2020: These Cities Are the Healthiest and Unhealthiest in Texas

Our research team dives deep into the latest government data to rank the healthiest and least healthy cities in Texas.

By: Tim Barclay, PhD and Eric Rodriguez

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2020

Innerbody.com has carefully evaluated the data and identified the top 10 healthiest Texas cities, as well as the 10 least healthy cities in the state.

Innerbody.com’s research team closely examined the latest government data from the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Economic Research Service, among others, in order to evaluate Texas’ 30 largest cities (from Odessa to Houston).

Since everything is bigger in Texas, we pored over extensive data sets, analyzing 20 different factors across the following four key dimensions in order to determine our Health Rankings:

Clinical Care & Prevention
Disease & Health Outcomes
Health Behaviors
Physical Environment

Among the 20 factors were residents’ access to health care and health insurance; cancer and obesity rates; air quality and lead exposure; and even how much sleep an average resident gets.

Plano takes the top spot this year as the healthiest large city in Texas for 2020, moving up one spot from last year’s rankings. Plano has the highest overall Health Score (78.8) by a decent margin over Frisco, ranked 2nd (73.7), while Austin (69.6) rounds out the top 3.

Plano ranked an impressive #1 or #2 in each of our four dimensions. With outstanding clinical care and prevention, low disease rates, healthy behavioral habits, and a great physical environment, Plano will be tough to beat in the years to come.

Meanwhile, the least healthy large city in Texas for 2020 is Waco (30.2), with Brownsville (33.9) and Laredo (35.4) most narrowly escaping that distinction.

Here are all 20 factors that we used for this study:

The Research

Top 10 Healthiest Cities in Texas
Bottom 10 Least Healthy Cities in Texas
Best and Worst in Select Ranking Factors
How All Texan Cities Fared -- All Rankings
How We Collected Data and Developed Our Rankings
Sources
Additional Health Resources
Support Resources
Fair Use Statement

Top 10 Healthiest Cities in Texas

Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Healthiest Cities in the Lone Star State for 2020:

Plano

Overall Health Score
78.8
Population
259,841
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 2 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 2 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 1 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 1 (out of 30)

Frisco

Overall Health Score
73.7
Population
116,989
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 1 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 1 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 2 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 23 (out of 30)

Austin

Overall Health Score
69.6
Population
790,390
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 4 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 3 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 3 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 8 (out of 30)

McKinney

Overall Health Score
62.8
Population
195,342
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 3 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 4 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 4 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 20 (out of 30)

Carrollton

Overall Health Score
62.4
Population
119,097
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 5 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 5 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 5 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 16 (out of 30)

Irving

Overall Health Score
59.4
Population
216,290
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 14 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 6 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 9 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 2 (out of 30)

Midland

Overall Health Score
58.4
Population
111,147
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 13 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 11 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 6 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 3 (out of 30)

El Paso

Overall Health Score
54.3
Population
649,121
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 17 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 12 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 7 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 14 (out of 30)

Arlington

Overall Health Score
53.2
Population
365,438
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 9 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 13 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 14 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 9 (out of 30)

#10

Garland

Overall Health Score
51.3
Population
226,876
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 18 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 10 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 18 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 5 (out of 30)

Bottom 10 Least Healthy Cities in Texas

Below are cities #30 - #21, the least healthy cities in Texas:

#30

Waco

Overall Health Score
30.2
Population
124,805
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 23 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 28 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 27 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 30 (out of 30)

#29

Brownsville

Overall Health Score
33.9
Population
175,023
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 29 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 20 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 29 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 24 (out of 30)

#28

Laredo

Overall Health Score
35.4
Population
236,091
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 30 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 26 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 30 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 15 (out of 30)

#27

Beaumont

Overall Health Score
36.1
Population
118,296
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 8 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 29 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 28 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 28 (out of 30)

#26

Wichita Falls

Overall Health Score
37.9
Population
104,553
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 10 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 30 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 23 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 27 (out of 30)

#25

Abilene

Overall Health Score
40.1
Population
117,063
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 21 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 25 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 22 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 25 (out of 30)

#24

Killeen

Overall Health Score
40.9
Population
127,921
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 6 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 27 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 26 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 29 (out of 30)

#23

Mesquite

Overall Health Score
45.1
Population
139,824
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 16 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 16 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 24 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 18 (out of 30)

#22

Fort Worth

Overall Health Score
45.2
Population
741,206
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 15 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 19 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 21 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 17 (out of 30)

#21

Pasadena

Overall Health Score
45.3
Population
149,043
Care & Prevention
Ranked # 27 (out of 30)
Health Behaviors
Ranked # 23 (out of 30)
Disease Outcomes
Ranked # 25 (out of 30)
Environment
Ranked # 12 (out of 30)

Best and Worst in Select Ranking Factors

Here are how some of the cities fared in select factors:

