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Zip Codes and Health: How Where You Live Shapes Your Wellbeing

• David (Viacheslav) Davidenko

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We examine how urban environments actively shape our health beyond individual choices about diet and exercise, diving into a comprehensive WalletHub study that ranked 182 US cities based on healthcare, food, fitness and green space metrics.

• San Francisco tops the health rankings with exceptional walkability, diverse food options, quality parks, and an 18% obesity rate
• Honolulu stands out with 90%/98% health insurance coverage for adults/kids and the most farmers markets and hiking trails per capita
• Seattle, Salt Lake City, San Diego and Portland excel through combinations of green space, healthcare access, and fitness opportunities
• Brownsville, Texas ranks last with severely limited access to healthy food, exercise facilities, and green spaces
• Other struggling cities (Gulfport, Shreveport, Columbus) show similar patterns of inadequate infrastructure and resources
• Major cities show surprising results: NYC (19th), LA (13th), Chicago (28th), Houston (93rd)
• Environmental factors and infrastructure significantly impact health outcomes regardless of individual willpower
• Improving community health requires investment in public resources, especially in struggling neighborhoods

Your ZIP code may be the most significant health choice you'll ever make. Consider your own neighborhood – what makes it easier or harder to be healthy? By understanding these environmental factors, we can work together to create healthier communities for everyone.


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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Deep Dive. You know you sent over some really interesting stuff this week Lots of sources, your notes all pointing towards this idea about where we live and, well, our health.

Speaker 2:

Exactly. We often focus on you know what we do diet, exercise but these sources push us to think bigger.

Speaker 1:

Right Beyond just individual choices, and your materials really highlighted how the cities we actually live in aren't just backgrounds, they actively sort of shape our health.

Speaker 2:

They absolutely do, and that's what we're digging into how these urban environments can either help or hinder us, often in ways we don't even realize.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and the big piece you shared was that WalletHub study looked at what 182 of the biggest US cities that's the one 182 most populous cities.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, trying to figure out how healthy these places actually are to live in.

Speaker 1:

So our mission for this deep dive is basically to unpack that study. See what it tells us about how city life impacts well-being.

Speaker 2:

And it's quite detailed. They didn't just look at one or two things. They broke it down into four main areas.

Speaker 1:

Okay, what are those?

Speaker 2:

Healthcare, food, fitness and green space, and within those four, they used 41 specific indicators.

Speaker 1:

Oh, 41. That's a lot.

Speaker 2:

Like what kind of specifics are we talking about? Well, think about things like premature death rates or how many fruits and veggies people actually eat, Even the number of farmer's markets, how much medical care costs, how many gyms there are, park quality. It's pretty comprehensive.

Speaker 1:

Right, so not just if there's a park, but is it actually a decent park? You'd want to use Makes sense? How do they compare cities on all this stuff, like apples to oranges, right?

Speaker 2:

They used a 100 point scale for each metric. Simple idea Higher score means the city does better on that specific thing, supports healthy living more.

Speaker 1:

Gotcha.

Speaker 2:

Then they kind of pulled all that together into one overall health score for each city. It was weighted too, meaning some factors counted more than others, based on, you know, their known impact on health.

Speaker 1:

And the data came from solid sources.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, us Census Bureau, cdc, reputable places, so it's grounded in well actual data.

Speaker 1:

Okay, good. So we've got this detailed data-driven picture. Let's get into it. Who aced the test? Which cities are these like shining examples you mentioned where healthy living is easier?

Speaker 2:

Well topping the list. Number one is San Francisco. Okay, I can maybe see that the study points to how easy it is to walk there. Loads of healthy food options and they called the green spaces finest. Really strong praise.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, sf is definitely known for being walkable and the food scene. I mean you can find anything there. They mentioned a low obesity rate too. Right, like 18 percent.

Speaker 2:

Exactly 18 percent, which is, you know, pretty low nationally. It really suggests the city's setup helps. They highlighted investment in parks, recreation, plus all those food options gluten-free, vegetarian, you name it.

Speaker 1:

So it's less about pure willpower and more that. The healthy choice is just easier to make there.

Speaker 2:

That seems to be the idea. The environment itself nudges people in a healthier direction.

Speaker 1:

Interesting. Okay so urban design, food availability, key factors. Who's number two?

