Here’s how NJ ranks for living a long, healthy life

If you want to live a long, healthy life, New Jersey isn’t a bad place to be in the U.S.

A new study by Life Extension says the Garden State ranks #16 among the 50 states (and D.C.) for a long, healthy life.

How did they arrive at their conclusions?

They used nine different metrics: longevity, exercise, healthy diet, healthy weight, park proximity, outdoor recreation spending, sleep quality, stress, and social isolation.

All of those factors have been shown to influence life expectancy.

New Jersey ranked 15th for healthy lifestyle, with an average life expectancy of 77.5 years.

For comparison, Hawaii had the longest life expectancy at 80.7, while West Virginia was last at 72.8. West Virginians also have the least healthy lifestyle.

For healthy lifestyle rankings, Vermont was number one, followed by other states with a lot of outdoor activities: Colorado and Utah.

The states with the least healthy lifestyles are also all in the overall bottom five; along with West Virginia are Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky.

While we Americans tend to believe we’re the best at everything, when it comes to life expectancy, not so much:

According to the World Health Organization's latest figures, countries such as Kuwait, Estonia and Panama outlive the people of America. When you consider how much money America spends on healthcare, America's lower life expectancy has a lot to do with lifestyle choices. And a few standout communities around the globe, dubbed "Blue Zones," help show how healthy living and life expectancy go hand in hand.

Japan has the longest average lifespan at 84.3; in the US, it’s 78.5.