Several Areas Across New York State Rank Among the Country’s Healthiest

Health is often on our minds, especially as we age. But sometimes healthcare can vary greatly depending on what part of the country you live in. Even with COVID behind us, there are a lot of factors that determine overall health, such as towns and areas that promote outdoor recreational activities or affordable healthcare.

The Study

WalletHub conducted a study of the country's healthiest cities and towns using data from four key dimensions: 1) health care, 2) food, 3) fitness and 4) green space. According to the new study, several areas in New York state did pretty well.

According to the numbers, New York City ranked 16th overall. New York City did considerably well when it came to food ranking (3rd in the nation), which means there's a plentiful amount of dieticians and nutritionists, to healthy restaurants, to available farmers markets

Rochester was 47th, and Yonkers was 52nd, and Buffalo was 60th. San Francisco was 1st overall and Brownsville, Texas was dead last.

CDC Says New York State Saw the Biggest Decline in Life Expectancy?

While a few cities did well in the recent study, is overall life expectancy falling across the state? The past few years have been trying, and data from a 2022 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the story.

See Also: Two Lower Hudson Valley Towns Among the Best Places to Live in America

According to their numbers, New York state saw the biggest decline in life expectancy in the nation, from 80.7 years in 2019 to 77.7 in 2020. The CDC found that the steep decline was mainly due to factors such as COVID-19 and rising drug overdoses.

New York's Ranking

New York ranked 15th overall, right behind Maine. Men in New York live an average of 74.8 years, and women live an average of 80.7, according to the study. New Jersey was 20th, and Pennsylvania was 25th. Mississippi was dead last with a life expectancy of 71.9 years.