have an income of more than $91,510 and 20% of households have an income of less than $18,933, for an income ratio of 4.8, which is not really all that bad compared to other counties.

Still, there is a lot of poverty in the county, and there is a high number of children, 35%, living in single-parent families, and a high number of children, 28%, living in poverty.

And once again, Sullivan ranked 60 out of 62 New York State counties for health factors, which include items that have an impact on health like overeating, smoking and drinking.

Nancy McGraw, Sullivan County Public Health Director, said, “Median household income, educational attainment, and access to health care are factors that are intimately related to improved health outcomes. When we begin to make more significant progress toward income equality, which is one of the measures used this year by the Rankings Report and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we will start to see more progress toward improved health outcomes for Sullivan County residents. We also need to invest in wellness across all sectors of the community, and build a culture of healthy lifestyles as the norm.”

The creators of the rankings explain the relationship between income inequality and health thus: “Income allows families and individuals to purchase health insurance and medical care, but also provides options for healthy lifestyle choices. Poor families and individuals are most likely to live in unsafe homes and neighborhoods, often with limited access to healthy foods, employment options, and quality schools.

“While the starkest difference in health is between those with the highest and lowest incomes, this relationship persists throughout all income brackets. Adults in the highest income brackets are healthier than those in the middle class and will live, on average, more than six years longer than those with the lowest incomes.”

Pennsylvania rankings

Across the river in Pennsylvania, Pike and Wayne counties fared considerably better than Sullivan. Wayne County had an overall ranking of 31 out of 67 counties, while Pike had a very healthy overall ranking of 10 out of 67.

As for income inequality in Wayne County, 20% of residents earn more than $88,111 and 20% earn less than $21,590. In Pike 20% of residents earn more than $72,818 and 20% earn less than $18,322, making their ratios 4.08 and 3.97 respectively.