Speaker 2:

Number two is Honolulu, and while you might think beaches, the study actually focused more on its public health strengths.

Speaker 1:

Oh, really, more than just nice scenery.

Speaker 2:

Definitely. They have really high health insurance rates, like 90% for adults, 98% for kids. That's huge Basic access to care.

Speaker 1:

Wow, okay, that's fundamental.

Speaker 2:

And get this. Honolulu has the most farmers markets and the most hiking trails per person in the whole country.

Speaker 1:

Per person, not just total numbers.

Speaker 2:

Per person. So proportionally, access to fresh food and places to hike is just incredibly high. Again, the environment making it easier.

Speaker 1:

That's impressive. Okay, number three was Seattle right, despite the rain.

Speaker 2:

Huh, yeah, I said, despite the rain. The study linked its high rank to how active residences are and the sheer amount of green space, that Pacific Northwest outdoorsy thing. They noted the city keeps its parks up well and that people there seem generally health conscious, even looking at like online search trends for health topics.

Speaker 1:

So people there just find ways to stay active regardless of the drizzle. Oh, okay, and number four.

Speaker 2:

Salt Lake City. It's big strengths for fitness and healthcare. Access Ranked really high for gyms and green space.

Speaker 1:

Making it easier to be active all year round, maybe.

Speaker 2:

Seems likely that combo of places to go and good healthcare access is a strong foundation.

Speaker 1:

Yeah seeing a pattern here Green space, ways to be active, food, health care. You also mentioned some others in the top 10 briefly San Diego, portland, denver.

Speaker 2:

Right, San Diego, you've got the great climate, obviously, plus a real wellness focus and good food. Portland, big on being green, good health care access, lots of bike paths.

Speaker 1:

Makes sense for Portland.

Speaker 2:

Denver tons of outdoor recreation, healthy food focus, good access to gyms and parks. Minneapolis may be surprising with the cold, but strong health care and good, healthy food options. Washington DC has a great food scene, good fitness and park access, pretty walkable too, and Huntington Beach down in California known for its fitness culture and quality health care.

Speaker 1:

Beach down in California, known for its fitness culture and quality health care. So a mix of things, but those core elements food, fitness spaces, green areas, health care kept popping up. Ok, let's flip the coin. What about the cities where it's well, a real struggle? The bottom of the list.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, the other end of the spectrum is pretty stark. Right at the bottom number 182, is Brownsville, Texas.

Speaker 1:

Dead last Oof what's going on there?

Speaker 2:

The study found it struggles across basically all categories, especially food and fitness. Really limited access to healthy food, not enough places to exercise, not enough green space.

Speaker 1:

So it's not just people making bad choices. The options aren't really there.

Speaker 2:

That's exactly what it suggests. The basic building blocks for a healthy lifestyle seem to be missing for many people.

Speaker 1:

Man. Okay, who else is down there?

Speaker 2:

Number 181 is Gulfport, Mississippi. Similar story Big problems with access to nutritious food and really low-ranked green space.

Speaker 1:

Another case of limited resources.

Speaker 2:

Then Shreveport, louisiana, at 180. Third worst Challenges there include few parks, issues with health care access and, again, lack of healthy eating options.

Speaker 1:

Seeing include few parks, issues with health care access and, again, lack of healthy eating options, seeing a definite theme in these lower-ranked cities and 179.

Speaker 2:

That was Columbus Georgia. Their big issue was health care. They had the lowest score for health care overall out of all 182 cities. Plus, they also scored poorly on food and fitness.

Speaker 1:

Wow, lowest health care score. That, combined with the other issues, sounds really tough for residents trying to stay healthy.

Speaker 2:

It paints a very challenging picture. And there were others clustered near the bottom too Laredo, texas, huntington, west Virginia, corpus Christi, texas, fort Smith, arkansas, memphis, tennessee. Jackson, mississippi, fort Smith, arkansas, memphis, tennessee.

Speaker 1:

Jackson Mississippi. What were some of their key weaknesses? Similar patterns.

Speaker 2:

Pretty similar. Yeah, laredo Poor healthcare, food and fitness. Huntington Struggles with fitness facilities, green space, nutrition, medical services. Corpus Christi Low marks for healthcare quality and healthy food access. Okay, fort Smith Low scores basically everywhere, especially fitness and health care. Memphis Not enough green space, limited healthy food access. Jackson Poor fitness options, food access issues, lack of park space.

