Health & Fitness
NH One Of Best States in US For Growing Old: Report
Getting old is easier in some places than others. NH, for example has the nation's lowest poverty rate among those 65 or older.
New Hampshire is one of the best states in the country to grow old in, according to a new report by the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St. The rankings are based on an index comprising more than a dozen measures related to income, health, environment, education and access to amenities.
New Hampshire ranked sixth nationwide, trailing only Vermont, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut, according to the report published Tuesday. Here’s the breakdown for our state:
- Percent of population at least 65 years old: 17.6 percent (9th-highest nationally)
- Poverty rate among adults at least 65 years old: 5.8 percent (50th)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment among adults at least 65 years old: 32.3 percent (8th)
- Healthy life expectancy after 65: 15.1 years (7th)
The authors noted that while the best states span the country, the worst states were “almost exclusively in the South.” Here are the 10 worst states to grow old in, according to the report:
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- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- New Mexico
West Virginia ranked as the worst state in America to grow old in, something to consider when more than 50 million Americans are at least 65 years old. (And that number is expected to roughly double over the next 40 years.) West Virginia has the lowest share of older adults with a bachelor’s degree — 17.1 percent — and the third-lowest healthy life expectancy after 65 at just 11 years. It also has the third-highest share of older adults living in poverty at 10.2 percent.
Those looking to live their best life in the golden years ought to head to Vermont, ranked the No. 1 place to grow old. Vermont has the fourth-highest share of people at least 65 years old and the second-highest share of older adults with a bachelor’s degree. The New England state also boasts one of the best healthy life expectancies after 65 at 15.2 years.
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Rounding out the Top 10 were Montana, Utah, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
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