Each state's rankings were averaged for the 23 factors . All factors were given equal weight.
Data used are for the most recent year for which comparable numbers are available from most states.
States with no data available for a given category were ranked based only on the remaining factors. The tables in Health Care State Rankings 1998 list data from highest to lowest. The table above shows how each state fared in the 1998 Healthiest State Award as well as its placement in 1997.