Speaker 1:

It's quite sobering. It sounds like these places face multiple overlapping challenges that make healthy living incredibly difficult. It's systemic.

Speaker 2:

Exactly Now. One of the other interesting bits from the study was how some of the biggest US cities performed.

Speaker 1:

You might think bigger means better resources right, yeah, you'd assume more options, more hospitals, more gyms.

Speaker 2:

But it wasn't always the case. Take New York City, huge place Ranked number 19. So not bad, but maybe not as high as you'd guess 19th number 19. So not bad, but maybe not as high as you'd guess. 19th Okay, they scored well in the food scene, obviously, but lower on health care and fitness availability compared to some others.

Speaker 1:

Hmm, that is surprising, all those resources.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Maybe access is the issue, Cost density?

Speaker 2:

That could definitely be part of it. Then Los Angeles, number 13. Again, great for food, but lower scores for fitness options and medical care access.

Speaker 1:

So plenty to eat.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

They'd be harder to work it off or see a doctor easily.

Speaker 2:

That seems to be the implication. Chicago is number 28. The study specifically mentioned its health care scores, holding it back.

Speaker 1:

So even in a major hub like Chicago, health care access for quality can be a drag on the overall healthiness rank.

Speaker 2:

Right and maybe the most surprising was Houston Huge city, big economy but ranked way down at 93.

Speaker 1:

93rd. Wow, why so low?

Speaker 2:

Primarily low rankings for green space and medical access. Despite its size and economic clout, those key health infrastructure pieces seem to be lacking compared to other places.

Speaker 1:

Interesting.

Speaker 2:

And Phoenix. Phoenix was kind of middle of the road number 53. Average scores across the board more or less.

Speaker 1:

So the takeaway is that just being big and economically powerful doesn't automatically make a city healthy for its residents. Other factors are clearly critical.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. It really drives home that point.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so we've looked at the top, the bottom, the big cities Pulling it all together. What are the main takeaways from this deep dive for you? The big picture implications.

Speaker 2:

Well, the biggest one, I think, is just how undeniable the impact of our environment is on our health. It's not just about personal choice. The place itself matters a lot.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the opportunities, the resources or lack thereof.

Speaker 2:

Exactly. Look at San Francisco, honolulu, seattle cities that invest in healthy environments, making healthy options accessible, they tend to have healthier people.

Speaker 1:

And the flip side places like Brownsville or Gulfport. Their problems aren't just about individuals needing to try harder.

Speaker 2:

Right. The study makes it clear these are often system-wide issues. You can't just tell people to eat better if there are no grocery stores with fresh produce nearby. You know.

Speaker 1:

Or tell them to exercise if there are no safe parks or affordable gyms.

Speaker 2:

Precisely. It points to a need for real investment in public health, in infrastructure, in neighborhood resources, especially in those communities that are struggling.

Speaker 1:

So it's a call to action that goes way beyond just telling people to eat their vegetable.

Speaker 2:

Definitely. It involves city planners, policymakers, community members, everyone really pushing for changes that make healthy living the easy choice, or at least an available choice for everyone.

Speaker 1:

It makes that quote from the study really hit home. Your ZIP code may be the most significant health choice you'll ever make.

Speaker 2:

It's a powerful statement, isn't it Really underscores how tied our well-being is to the places we live.

Speaker 1:

So, wrapping up this deep dive, the core message seems crystal clear Our surroundings profoundly shape our health, maybe more than we think day to day.

Speaker 2:

For sure, and maybe that leaves us with something for everyone listening to think about. Just consider your own community, your own neighborhood. What's around you? What makes it easier to be healthy? What makes it harder? Are there parks, safe places to walk, good grocery stores, affordable health care?

Speaker 1:

Just noticing those things.

Speaker 2:

Exactly Just noticing the health landscape of where you live, understanding those environmental factors. Maybe it empowers us, helps us think differently about health and maybe even encourages some folks to educate for making their own ZIP code a healthier place to be.

Speaker 1:

A really important perspective. Thanks for joining us for this really eye-opening deep dive.

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David (Viacheslav) Davidenko

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