Hays County is the seventh-healthiest county in Texas, according to the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps study.

The rankings, released in March, are produced each year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The report measures U.S. counties' health using factors such as high school graduation rates, obesity rates, prevalence of smoking, and air and water quality.

Hays County came in behind Williamson County (second place) and ahead of Travis County (eighth place).

The county jumped several spots from the 2013 study, when it ranked 14th, which is a sign of the progress that has been made in the health care sector over the last few years, said Neal Kelley, Seton Medical Center Hays COO.

"This is definitely good progress for us," he said. "Obviously, Hays County from a wellness perspective is a great place to live. You have got lots of opportunities to be outside and exercise. From a health care perspective, we have improved the access to care so much since Seton Hays has opened."

The hospital opened its doors in October 2009. Since then, the city has grown its medical sector and Kelley said health care access as a whole has improved in Hays County.

The areas in which Hays County performed well include life expectancy and quality. However, the physical environment, such as the average commute time and housing problems, composed the area in which the county ranked poorly.

With a population boom and economic stability, the county is primed for continued progress, Kelley said.

"I think it's a great place to live and work," he said. "And now there are more health care services than there has historically ever been before."