NJ & NY top best states ranking for growing old in part, ironically, thanks to air quality

There are blue skies for the grays of the tristate. Living out one’s golden years in New Jersey and New York is as good as gold, reveals a new ranking that rates both East Coast Edens in the top five best states for growing old in the US. The twilight life tastes sweeter in the Garden State and the Big Apple — even if the air is a bit sour. As the spunky spitfires of Generation X turn 60 this year, and the silver foxes of the Baby Boomers relish the revelries of retirement, researchers for Nursa, a healthcare staffing platform, to determine the most idyllic, affordable and healthy hotspots for folks to call home as they mature. To laud specific locales the “best,” and less picturesque places the “worst,” analysts created the “Aging Well in America Index,” a roster grading each state on its population of residents age 75 and up, as well as its number of nursing homes, nurses and hospital beds. Air quality, life expectancy, walkability and sunlight exposure were also key factors in the ranking. The insiders calculated the percentages from each category and assigned all 50 states a final score based on a 1-to-10 grading scale (10 representing the highest score). Hawaii, buxom with lush landscapes, warm weather and the best-rated nursing homes nationwide, earned the crown as the No.1 state for growing old. “Hawaiians have the longest life expectancy in the US, at 80 years, and the state is home to the second largest population aged 75 [and olde] at 9.95% of all Hawaiians,” wrote the study authors.

“Hawaii is world-renowned for its natural beauty, with plenty of volcanoes, rainforests, and beaches offering endless outdoor activities, keeping its residents active and healthy.”The Aloha State boasts the second best air quality score at 27.3 out of 500 — meaning there’s virtually no air pollution that poses health risks, per the US Environmental Protection Agency — and has the second fewest number of days with unhealthy air. “H...