By Robert Haugh

Last year, U.S. News and World Report ranked the top 500 Healthiest Counties nationwide. 

The U.S. News Healthiest Communities rankings measure crucial health-related components of communities.  The rankings goal is to empower citizens, health care leaders and officials to make decisions about policies and practices that can improve health outcomes for all.

Santa Clara County ranked 24th and San Mateo County ranked 21st.

You can check out the full list  of how each county scored across 10 categories that drive community health on a scale of zero to 100.

According to the experts who participated in the ranking, how well and even how long you live can be shaped by where you live. 

Local health outcomes are often driven by factors like a community’s economic performance, the strength of its education system, the availability and affordability of housing, and a myriad other elements that affect residents’ overall quality of life.

Guided by a pioneering framework developed by a committee appointed to advise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the project scores nearly 3,000 counties on 92 indicators across 10 categories that drive overall community health. 

Here are the top five communities: