Since the launch of Blue Zones Project five years ago, Fort Worth’s well-being has risen significantly, going from one of the country’s unhealthiest cities to now ranking in the top 20 percent of the country’s metropolitan areas.
In 2013, Fort Worth’s equivalent rank for residents’ well-being as measured by the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index was near the bottom -- 185th out of 190 reported metro areas. Four years later, the city’s equivalent rank increased to 58th out of 186. According to the most recent 2019 report, Fort Worth has moved up even more, now tying for 31st out of 156 communities nationwide. This equivalent ranking is based on comparison to new metropolitan statistical area (MSA) data and is a notable increase over past performance in the survey.
The city has seen dramatic improvement in all five essential areas of well-being measured by the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (WBI) -- career, social, financial, community, and physical health. And while much of the nation saw a decline in well-being, Fort Worth’s overall Well-Being Index score rose from 58.8 in 2014, when the initiative launched, to 62.5 in 2018. Not coincidentally, in November 2018, Fort Worth became a certified Blue Zones Community®, the largest in the country.
As the primary sponsor of Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth, Texas Health Resources funded the initiative under the umbrella of its community outreach nonprofit, North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC). Those efforts are continuing as NTHC looks for additional ways to impact community health. “Blue Zones Project has had a dramatic impact on well-being in this community, and this ranking reflects that change,” said Barclay Berdan, CEO of Texas Health. “We are proud of what we’ve accomplished together,
With partners throughout Fort Worth, Blue Zones Project helped create more walkable routes to schools, organized community groups in efforts to provide fellowship and encourage healthy behaviors, supported the development of a park and playground in one of the city’s more underprivileged neighborhoods, tweaked grocery store layouts to prominently feature healthy snacks and drinks, worked with area businesses to enhance employee health, and helped the city create new policies that promote well-being, among other efforts. Fort Worth’s Blue Zones Community status reflects citywide changes that consistently make healthy choices easier.
“This is an amazing transformation in just a few years, and it happened because our community is committed to prioritizing health and happiness,” said Mayor Betsy Price of Fort Worth. “Working together, we have helped make Fort Worth an even more attractive place for businesses to relocate and for individuals and families to live, work, and play. I am confident we will continue to make Fort Worth one of the healthiest cities in the country.”