A Northern Virginia community is being recognized for its high health status.
Falls Church, Virginia, has been named America’s healthiest community by US News and World Report.
The annual ranking ranks the 500 healthiest communities nationwide using a score of zero to 100 in 10 categories, based on ratings of nearly 3,000 counties and county equivalents.
Categories include population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality and infrastructure.
Falls Church scored highly in multiple categories – 97 in population health, 96 in economy, 94 in food and nutrition, 95 in infrastructure and a perfect score of 100 in education.
The “small town” dethroned Los Alamos County, New Mexico, which took second place in 2024, followed by Douglas County, Colorado; Sioux County, Iowa; and Hamilton County, Indiana.
Falls Church also took the top spot in 2018.
According to US News, the city was found to have the highest walkability score and was ranked high for its proximity to destinations such as libraries, museums or playgrounds.
Falls Church has a 93% preschool enrollment rate and a 97% high school graduation rate.
Eight out of 10 residents have at least an associate’s degree, giving the city a high score in education.
After ranking
There are 92 metrics that make up each of the 10 categories evaluated, US News data editor Julia Haines shared with Fox News Digital.
For example, the population health category considers metrics such as cancer prevalence, lack of health insurance and life expectancy, which is the most heavily weighted of all the categories, according to Haines.
This is followed by equality, education and the economy.
Falls Church ranked high in a number of those categories, Haines said.
“We like to say that consistency is key in our rankings, so doing well in a number of categories and subcategories helps a county succeed,” she told Fox News Digital.
As US News marks the sixth edition of Healthiest Communities, Haines said he hopes the annual list starts conversations between communities and individuals.
“[The list] it allows our readers to not only identify how their communities are succeeding, but also where they may not be succeeding, perhaps motivating readers and community leaders to find solutions,” she said.
“For example, someone may find that while their county is doing really well, a county just a few miles away may be struggling, indicating that something may be causing that shift in the road.”
Dana Jones, director of Housing and Human Services in Falls Church, said the local response to the designation has been “a joy that the city has been recognized for something that we put a real effort into.”
“Residents and employees see the correlation between health, wellness and quality of life,” she told Fox News Digital.
Jones echoed several attributes she believes gave Falls Church an edge, including the city’s nationally recognized farmers market, “great education system” and walkability.
Mayor Letty Hardi showcases “fitness in action” by walking and running around town and hosting the annual Mayor’s Fitness Challenge, Jones noted.
Some of the other factors contributing to the city’s ranking include “trail improvements, a focus on bicycle safety and the availability of healthy food,” according to Jones.
Above all, she added, community members want “the best for themselves and their families, including full health and a safe and affordable place to live.”
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