Williamson County is Tennessee's healthiest, according to U.S. News & World Report

Cole Villena, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Do you think your Williamson County neighborhood might just be the best place to live in Tennessee? A national ranking of the says you might be onto something.

Williamson was named one of the healthiest counties in the United States in U.S. News & World Report's 2022 county ranking. The Middle Tennessee county scored 19th out of 500 scored communities, bolstered by strong scores in the economic, population health, and community vitality categories.

That's the highest ranking for any Tennessee county and the highest for any county in the Southeastern United States outside of Virginia. Oconee County, Georgia is the next highest-ranked southern county at No. 35.

Flags fly at half-staff in honor of Memorial Day this year in downtown Franklin.
Flags fly at half-staff in honor of Memorial Day this year in downtown Franklin.

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U.S. News and World Report bases its rankings on weighted scores in 10 categories that reflect social, economic, physical and educational health for residents. The full rankings and more information about the methodology used are available online at usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/rankings.

Here are Williamson County's scores:

  • Population Health: 83/100.

  • Equity: 58/100.

  • Education: 82/100.

  • Economy: 97/100.

  • Housing: 62/100.

  • Food & Nutrition: 73/100.

  • Environment: 58/100.

  • Public Safety: 64/100.

  • Community Vitality: 90/100.

  • Infrastructure: 74/100.

Williamson County is the wealthiest county in Tennessee – with the average household earning $111,196 annually, according to the 2020 census – so its strong economic score is not surprising. The county's Community Vitality score, it's next highest, is helped by factors including strong civic engagement at local elections and a steady stream of new residents adding to the community.

Franklin Main Street Festival draws shopping vendors, food trucks and fun activities for families.
Franklin Main Street Festival draws shopping vendors, food trucks and fun activities for families.

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The county has work to do to improve its equity, housing, and environmental health scores. Groups including the Franklin Justice and Equity Coalition, Hard Bargain Association, the Williamson County Homeless Alliance, and other church and community organizations advocating for better conditions in these areas as they push for affordable housing, racial justice, and a fairer community for the county residents.

Cole Villena covers Williamson County at The Tennessean, part of the USA Today Network — Tennessee. Reach Cole at cvillena@tennessean.com or 615-925-0493. Follow Cole on Twitter at @ColeVillena and on Instagram at @CVinTennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Williamson County named Tennessee's healthiest, national ranking says