Best Place to Live in the U.S. for Longevity

• A new report ranked the country’s longevity hotspots based on factors such as gender, family, volunteering, religious congregations, civic engagement, and social association.
• Washington D.C. came on top thanks to the high levels of physical activity among its residents as well as lower smoking and drinking rates.
• The San Francisco Bay area and Bridgeport, Connecticut, are also in the top three.

Humans have been hunting for the fountain of youth forever. According to one new study, it’s not just about having all the right supplements and tech; it’s also about finding the right place to live. 

In February, BestPlaces, a research firm specializing in quality of life and livability, released a report, conducted in partnership with Medtronic, a global manufacturer of medical devices and healthcare technology. The study examined the “scientific factors driving longevity and identified the conditions that make a city the most likely home for the first person to reach 150.” 

To figure out where these longevity destinations are, they developed a predictive model of health and wellness that influences lifespan using existing research that focuses on aging, extreme longevity,  genetics, community, and wellness. The report noted that variables like gender, strong social capital, family, volunteering, religious congregations, civic engagement, and social associations all have a significant impact on aging, as do health resources available to an aging population, including the number of hospitals, air quality, education, and the poverty rate in each spot. 

Then, it ranked the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on the above variables, with the Washington, D.C. area coming out on top.

“The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area ranks first for longevity, excelling across nearly all key metrics,” the findings stated. D.C. ranked fourth for “social capital” and fourth in “wellness,” along with high levels of  “physical activity and lower-than-average smoking and excessive drinking rates.” However, BestPlaces noted that the area did rank lower for its “plant-based dietary adoption,” which is one way its citizens could attempt to live even longer.

Coming in second is the San Francisco Bay area, thanks to its efforts to excel in “physical activity, low obesity and smoking rates, and access to high-quality food and medical care.” However, it lost out on the top spot after it ranked lower in social capital, “likely due to its fast-paced work culture.”

Bridgeport, Connecticut; Boston; and Seattle round out the top five, showing that a longevity zone can be found from coast to coast.

Other key findings include that the first person to live to 150 will likely be female. According to the report, it’s because “data from the Gerontology Research Group’s database of U.S. supercentenarians shows that only 7 percent (142 out of 1,980) are men.”

It also noted that genetics and environment play a “crucial” role. “Longevity is strongly influenced by family genetics, but environmental factors also play a vital role. Supportive communities that encourage healthy behaviors—such as balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and strong social connections—contribute to extended lifespan,” it added.

You can read the full report on medtronic.com.