Our fine Commonwealth of Massachusetts has reigned supreme as the healthiest state in the country.

According to a report from America's Health Rankings, Massachusetts overtook Hawaii for the top spot, a position the tropical paradise has held for the last five years. The 28th annual report comes from the United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association, which breaks each state down into 35 different categories, including policy, clinical care and behaviors.

Massachusetts was found to have the lowest percentage of uninsured residents, coming in at just 2.7 percent of the population. Another telling score was children living in poverty; which decreased to only 11 percent, from 17.6 percent back in 2015.

The biggest red mark for the Bay State, according to the report, was the increase in drug related deaths. The rate of drug deaths increased in Massachusetts by 69 percent over the previous report.

New England was well represented in the Top-5 healthiest states as Vermont, No. 3, and Connecticut, No. 5, joined Hawaii and Utah to round out the top of the heap. On the flip side, the Top-5 unhealthiest states were Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and West Virginia.

 

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