It was just last year that then-Commissioner James Matthews reminded the county that it was the richest in the state.
He said Montgomery County, Pa. was 16th “among the large counties in the U.S. and first among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties,” according to the 2011 article on Patch.
Matthews quoted the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, which set the average county income at $63,469, making it the richest county in Pennsylvania.
Though it is the richest, Montgomery County ranks fifth in overall health of its residents. According to the website CountyHealthRatings.org, which aims to create a "healthier nation, county by county" by posting each state's ratings, Montgomery places fifth out of 67.
In 2012, the site marks Montgomery County as declining slightly in premature deaths. The nation has 5,466 declared premature deaths while the state of Pennsylvania averages 7,284 at this time. Montgomery County overall is closer in line with the national averages, clocking in with 5,333 in 2012.
Of perhaps greater concern is the county's morbidity, or the frequency of particular diseases. County Health Ratings paticularly tracks the number of poor physical health days, poor mental health days and the percent of low birthweights in the county to rank its morbidity.
Montgomery County has higher than national benchmark rates for all three categories, marking 2012 figures at 2.9 average poor physical health days (comparted to national benchmark of 2.6), 3.1 poor mental health days (versus 2.3 nationally) and charts 7.2 percent of all babies at low birthweights, (compared to 6 percent nationally).
These lower than average morbidity rates placed Montgomery County at fifth, under 1. Union, 2. Chester, 3. Juniata and 4. Centre counties in Pennsylvania.
For the full health report, visit CountyHealthRankings.org. The county's Department of Health aims to assist the county's residents to make all able to live a more healthy lifestyle. You can see a full list of the county's programs for doing so on its website.
Golden Cockroach
1:04 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
The richest County in the state, the 16th richest in the nation yet...people are forced to live in abject poverty in the boroughs of Norristown and Pottstown. The health of young children is negatively impacted by environmental conditions in their Section 8 and market rate slum properties - no one is paying attention.
Cockroach & rodent infestations, mold and raw sewage contribute to illnesses. Dangerous electrical wiring and furnaces pose consistent physical dangers. Montgomery County, MontCo Voucher Housing and our own local government in Pottstown are directly responsible, but not held accountable, for these dismal health stats.
It's no honor to be the Richest County in Pennsylvania when they make no effort, by their lack of concern and integrity, to become the Greatest County in Pennsylvania or the 16th Greatest in the nation. In the alternative, given the wealth and potential to do the right thing, these statics would be embarassing....
If only the officials of these entities had a heart.
http://goldencockroach.wordpress.com/
Lynne Hallman
1:46 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Slums are not built they become slums because the people who live there don't care and live in filth. They get low cost housing and they don't care about it because it is not theirs, they didn't work to get it. Their children get free food at school. I am tired of paying more and more taxes for less services to pay for the schools providing food instead is an education and discount housing for people who take no responsibility for themselves. How can the children be hungry when they are also obese. If you can't afford or don't want to take care of yourself you shouldn't be having children. Everyone else is supposed to pay for their birth control they should use it. We have been throwing money at these people for 40 years and they have not bothered to take any responsibility and get a job or improve their conditions. It is time to stop. Maybe if we stopped giving them everything with no conditions on receipt they would get a job and stop having more children every one else has to support.
Golden Cockroach
4:00 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I get it Lynne. I agree that many, not all, poor take no responsibility for their lives. From the Feds, on down, their behavior is enabled by the govt.
If you are implying because they are poor, children do not deserve safe housing or functional environments I take monumental exception to the inhumane implications of your comment.
We, the homeowners, business owners of Pottstown also reside in this notoriously wealthy county that evidently has no problem wallowing in the muck and disgust they have made in their own county seat of Norristown, (no doubt aided & abetted by the dysfunction of that local government).
And, I resent that the poor and disenfranchised are sequestered in one of two communities in wealthy MontCo, particularly in Pottstown, "out of sight out of mind" of the communities whose rich, lily white countenance must not be disturbed by reality.
It's patent discrimination toward the businesses, homeowners, and school districts that struggle just to maintain decency while rental property investors are enabled by MontCo & local officials to collect exorbitant rental incomes from Section 8, they blatantly neglect their properties, the neighborhoods, taxes & fees. I don't see them putting a stop to it either.
Suckling at the teat of taxpayers, they are no better than the poor that you hold in contempt.
Only difference? Investors return to their homes in lily white, wealthy neighborhoods, in Montgomery County, where no one is the wiser.
Jeannette Mustachio-Shrift
4:23 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I am glad we have high morality :). I know it's a typo, but it made me laugh.