According to the latest report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hawai`i once again leads the nation in longevity (as of 2021). We live an average of 79.9-years here while the U.S. norm is 78.4 years (as of 2023). Women outlive men by 5.3 years… subject matter for another day.
While some doubt almost anything coming out of the CDC these days (a serious mistake), the longevity statistics may indicate there’s something “special” about Hawai`i, which many of us believe. The next five highest life expectancy states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota; nice weather is surely not the ultimate determinant.
Hawai`i slipped into the #2 spot of most expensive states to reside in (behind California). The irony here is that we live longer than anyone elsewhere… it’s just tougher here to make a go of it, and you don’t need to make it to 80-years old to realize that. Men live 1.3 years longer here vs. the national average, while women live two years longer (note: state stats are from 2021; national stats are from 2023). Maybe we’re smarter, healthier, stronger? Lucky you live Hawai`i, indeed.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.” However you want to look at the longevity numbers, the social fabric of Hawai`i surely plays a role in our quality and quantity of life. Concepts like aloha, ‘ohana, living pono, laulima, akahai, ha’aha’a… the list goes on.
These are not just words, but social mores that transcend day-to-day existence. It’s what makes life here seem so worthwhile for so many. One can wax poetic about local intangibles which lessen the onerous cost burdens that many deal with daily.
50% of people who moved from Hawai`i in 2023 went to either California, Texas, Washington, Arizona, or Florida, according to the State of Hawai`i Data Book. They all undoubtedly had good reasons to leave. But losing people with local roots makes it harder to sustain that which makes Hawai`i so unique and so special. The solutions to allow people to thrive here, not just survive, must be a top priority for those in charge.
The Vulcan salute (from “Star Trek”) implores us to “live long and prosper”. Prosperity is subjective; richness is not solely related to one’s monetary wealth. Here’s to the quality and length of life in Hawai`i.
Think about it…