How healthy are we here in New Jersey? The latest study from World Population Review came out and you might be surprised where we rank here in New Jersey.

You’ve heard the phrase “I’m here for a good time, not a long time” right?  Well, what if you can be around for both a good and long time?  The wellness industry is projected to hit over $7 trillion by 2025 and that is because we want a better quality of life as well as longevity.

I think COVID made people take a long hard look at the quality of their physical and mental health. We started walking and exercising outdoors (because that was all we could do), and now that we are done COVID-binge eating we are worried about our nutrition more than ever.  

To determine the healthiest states they focused on overall healthy behaviors, quality of health care, health policy, disease, and deaths from that sickness.

The Number One Healthiest State Is Vermont

loading...

Vermont is considered the healthiest state in the U.S. because they have the lowest obesity rate which is 26.6%, They are also pretty low in smoking.

I’m going to jump right to us here in the Garden State.  We got the eighth-healthiest state in the U.S.!  We actually scored really well in the categories of obesity, smoking, and excessive drinking.

Getty Images Signature/Townsquare Media photo illustration
Getty Images Signature/Townsquare Media photo illustration
loading...

New Jersey has the fifth-lowest poverty rate in the country at 9.5% and the second-highest median household income of $81,740. This level of economic well-being allows for access to high-quality health care and components of a healthy lifestyle such as gym memberships and healthful food.

The least healthy states in the country are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.  These states have high obesity rates and excessive drinking which means more cancer and heart disease.

You can read the full report from World Population Review right here.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in New Jersey

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

LOOK: See America's 50 Best Beach Towns

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

More From SoJO 104.9 FM