The two least healthy counties in Wisconsin are home to three reservations, according to a new study from the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Among the 72 counties, Menominee County was the worst in terms of health. The county is home to the Menominee Reservation and is 87.3 percent Native.

The second-lowest county was Forest County, where the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe and the Sokaogan (Mole Lake) Chippewa are located. The county is 11.3 percent Native.

According to Patrick Remington, the director of the institute, the health rankings are strongly related to economic levels. Menominee and Forest counties have low average incomes.

"This is a great challenge for that tribal community," Remington was quoted as saying. "Menominee also has among the lowest graduation rates, the lowest rate of income and the highest divorce rate."

Get the Story:
Wealthiest counties also healthiest, study says (AP 11/15)
Health goes with wealth throughout most of state (The Madison Capital Times 11/14)

Get the Study:
2005 Wisconsin County Health Rankings (UW Population Health Institute November 2005)