The Best Cities To Keep You Young

10 Cities Considered the Best Cities To Keep You Young

I was doing my usual surf around for what other sites had to say about the best places to live recently when I came across an interesting study of cities in the United States where residents manage to stay young in spite of chronological age.

The study invited users to assess their “real age”-- a measurement of how well people handle their true age in years from both a physical and psychological standpoint and developed a survey of 28 million users which ranked a total of 50 cities based on how low the stress of living in those locations impacts residents. The study found that cities which evidenced the lowest rates of reported stress were the “youngest” because their residents took better care of themselves in terms of managing stress, smoking, diet and exercise which in turn reduced the incidence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes all considered diseases of age and stress.

The Top 10 Youngest Cities

The study website recently announced the results of their survey and here are the top ten youngest cities. Coming out on top in the rankings was -

• San Francisco, California - that hippie haven form the 60s, San Francisco started the healthy eating movement that has since swept the country. Residents here eat more fruit and vegetables and consume more whole grains than any other city in the United States. The city ranks number one in non smokers and number two in levels of exercise.
• Salt Lake City, Utah - Aiding the ranking here is the high percentage of Mormon residents--the Mormon religion bans drinking alcohol, coffee and sodas, and discourages smoking. Happy marriages abound here, and residents are found to have an uncommonly optimistic outlook on life, all of which contribute to the second place ranking.
• San Diego, California - comes in third on the list of youngest cities in the United States. There you find a moderate climate with mild temperate and the most consistent level of sunshine exposure in the U.S. This alone helps place this coastal southern California city at number three. San Diego ranks number one in the U.S. for the resident's level of exercise, boasts fourth place for non-smokers and ranks third in levels of optimism.
• Minneapolis-St Paul, MN - is fourth youngest when looking at the metro area. Surrounded by rich agricultural bounty, Minneapolis-St Paul boasts first place in the consumption of whole grains which in turn yields the best levels of blood pressure. The city ranks second in stress and bolsters its position by being the best metropolitan area in terms of adequate sleep and healthy levels of vitamin D.
• The Denver-Boulder Colorado metropolitan area ranks fifth youngest. This rugged mountainous--mile high environment leads the nation in optimism, third best for exercise and second best for levels of healthy blood pressure.
• Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina - is Sixth. Home to several prominent universities, the area boasts a socially connected and aware populace with great rankings in terms of low blood pressure and cholesterol, optimism, and strong employment.
• The Seventh youngest city is Boston, Massachusetts. Boston ranks highest among residents covered by health insurance and important and often overlooked factor in overall health maintenance. Residents here also rank high in their consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, which in allows Boston to rank second for low blood cholesterol levels.
• Eighth youngest city is Austin Texas. Prime here is the level of education in this university town which in turn results in better overall understanding of dietary requirements and the need for a healthy lifestyle. Austin residents boast the lowest stress levels in the US and maintain the second place position for optimism.
• Number nine is something of a surprise as very few would consider the metro Washington, D.C. area to be a geographic location known for low stress. Bolstering the ranking for this city is the high level of employment and the high income those jobs provide, which make health maintenance far easier than in other areas of the country. Money may not buy happiness but it buys access to good health-care.
• And, the number ten of youngest cities in the U.S. should surprise no one -- with its fabled glorification of the young and glowingly healthy. But Los Angeles California ranks as the tenth youngest city based on “real age” factors such as exercise, eating fruits and veggies, taking aspirin, and not smoking.

Not many of us can pull up stakes and move to one of these cities, but we can make changes to our own lifestyles which reflect those of these top ranked cities. A diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, adequate levels of exercise, not smoking and an optimistic outlook are possible in any geographic location and at any age.