How All Texan Cities Fared -- All Rankings

Below is how each of the largest 30 cities in Texas was ranked overall, along with how each was ranked in each of our four key dimensions: Care & Prevention, Disease Outcomes, Health Behaviors, and Physical Environment:

Overall Health Rank	City	Population	Overall Health Score	Care & Prevention	Disease Outcomes	Health Behaviors	Physical Environment
1	Plano	259,841	78.8	2	1	2	1
2	Frisco	116,989	73.7	1	2	1	23
3	Austin	790,390	69.6	4	3	3	8
4	McKinney	195,342	62.8	3	4	4	20
5	Carrollton	119,097	62.4	5	5	5	16
6	Irving	216,290	59.4	14	9	6	2
7	Midland	111,147	58.4	13	6	11	3
8	El Paso	649,121	54.3	17	7	12	14
9	Arlington	365,438	53.2	9	14	13	9
10	Garland	226,876	51.3	18	18	10	5
11	Denton	113,383	50.6	7	8	7	26
12	Grand Prairie	175,396	50.3	11	13	9	21
13	Corpus Christi	305,215	49.6	22	11	22	7
14	McAllen	129,877	48.7	26	10	8	19
15	Houston	2,099,451	47.9	25	20	15	13
16	Dallas	1,197,816	47.5	20	17	14	6
17	San Antonio	1,327,407	47.4	12	12	21	22
18	Odessa	99,940	47.0	28	19	17	4
19	Amarillo	190,695	46.4	19	16	24	10
20	Lubbock	229,573	46.2	24	15	18	11
21	Pasadena	149,043	45.3	27	25	23	12
22	Fort Worth	741,206	45.2	15	21	19	17
23	Mesquite	139,824	45.1	16	24	16	18
24	Killeen	127,921	40.9	6	26	27	29
25	Abilene	117,063	40.1	21	22	25	25
26	Wichita Falls	104,553	37.9	10	23	30	27
27	Beaumont	118,296	36.1	8	28	29	28
28	Laredo	236,091	35.4	30	30	26	15
29	Brownsville	175,023	33.9	29	29	20	24
30	Waco	124,805	30.2	23	27	28	30

How We Collected Data and Developed Our Rankings

We examined the 30 largest cities in Texas (from Houston to Odessa) based on the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics across four key dimensions: Clinical Care & Prevention, Disease & Health Outcomes, Health Behaviors, and Physical Environment. We analyzed 5 metrics within each dimension.

Therefore, for each city we looked at no less than 20 different health factors in total. We graded each metric on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 always representing the healthiest, most favorable conditions.

More detailed information about each metric - including definition, source, and weighting - is as follows:

Clinical Care & Prevention: 25% total weight

Insurance Access: 5% weight

Measures: Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18–64 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Routine Checkups: 5% weight

Measures: Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dental Visits: 5% weight

Measures: Visits to dentist or dental clinic among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Influenza Vaccination: 5% weight

Measures: Older adults aged ≥65 years who are up to date on a core set of clinical preventive services (influenza or pneumococcal vaccination)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Cholesterol Screening: 5% weight

Measures: Cholesterol screening among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Disease & Health Outcomes: 25% total weight

Cancer: 5% weight

Measures: Cancer (excluding skin cancer) among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

High Blood Pressure: 5% weight

Measures: High blood pressure among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diabetes: 5% weight

Measures: Diagnosed diabetes among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Coronary Heart Disease: 5% weight

Measures: Coronary heart disease among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Asthma: 5% weight

Measures: Current asthma prevalence among adults aged ≥18 Years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Unhealthy Behaviors: 25% total weight

Smoking: 5% weight

Measures: Current smoking among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Obesity: 5% weight

Measures: Obesity among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Lack of Physical Activity: 5% weight

Measures: No leisure-time physical activity among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Lack of Sleep: 5% weight

Measures: Sleeping less than 7 hours among adults aged ≥18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Binge Drinking: 5% weight

Measures: Binge drinking among adults aged ≥ 18 years
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Physical Environment: 25% total weight

Air Pollution: 5% weight

Measures: Average daily concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) per cubic meter (average)
Source: US Environmental Protection Agency

Healthy Food Access: 5% weight

Measures: Population living more than ½ mile from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store (%)
Source: Economic Research Service

Lead Exposure Risk: 5% weight

Measures: Poverty-adjusted risk of housing-based lead exposure (index)
Source: American Community Survey

Park Access: 5% weight

Measures: Population living within a 10 minute walk of green space (%)
Source: ParkServe®

Walkability: 5% weight

Measures: Neighborhood amenities accessible by walking as calculated by Walk Score® (index)
Source: Walk Score®

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
US Environmental Protection Agency
Economic Research Service
American Community Survey
ParkServe®
Walk Score®
Innerbody.com Research

Additional Health Resources

Support Resources

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