Here’s Why Ocala Was Named Florida’s Most Unhealthy City
One of the most critical aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle is the environment in which one resides. The amount of physical activity you are able to engage in is impacted by factors such as access to public parks, health care, infrastructure, and the time it takes to go to fitness centers. The cost of living is another consideration that may come into play if the state of the economy has an impact on the expenses of medical care, nutritious food alternatives, and other necessities.
Because of this, 24/7 TEMPO identified the city in each state that has the worst health rating. On the website, they detailed how they came to their conclusions and picks:
“To measure and rank the health of the population in cities in every state, 24/7 Tempo calculated an index using eight health measures such as potential life lost, smoking rate, and percentage reporting fair or poor health, using data from the 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. In all, 384 metro areas were considered to determine the least healthy one in every state.”
The research indicates that Ocala is the city in Florida that has the worst overall health. This location, which can be found in Marion County, is home to more than 64,000 people. Niche users have given Ocala an average grade of B+.
The inclusion of this city on the list is supported by certain data that was compiled by researchers, which are as follows:
Adults in fair or poor health: 17.8% (state: 13.3%)
The adult smoking rate is 20.8%, whereas the state rate is 15.5%.
The adult obesity rate is 38.2%, whereas the state rate is 28.3%.
The median income for a household is $55,161 ($63,062 for the state).
You may read the entire report by going to the website of 24/7 Tempo.
7 Florida Cities Named Best Place To Live In The South
Sarasota
There’s been a lot of love for Sarasota recently, they’ve also been named the best place to retire and Siesta Key beach was named one of the prettiest white sand beaches in the country! They were the highest rated Florida city for this ranking and came in at number 3. It seems that people appear willing to exchange the higher cost of living for the warm weather, photogenic beaches and active population.
Naples
This southwest Florida city has also been named one of the best Florida cities to live in by other rankings. U.S. News says this metro area has the lowest crime rates out of the 150 metro areas on the list.
Jacksonville
We’re surprised to see Jacksonville rank above Tampa, it could be because they have a healthy tourism industry with fewer visitors than Tampa and Miami. However, Jacksonville’s population grew by 1.6% due to net migration.
Tampa
Tampa was ranked number 11 on U.S. News’ list, but it’s number 1 in our hearts. No wonder it’s one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. The Tampa metro area grew by more than 1.43% between 2020 and 2021 due to net migration, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Pensacola
This panhandle city has been getting a lot of love thanks to their soft white sand and clear blue water beaches, making it a popular destination for beach lovers and fishing enthusiasts. With many military and engineering career opportunities’, many people would call this a desirable place to live.
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach came in at number 25 on U.S. News’ list. Daytona is known to be famous for the Daytona International Speedway, among their spring-break beaches. U.S. News says it’s also the 8th-fastest growing metro area out of the 150 most populous metro areas in the U.S. due to net migration, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
