The latest national County Health Rankings & Roadmaps rankings have been released. Tracking various measures of health, the report shows residents of the High Country among the healthiest in North Carolina.

Watauga County is ranked 3rd among the state's 100 counties. Avery County is listed 22nd, and Ashe County is 42nd.

The report includes the counties' ranking in a variety of categories, including morality, morbidity, health behaviors, clinical care, physical environment, and social and economic factors.

The County Health Rankings show the rank of the health of nearly every county in the nation and illustrate that much of what affects health occurs outside of the doctor’s office. The Rankings help counties understand what influences how healthy residents are and how long they will live. The Rankings look at a variety of measures that affect health such as the rate of people dying before age 75, high school graduation rates, unemployment, limited access to healthy foods, air and water quality, income, and rates of smoking, obesity and teen births.

When it comes to physical health, High Country residents have access to a variety of exercise resources. That includes not only trails for running, biking or hiking, but various workout facilities such as the Williams YMCA of Avery County.