But the state's high placement is actually down from fourth place last year, with the drop fueled by a poor immunization record and a high number of residents without health insurance.
The United Health Foundation, an independent group in Minnesota, issued its 2006 state health rankings on Tuesday. Minnesota is at the top of the list for the fourth straight year.
Vermont was second, followed by New Hampshire, Hawaii and Connecticut. At the other end, the report listed Louisiana as the least-healthy state, followed by Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Overall, Americans are 0.3 percent healthier than they were a year ago, the foundation concluded. The nonprofit is funded by the health-care company UnitedHealth Group.
Its report is based on factors such as personal behaviors, the environment people live and work in, decisions by public and elected officials, and the quality of medical care delivered by health professionals.
Examples include smoking, motor vehicle deaths, high-school graduation rates, children in poverty, access to care and incidence of preventable disease.
Utah has never been outside the top 10 since the reports began in 1990, although it receives low rankings on some health measures.
This year's report faults the state for its continued low immunization coverage, with only 74 percent of children 19 months to 35 months receiving complete vaccinations.
Utah's lowest rankings - both at 47th - were for low per capita public health spending (at $72 per person) and an increase in the number of Utahns without health insurance.
Ranks of uninsured rose by 18 percent this year.
More than a year ago, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. created a committee to explore ways to tackle the problem. The group wants to focus on insuring kids and helping small-business owners and their workers afford coverage, but Huntsman has yet to endorse a plan.
Utahns are still among the healthiest residents in the country, with low rates of smoking and deaths from cancer, heart disease, motor vehicle accidents, violent crime and infant mortality. The state also has a high rate of high school graduation, with 80.2 percent of incoming ninth-graders graduating within four years, the report said.
"All these health indicators are very fluid and change for every state year by year," said Cyndi Bemis, public information specialist with the Utah Department of Health.
"A drop of two places isn't cause for alarm," she said in a statement. "Still, the report is a valuable tool, a reminder of how far we've come and how far we need to go to help all Utahns get healthier."
The report was produced in partnership with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.
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* Tribune reporters CAREY HAMILTON and KIRSTEN STEWART contributed to this report.
Healthiest, least healthy states
* No. 1: Minnesota
* 2: Vermont
* 3: New Hampshire
* 4: Hawaii
* 5: Connecticut
* 6: Utah
* 46: Arkansas
* 47: Tennessee
* 48: South Carolina
* 49: Mississippi
* 50: Louisiana
