That mediterranean climate appears to be doing our bodies some good. Three of the top 10 U.S. metro areas with the longest life expectancies are in California, according to a new MoneyGeek report.
MoneyGeek relied on the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s county health rankings. The researchers analyzed 118 metro areas with populations of 250,000 or more.
“Overall, the United States ranks well below other wealthy countries in terms of average life expectancy,” MoneyGeek found. “This is due not only to America’s higher death rates from COVID-19 and lower vaccination rates but also to the lack of universal health care. The number of Americans without health insurance represents around 12% of the general population, and without health insurance, one trip to the hospital for an emergency could bankrupt you.”
The average life expectancy in the U.S. is now 76.1 — a significant decline from the 2020 average, which was 77. See how California compares below.
U.S. Metro Areas With the Longest Average Life Expectacy
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (83.0)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA (72.9)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (82.8)
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (82.6)
- Urban Honolulu, HI (82.5)
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL (82.5)
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL (82.5)
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (82.2)
- North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL (81.9)
- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO (81.8)
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (81.8)
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX (81.6)
- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (81.5)
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA (81.5)
- Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (81.4)
- Tucson, AZ (81.3)
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (81.2)
- Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (81.0)
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (80.7)
- Green Bay, WI (80.7)
List and data were compiled by MoneyGeek and do not reflect statistics on all cities.
See also: Counties With the Longest and Shortest Life Expectancies