Want to Live Longer?
Quit Smoking, Cut Calories, Exercise and Move to Hawaii - or Better Yet, Andorra
By Elaine Schiff
You've no doubt heard the old actuarial adage: The longer you live, the longer you can expect to live. Say you were born in 1940. At birth, your life expectancy was around 76 years (if you're a woman). But today - assuming you're still alive and kicking - your life expectancy is a not-too shabby 85.
Of course, there's plenty you can do to help keep the Grim Reaper at bay. If you smoke, stop. Immediately! There's almost no other habit that can steal as much from your lifespan as smoking. Other longevity liquidators: excessive drinking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood glucose and physical inactivity. Being single is also bad for your lifespan. But these are things you already know, or should.
What you might not know is that where you live can also affect your life expectancy - big time. A recent Harvard University study found that one's place of residence, combined with one's race, is a greater predictor of longevity than access to health insurance. Using a vast statistical database, the report concluded that the nation's longevity leaders are Asian-American women in Bergen County, New Jersey. Amazingly, they have an average lifespan of 91 years - that's average! Worst off are Native American men in parts of South Dakota. They can only expect to live to about 58.
It's no great mystery, the study explains, since some regions of the country embrace healthier lifestyles than others. Income level plays a big role, too. Wealthy states and counties tend to produce longer lifespans than poor ones. For instance, in affluent Westchester, New York, people reach an average age of 79.5 years. Yet a typical resident of its poorer next-door neighbor, the Bronx, should expect to live only to age 75.
Where the Living is Longer
Not surprisingly, states with the longest life expectancies are those that boast a vigorous, wholesome lifestyle, defined, for the most part, by plenty of outdoor activity and healthy cuisine. Leading the pack is Hawaii where the average resident lives to the ripe old age of 80. Following the Aloha State, in rank order, are Minnesota, Utah, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Iowa, North Dakota, Rhode Island, California, Vermont and Colorado, all of which have an average life expectancy of about 78 years.
States at the opposite end of the longevity list are: Mississippi (73.6 years), Louisiana (74.2), Alabama (74.4), South Carolina (74.8), West Virginia (75.1) and Tennessee (75.1). The District of Columbia has the lowest longevity of all with an average life expectancy of 72 years - eight full years shorter than that of Hawaii.
Ten Best Counties
County Lifespan
Clear Creek, Colo. 81
Eagle, Colo. 81.3
Gilpin, Colo. 8
Grand, Colo. 81.3
Jackson, Colo. 81.3
Park, Colo. 81.3
Summit, Colo. 81.3
Montgomery, Md. 81.3
Lyon, Iowa. 81.3
Sioux, Iowa. 81.3
Ten Worst Counties
County Lifespan
Coahoma, Miss. 70.1
Phillips, Ark. 69.8
Marlboro, S.C. 69.6
Petersburg, Va. 69.6
Baltimore City, Md. 68.6
nett, S.D. 66.6
kson, S.D. 66.6
ellette, S.D. 66.6
Todd, S.D. 66.6
Washabaugh, S.D. 66.
States, however, are pretty big places. Perhaps more helpful is to know which counties can claim bragging rights for longest longevity. Turns out that seven of the top 10 counties for life expectancy in America are in Colorado (see table above).
For U.S. counties the disparity between the best - Clear Creek, CO - and the worst - Washabaugh, SD - is a staggering 14.7 years. In other words, that old saw about real estate, "Location, location, location," seems to apply to longevity as well.
Bear in mind that among nations, the United States ranks a somewhat paltry No. 42 in terms of average life expectancy (77.3 years), edged out by Germany (77.6), the United Kingdom (77.8), Israel (78.7), Italy (79.1) and Canada (79.6). But they're all put to shame by world leaders Andorra (83.5 years), Macau (81.7), San Marino (81.2), Japan (80.8) and Singapore (80.2).
So, if you're in search of the Fountain of Youth, perhaps it lies somewhere in Andorra. Don't know much about Andorra? Well, it's a tiny landlocked principality nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains, between France and Spain. Aside from a long lifespan, Andorrans enjoy one other benefit: virtually no taxes. The economy is carried by a bustling tourism trade. So, if the idea of a very long and very inexpensive life appeals to you, brush up on your Spanish, or French or Catalan (all three are spoken there), and move to Andorra. The numbers are in your favor.
As printed in Longevity Alliance's Newsletter:
Momentum, November 2006.