Minnesota is the healthiest state!

The United Health Foundation ranked Minnesota #1 this year and last year.

Strengths:
Minnesota is among the top ten states on ten of the 18 measures. Strengths include a low rate of uninsured population at 8.9 percent, a low rate of cardiovascular deaths at 248.2 deaths per 100,000 population, a low premature death rate with 5,728 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population and a low infant mortality rate at 4.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Challenges:
Challenges include limited access to adequate prenatal care with 75.8 percent of pregnant women receiving adequate prenatal care and a high prevalence of smoking at 20.7 percent of the population.

Significant Changes:
In the past year, the percentage of children in poverty decreased from 9.7 percent to 9.0 percent of persons under age 18.
Since 1990, the infant mortality rate declined from 8.9 to 4.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Since 1990, the percentage of children in poverty decreased from 21.2 percent to 9.0 percent of persons under age 18.
Since 1990, the prevalence of smoking declined from 28.7 percent to 20.7 percent of the population.