PROVIDENCE – A new report found that residents of Providence County have the poorest health outcomes in Rhode Island, while those in Bristol County experience the best health outcomes.
The annual report, based on 2021 data and released on Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, ranks counties by health outcomes, which are measured by length and quality of life. Of the state’s remaining counties, Newport came in second, Washington was third and Kent was fourth.
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Bristol and Providence counties held these same ranks in the 2020 report, and for at least four additional years out of the past decade of data, PBN previously reported.
Compared to the rest of the country, Rhode Island as a whole ranked lower in premature deaths, with 6,200 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 7,300.
In Massachusetts, Bristol County was the third-lowest out of the commonwealth’s 14 counties for health outcomes, ahead of only Berkshire and Hampden counties.
In addition to tracking direct health outcomes, the report also looks at economic security and how it influences better health through access to quality child care, nutritious food, ability to pay rent and other basic needs.
The report included several new measures this year, including the affordability of child care by county. All counties lagged behind the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ standards for affordable child care, which is set at no more than 7% of a household’s income. In Rhode Island, child care expenses by county ranged from 17% to 27% of household income for a family with two children.
“When a single expense consumes the majority of a paycheck – especially one
as essential as childcare – families are unable to afford other necessities,” the report states.
While well above the nationally set benchmark, Rhode Island isn’t alone — the average cost burden of child care for all counties in the U.S. is about 25% of household income, according to the report.
In Massachusetts, average child care cost burden for a household is 39% of income, according to the report.
Echoing overall health outcome results, Providence County residents had the highest child care cost burden in the state, while Bristol County had the lowest.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
