If you live in New Jersey, I have some good news for you: our average life expectancy is in the upper half of the U.S.; 19th to be exact. Not near the top, but not near the bottom, either.

An article on 24/7 Wall St. ranked the 50 states on life expectancy; New Jersey’s is 77.5 years.

To determine the states with the longest life expectancy (as well as the lowest), 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on longevity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States were ranked based on life expectancy at birth as of 2020, the most recent year for which data is available.

Supplemental data on the percentage of adults over 18 who are obese (defined as having body mass index greater than or equal to 30) or current smokers, and the percentage of those who report no leisure-time physical activity, are from the 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps…. data on median household income are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey.

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According to the CDC, the average American life expectancy is 76.4, so we’re better than average.

Some of New Jersey’s stats:

🔴 Adult obesity rate: 27.7% (6th lowest)
🔴 Adult smoking rate: 11.1% (4th lowest)
🔴 Pct. adults physically inactive: 20.2% (16th lowest)
🔴 Median household income: $89,296 (3rd highest)

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The state with the longest life expectancy is Hawaii at 80.7 years. The shortest life expectancy is in Mississippi at 71.9. Mississippi also has the highest obesity rate (39.9%) and the second-highest percentage of physically inactive adults.

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Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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