La Crosse County residents are among the healthiest in the state.

That's according to the 2013 County Health Rankings released by the UW Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

La Crosse County ranks 21st overall out of Wisconsin's 72 counties.

Vernon County ranks even higher, at number nine.

Number one is Ozaukee County.

Rankings are based on factors influencing the health of people living in those counties.

Everything from smoking rates, to childhood poverty, obesity levels, and access to medical care are considered for this annual list.

It's only one number, but it's a useful one for area health departments when it comes to evaluating what they're doing to improve the overall health of Western Wisconsin.

"Our community is healthier now than it was 15 to 20 years ago.  We're living longer, there's more of us, we're having a better quality of life.  But we could be doing better, and that's what this process is about," says Doug Mormann, Director of the La Crosse County Health Department.

To see the full list of rankings head to the County Health Rankings website.