While it seems like a lot of people may be getting their act together to get healthy these days, it’s not actually helping the country’s overall life expectancy. In fact, according to a new report, in 2015 life expectancy in the U.S. fell for the first time in decades, with the U.S. landing in 28th in the world, with an average life expectancy of 78.8.
Things like quality and access to care, as well as socioeconomic conditions can affect life expectancy, which is why there are some states in the U.S. where average life expectancy is higher than others. Well, 24/7 Wall Street looked at such factors in each of the 50 states to determine the best and worst states for life expectancy, and the results aren’t all that surprising.
All that sunshine seems to be doing folks in Hawaii some good, because they have the longest life expectancy at 81.2 years. It also helps that the state has the second lowest obesity rate in the country at 22.1%, followed by the third-lowest smoking rate at 14.1%.
Top Ten States With The Longest Life Expectancy
- Hawaii
- California
- Connecticut
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Colorado
- New Jersey
- Washington
- New Hampshire
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mississippi has the shortest life expectancy at only 74.8 years. It doesn’t help that Mississippi has the highest obesity rate in the country at 35.3%, as well as the sixth-highest smoking rate at 23%.
Top Ten States With The Shortest Life Expectancy
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- Louisiana
- Oklahoma
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- Indiana
Source: 24/7 Wall Street