MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation, there is a bright spot for Montgomery County when it comes to the health of the community.
There have not been any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Montgomery County, thus far, and it has been announced that Montgomery County just broke into the top 10 as one of Tennessee’s healthiest counties in a study performed by countyhealthrankings.org.
According to Montgomery County Health Director Joey Smith, in 2013, the county was ranked 17; in 2019 we were ranked 13; and in 2020, Montgomery County moved up to number 10.
With a population of 205,950 residents, the average life expectancy for Montgomery County as shown by the study is 75.8. The rankings factor in a variety of health factors such as smoking, adult obesity, excessive drinking, and more.
The study also measures the number of uninsured citizens in the county with 9 percent found to be uninsured.
Smith added that one of the most important reasons for the drop in the rankings is a lower smoking rate. In 2013, the adult smoking rate was 28 percent for Montgomery County but it has dropped to 22 percent today.
“That’s 9,000 individuals who have quit smoking, considering that smoking reduces life expectancy by ten years, we’ve added 90,000 years of potential life expectancy to Montgomery County. That’s 90,000 Christmas mornings,” Smith said.
This year’s rankings can be found here. The top county for 2020 is Williamson County in Middle Tennessee.