Best States For Older Americans: Here’s How Illinois Ranks

When it comes to quality of life for older Americans, Colorado takes the lead as the best state in the U.S. for aging, followed by Maine and Hawaii, according to a new set of rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. But is Illinois a good place to get old? The rankings show how the Land of Lincoln stacks up when it comes to places for seniors to live.

The rankings, released Tuesday, evaluate how states address and prioritize the needs of older populations. U.S. News evaluated all 50 states across 12 metrics to determine the rankings, looking at factors like quality of Medicare programs, cost of care and population health.

U.S. News explains in its methodology that the rankings measure the effort of states to “effectively serve their senior citizens by keeping them healthy, financially secure and involved in their communities.” U.S. News scored states relative to each other in 12 categories that were averaged into one overall score.

Illinois was ranked the 31st best state for aging in the U.S., meaning more than half of the 50 states are better places to grow old. Ohio falls smack in the middle at No. 25, and the absolute worst place for the elderly was Alaska at No. 50.

According to U.S. News, these are the top 10 states for aging:

1. Colorado
2. Maine
3. Hawaii
4. Iowa
5. South Dakota
6. Wisconsin
7. Minnesota
8. Vermont
9. New Hampshire
10. Florida

U.S. News used data from sources like the CDC and the Kaiser Family Foundation to evaluate the states.

The factors used to determine the rankings are:

• Life expectancy at age 65
• The share of adults age 65 and older reporting at least “good health”
• The share of adults age 65 and older reporting minimal physical inactivity during leisure time
• The share of adults age 65 and older reporting frequent mental distress
• Unemployment for adults age 65 and older
• The share of adults age 65 and older with a dedicated primary care physician
• The share of adults age 65 and older that are considered able-bodied, with no cognitive, visual, auditory, ambulatory, self-care or independent living difficulty disability
• Average monthly costs for various assisted living and care options
• The share of Medicare Advantage enrollees in plans that are rated four stars or better
• The share of state nursing homes rated four stars or better
• The share of the state population that is 65 years old or older
• Cost of living

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