Travis ranks among healthiest counties in Texas

Travis County counts among the healthiest counties in Texas. According to this year’s County Health Rankings report from the University of Wisconsin, Travis County ranks fifth out of 243 reporting Texas counties. The list is created using a range of metrics, including access to healthy food, smoking rates, obesity and teen births. “Our goal is to take data and move to action by addressing existing disparities,” Shannon Jones, director of Austin Public Health, said. “There is still an HIV epidemic, and it remains a major health issue in Travis County. Many of our residents die by suicide. Unhealthy diets contribute to higher rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity, and many diseases disproportionately strike people of lower social economic status.”