Many people think of the city lifestyle as unhealthy, associating it with noise, pollution, crime, dense populations, a fast pace, and high stress levels. But a new study seems to dispel those notions. Cities once infamous for pollution, crime, crowding and infectious diseases have cleaned up their act. A report published by the University of Wisconsin that ranks more than 3,000 counties nationwide against others in their states. “They may have more job opportunities,” says Patrick Remington, project director of County Health Rankings. “All these things come together to make urban areas and, in particular, suburban communities, healthier than their rural counterparts.” The report found that 48 percent of the healthiest counties were urban or suburban, while 84 percent of the unhealthiest counties were rural.
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