9. Washington
Strengths: low incidence of infectious disease, low rate of cardiovascular deaths, small disparity in health status by education level
Weaknesses: low rate of high school graduation, low immunization coverage among children, high prevalence of excessive drinking
The Evergreen State was among the states that showed the most improvement this year, jumping four spots from 13th to 9th. In the past year, disparity in health status by education level declined 30 percent.
