What Are the Healthiest States in America 2026? All 50 Ranked
New Hampshire is the healthiest state in 2026 with a health score of 100.0/100 and a life expectancy of 79.2 years. Rankings are based on America's Health Rankings data covering chronic disease, healthcare access, and life expectancy across all 50 states.
The 10 healthiest states
Where you live affects how long you live. The gap in life expectancy between the healthiest and least healthy states is 4.8 years — not months, years. We scored all 50 states using America's Health Rankings data, CDC reports, and life expectancy estimates.
New Hampshire ranks #1 with a health score of 100.0/100 and a life expectancy of 79.2 years. Massachusetts (98.0) and Vermont (95.9) follow. The national average life expectancy is 77.6 years.
The correlation between income and health is hard to ignore. Among the top 10 healthiest states, the average median income is $92,148 — 23% above the national average. Money doesn't buy health directly, but it buys access to care, better food, gym memberships, and lower stress.
| Rank | State | Score | Life Exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Hampshire | 100.0 | 79.2 yrs |
| #2 | Massachusetts | 98.0 | 80.4 yrs |
| #3 | Vermont | 95.9 | 79.4 yrs |
| #4 | Connecticut | 93.9 | 79.7 yrs |
| #5 | Utah | 91.8 | 79.4 yrs |
| #6 | Minnesota | 89.8 | 79.8 yrs |
| #7 | Washington | 87.8 | 79.2 yrs |
| #8 | Maryland | 85.7 | 78 yrs |
| #9 | Hawaii | 83.7 | 82.3 yrs |
| #10 | New Jersey | 81.6 | 79.5 yrs |
#1: New Hampshire
New Hampshire is the healthiest state in America with a health score of 100.0/100 and a life expectancy of 79.2 years (national average: 77.6). The state ranks #1 in America's Health Rankings and combines strong healthcare access with a median household income of $97,880 — wealthier populations tend to have better health outcomes, and New Hampshire has both.
New Hampshire ranks #1 overall (87.8/100). Safety also ranks well (93.5), and the two tend to reinforce each other — safe communities have less stress, better mental health, and more access to outdoor activity. The cost of living index is 105.
#2: Massachusetts
Massachusetts scores 98.0/100 for health with a life expectancy of 80.4 years. Ranked #2 nationally by America's Health Rankings, the state benefits from a 4.9% unemployment rate and a median income of $101,370. Economic security translates to better healthcare access and outcomes.
Massachusetts ranks #11 overall (72.8/100). Safety also ranks well (71.0), and the two tend to reinforce each other — safe communities have less stress, better mental health, and more access to outdoor activity. The cost of living index is 108.
#3: Vermont
Vermont scores 95.9/100 for health with a life expectancy of 79.4 years. Ranked #3 nationally by America's Health Rankings, the state benefits from a 2.7% unemployment rate and a median income of $74,919. Economic security translates to better healthcare access and outcomes.
Vermont ranks #3 overall (79.6/100). Safety also ranks well (83.3), and the two tend to reinforce each other — safe communities have less stress, better mental health, and more access to outdoor activity. The cost of living index is 97.
#4: Connecticut
Connecticut scores 93.9/100 for health with a life expectancy of 79.7 years. Ranked #4 nationally by America's Health Rankings, the state benefits from a 4.2% unemployment rate and a median income of $93,228. Economic security translates to better healthcare access and outcomes.
Connecticut ranks #10 overall (73.5/100). Safety also ranks well (84.2), and the two tend to reinforce each other — safe communities have less stress, better mental health, and more access to outdoor activity. The cost of living index is 104.
#5: Utah
At #5, Utah posts a health score of 91.8/100 with 79.4-year life expectancy. America's Health Rankings places it at #5 nationally. Median income: $87,804. Unemployment: 3.2%.
Utah ranks #4 overall (79.3/100). Safety (58.8) leaves room for improvement, but the health infrastructure is strong enough to compensate. The cost of living index is 95.
#6: Minnesota
At #6, Minnesota posts a health score of 89.8/100 with 79.8-year life expectancy. America's Health Rankings places it at #6 nationally. Median income: $85,551. Unemployment: 3.4%.
Minnesota ranks #6 overall (76.7/100). Safety also ranks well (64.7), and the two tend to reinforce each other — safe communities have less stress, better mental health, and more access to outdoor activity. The cost of living index is 98.
#7: Washington
At #7, Washington posts a health score of 87.8/100 with 79.2-year life expectancy. America's Health Rankings places it at #7 nationally. Median income: $90,325. Unemployment: 4.9%.
Washington ranks #22 overall (61.4/100). Safety (42.3) leaves room for improvement, but the health infrastructure is strong enough to compensate. The cost of living index is 109.
#8: Maryland
At #8, Maryland posts a health score of 85.7/100 with 78-year life expectancy. America's Health Rankings places it at #8 nationally. Median income: $98,461. Unemployment: 2.9%.
