Live Longer By Moving to These Ten States

Surf’s Up, Dude. Not surprisingly, Hawaii seems to be the place to be if you want a long life. It comes in at 11% lower than the next state in line, with 661.4 people dying for every 100,000.

It’s befitting that the world renown Mayo Clinic is located in the state next in line. Minnesota has the second lowest mortality rate in the nation, with 732 people dying for every 100,000. Does the Mayo Clinic owe its reputation to Minnesota’s low mortality rate?

A recent academic study by Harvard and Princeton economists suggests that richer, better-educated people live longer. In 1980 the life expectancy of Americans in the bottom 5% of income distribution was 25% lower than the life expectancy of Americans in the top 5%. In 2002, African Americans had a 5.4 years less life expectancy than whites. Less stress, clean environment, less crime, better education, and higher income (through better nutrition and access to life extending medical care) act all together to produce these results. How else can you explain the lowest mortality rates in Hawaii? Here are the other states with the lowest mortality rates in the country:

1. Hawaii               661.4
2. Minnesota       732.0
3. North Dakota 756.6
4. California        759.0
5. Connecticut   761.5
6. Utah                  763.1
7. Colorado         773.6
8. Iowa                 774.0
9. Florida            774.2
10.New York     776.9

Next: 12 Deadliest States