County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
The annual County Health Rankings measure vital health factors, including high school graduation rates, obesity, smoking, unemployment, access to healthy foods, the quality of air and water, income, and teen births in nearly every county in America.
Go directly to the County Health Rankings
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
Minnesota media inquiries
Scott Smith, Communications
651-201-5806 | scott.smith@state.mn.us
Talking points for local public health (PDF): How can we frame the Rankings with regard to our work, our organizations' partnerships, and our communities' needs? Read on to learn more.
Talking to the media about the County Health Rankings (PDF): MDH has developed these tips to help local public health when media calls.
Webinars from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps has a number of webinars and presentations to help you understand the Rankings themselves, as well as learn about action opportunities building off of the Rankings.
Communications toolkit from Burness / County Health Rankings & Roadmaps: Burness has developed a County Health Rankings communications toolkit that contains information to help you prepare for media engagement and messaging for the release. If you are a local public health staff member who would like access to the toolkit, contact your CHS administrator or public health director.
When will the Rankings be released?
For more information on release timelines, visit About the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.
Who do I contact with questions about Minnesota counties and the Rankings?
MDH is happy to assist you in navigating this year's Rankings, and interpreting what the Rankings mean for you. For more information, please contact us using the contact information above.
Who ranks the counties?
The Rankings are based on a model of population health that emphasizes the many factors that, if improved, can help make communities healthier places to live, learn, work and play. Building on the work of America's Health Rankings, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has used this model to rank the health of Wisconsin's counties every year since 2003. Learn More: County Health Rankings: Methods.
Why are the counties ranked this way?
As we know from Minnesota's statewide health assessment, the social and economic factors in our lives impact our health a great deal. The Rankings consider social and economic factors to reflect that. Learn More: County Health Rankings: Rankings Methods.
What is a data embargo? Can I view the rankings during an embargo?
The County Health Rankings data is embargoed until the Rankings are officially released. This means that the media should not publish stories prior to that time.
It is recommended that local health departments not share Rankings information with anyone, except possibly media, prior to their official release. This is needed to ensure the embargo holds. If you choose to share information with the media prior to the official release date, please be sure to include an embargo statement, such as:
This information is embargoed until [date]. It should not be discussed publicly or published in the media prior to that time.
The UW Population Health Institute will provide information to national media prior to the official release date; this means you could be contacted by media prior to that day.
If you absolutely feel the need to share the information with someone, please contact the MDH Center for Public Health Practice at health.ophp@state.mn.us.
How do I get to the embargoed rankings?
If you are a CHS administrator or public health director in Minnesota, you will have received an email message with a login and password. If you are one of the above and need the information, please contact the MDH Center for Public Health Practice at health.ophp@state.mn.us.
If you are a CHS administrator or public health director and have the login and password, please do not share it with media or other partners.
What if the media contacts me about my county?
If you are a CHS administrator or public health director, you will have received an email message with some key resources to help you talk to your local media. If you have not received this message, please contact the MDH Center for Public Health Practice at health.ophp@state.mn.us.
MDH will also issue a news release on the official release date, and will provide embargoed copies of the report to any media who request them. MDH will also notify local public health departments via the CHS-PHN email list (GovDelivery) when they receive a request from local media. We will encourage media to contact local health departments for more information.
If you work for a local public health department or community health board in Minnesota, contact us with questions:
Data assistance
MDH Center for Health Statistics
651-201-3880 | healthstats@state.mn.us
Messaging and media
Scott Smith, Communications
651-201-5806 | scott.smith@state.mn.us
All other questions
Allie Hawley March, MDH Community Health Division
allie.hawleymarch@state.mn.us
The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The County Health Rankings are not produced or published by the Minnesota Department of Health.
