According to a new study by Nursa, Vermont is the healthiest state to live in the U.S., scoring 8.69 out of 10 in the healthy states index. With some of the lowest pollution levels, as well as a vast amount of green spaces, gyms and running routes - the Green Mountain State is leading the way when it comes to wellness.
The nationwide analysis scored each state out of 10, using metrics such as access to gyms, parks, pools, and healthy food options, as well as levels of pollution, smoking rates, hospital readmissions, and life expectancy.
Study highlights
- Vermont ranks as the healthiest state in America, with a score of 8.69 out of 10.
- New Hampshire and Washington round out the top three, with scores of 8.43 and 8.35 respectively.
- Louisiana ranks last, scoring just 4.97 out of 10, due to high smoking rates and limited access to wellness facilities.
- West Virginia, Mississippi, and Tennessee also sit in the bottom five.
- The study found that the better access to gyms and green space - the higher the life expectancy.
The results: The healthiest places to live in the U.S.
Vermont takes the top spot with strong access to healthy stores (37.95 per 100,000 people), the highest among all states, and low levels of pollution. Life expectancy in Vermont sits at 78.4 years, with a relatively low adult smoking rate of 13.23%.
New Hampshire comes in second with a score of 8.43, featuring high numbers of gyms, healthy stores, and the lowest pollution score of any state. Meanwhile, Washington places third thanks to its abundance of walking routes (73.63 per 100k people) and parks (1,404 in total), helping residents stay active and connected to nature. Not only this - but the study found that the number of parks per state had a significant negative correlation with the hospital readmission rate.
Curtis Anderson, CEO of Nursa says:
"High hospital readmission rates strain both patient outcomes and healthcare facilities striving to meet patient care demand. As facilities work to manage fluctuating patient volumes and avoid financial penalties, they are often faced with increased pressure to scale staff up quickly and flexibly. Managing this effectively requires flexibility and careful workforce planning.”
Louisiana is the unhealthiest state to live in the U.S.
Louisiana ranks as the least healthy state in the U.S., scoring just 4.97 out of 10. The state has the lowest number of gyms per capita (2.84 per 100k people), high pollution levels, and one of the highest smoking rates in the country at 21.01%. It also falls behind on healthy food access and life expectancy, which sits at just 72.2 years.
Other states identified as unhealthy include:
- Tennessee: 5.46/10
- West Virginia: 5.47/10
- Mississippi: 5.87/10
- Nevada: 5.48/10
These states face a combination of environmental challenges, fewer wellness facilities, and higher readmission rates, contributing to lower scores.
Methodology
The Nursa Health Index was built using the U.S. OpenStreetMap (OSM) data to assess the number of parks, gyms, walking routes, pools, and both healthy and unhealthy food stores in each state.
Data was normalised per 100,000 residents. Pollution data was sourced from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), while smoking rates, hospital readmission rates, and life expectancy were collected from the CDC and other federal sources. A percentrank approach was used to fairly score each state out of 10.
Full methodology can be found in the dataset here.
