Hawaii tops list of best states for seniors

Hawaii sits atop the list of states with the best senior well-being, according to a new study

Hawaii is the best place to live if you’re an older American, according to a new study.

Gallup-Healthways recently published a report ranking states on the well-being of their senior residents, according to a Reverse Mortgage Daily report. The report was based on a survey of more  than 177,000 US seniors. Categories included how well seniors thrived in sense of purpose, community, and social, financial and physical well-being.

Hawaii took the top spot overall, and was also number one in the purpose, financial and physical categories, according to the report.

Arizona took second place overall, along with fourth place in the social category. Rounding out the top five states for seniors were New Hampshire, North Dakota and Colorado.

“People in the United States are now living significantly longer than prior generations, a trend that stands to continue,” Joseph F. Coughlin, founder and director of MIT AgeLab, said in the report. “As a nation, we must improve upon advances in well-being, while developing new strategies to help Americans age well and thrive in later life.”

The lowest-scoring states for seniors’ well-being were West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ohio and Indiana, according to the report.

For the full ranking of states, click here.