Maryland ranks #17 overall (67.7/100). Safety (53.1) leaves room for improvement, but the health infrastructure is strong enough to compensate. The cost of living index is 104.
#9: Hawaii
At #9, Hawaii posts a health score of 83.7/100 with 82.3-year life expectancy. America's Health Rankings places it at #9 nationally. Median income: $94,814. Unemployment: 2.2%.
Hawaii ranks #21 overall (63.2/100). Safety (53.3) leaves room for improvement, but the health infrastructure is strong enough to compensate. The cost of living index is 109.
#10: New Jersey
At #10, New Jersey posts a health score of 81.6/100 with 79.5-year life expectancy. America's Health Rankings places it at #10 nationally. Median income: $97,126. Unemployment: 4.8%.
New Jersey ranks #19 overall (65.9/100). Safety also ranks well (83.0), and the two tend to reinforce each other — safe communities have less stress, better mental health, and more access to outdoor activity. The cost of living index is 109.
What drives health outcomes
The healthiest states share several characteristics: higher rates of health insurance coverage, more healthcare professionals per capita, lower obesity rates, higher incomes, and more education. Education is a particularly strong predictor — states with higher graduation rates tend to have healthier populations, likely because education enables better health literacy and higher-paying jobs with better benefits.
Environmental factors matter too. Air quality, access to parks and recreation, and climate all influence health outcomes. Among the top 10, the average air quality index is 36 and public land covers an average of 17.5% of state area.
The least healthy states
Louisiana (0.0), Arkansas (2.0), West Virginia (4.1), Mississippi (6.1), Alabama (8.2) round out the bottom five for health. Louisiana has a life expectancy of 74.4 years — 7.9 years shorter than Hawaii's 82.3 years.
The least healthy states tend to have higher poverty rates, lower insurance coverage, and fewer healthcare providers per capita. The median income among the bottom 5 is $55,773, and the average unemployment rate is 3.9%. Improving health outcomes in these states requires addressing the underlying economic conditions that produce poor health in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What is the healthiest state in America?
New Hampshire ranks #1 for health in 2026 with a health score of 100.0/100 and a life expectancy of 79.2 years. The state ranks #1 in America's Health Rankings and benefits from strong healthcare infrastructure, high insurance coverage, and above-average incomes. Massachusetts (98.0) and Vermont (95.9) follow closely. The healthiest states share common traits: higher rates of health insurance, more healthcare professionals per capita, lower obesity rates, higher incomes, and stronger education systems that promote health literacy. Northeastern and Western states dominate the health rankings.
Q:Which state has the longest life expectancy?
Hawaii has the longest life expectancy at 82.3 years, compared to the national average of 77.6 years. The gap between the longest and shortest state life expectancies is 4.8 years — a difference driven by variations in healthcare access, chronic disease rates, poverty levels, health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet), and environmental factors. Life expectancy is just one component of health — our health score also captures quality-of-life factors like chronic disease burden, mental health, and healthcare access that affect daily well-being even for residents who live long lives.
Q:What factors determine a state's health ranking?
Health rankings are based on America's Health Rankings 2026 Annual Report by the United Health Foundation, which evaluates states across dozens of metrics including: chronic disease prevalence (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer), healthcare access (insurance coverage, primary care physician density, hospital access), health behaviors (smoking rates, physical activity, excessive drinking, drug use), mental health (depression, stress, poor mental health days), maternal and infant health (infant mortality, prenatal care), and overall mortality including life expectancy. The raw rank (1-50) is normalized to a 0-100 scale. This comprehensive approach captures health outcomes rather than just healthcare spending, because spending more doesn't always produce better results.
Q:Does income affect health outcomes?
Yes, significantly. The top 10 healthiest states have an average median income of $92,148, well above the national $74,753. Higher income enables better healthcare access (affording insurance, copays, prescriptions), healthier food choices (fresh produce costs more than processed food), more exercise opportunities (gym memberships, equipment, free time), and lower chronic stress. The correlation isn't coincidental — poverty is one of the strongest predictors of poor health outcomes at both the individual and state level. However, income alone doesn't determine health — state policies on healthcare expansion, public health investment, environmental regulation, and social safety nets also play significant roles.
Q:Why do Southern states tend to rank lower for health?
Several factors contribute to lower health rankings in parts of the South: higher rates of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, lower rates of health insurance coverage, fewer healthcare providers per capita in rural areas, higher poverty rates that limit access to quality nutrition and healthcare, and environmental factors. The average median income in the bottom 5 health states is $55,773, and the average unemployment rate is 3.9%. These economic challenges compound health disparities because lower-income populations face more barriers to preventive care, healthy food, and active lifestyles. Improving health outcomes in these states requires addressing the underlying economic conditions alongside healthcare infrastructure investments.