Best States For Older Americans: How New York Measures Up

NEW YORK — When it comes to deciding where to live, many older Americans opt to live in a warmer place or closer to family. While personal preference may be the deciding factor for most, older Americans should keep in mind which states are objectively better suited for living out their golden years.

According to a new ranking by 24/7 Wall St., some states are better for older Americans to call home when it comes to factors such as income, health care, safe streets, reliable public transportation and more.

New York is among the best states for older Americans, according to the ranking. Overall, your state ranked 17 out of all 50 states.

To determine each state’s place on the list, 24/7 Wall St. looked at which states have an advantage when it comes to the aforementioned factors such as health care and income.

With access to quality public transportation important to older Americans maintaining independence, 24/7 Wall St. found New York has the widest reaching public transportation networks of any state — with 28 percent of commuters statewide relying on it.

24/7 Wall St. also determined how well New York might suit older Americans by taking into determining the following figures:

• Life expectancy at age 65: 85.6 years
• 65 and older poverty rate: 11.8 percent
• 65 and older population with a disability: 31.5 percent
• Median income for 65 and older households: $45,302
• Population 65 and older: 3.2 million

Using data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24/7 Wall St. created an index of measures related to income, health, education, environment and access to public transportation in order to identify the best and worst states for older Americans.

Out of all states, Colorado ranked as the best state for older Americans. According to the ranking, the state has one of the lowest senior poverty rates and one of the smallest shares of 65-and-over residents with a disability, as well as the third lowest annual mortality rate for residents 65 and over.

Here are the top five best states for older Americans:

1. Colorado
2. Maryland
3. Hawaii
4. New Hampshire
5. Connecticut

On the other hand, several states were considered not good fits for older Americans, according to the ranking. At the bottom of the list is West Virginia, followed by Arkansas and Mississippi, respectively.

See more on 24/7 Wall St.’s methodology in determining the best states for older Americans.