Leaving California? Here are the healthiest states to consider
Lots of folks think about leaving California for their wealth. Let me remind you, health matters, too.
As a public service – not to mention a chance to highlight a medical finance lesson or two – my trusty spreadsheet did some state shopping for anybody contemplating a departure from the Golden State with physical well-being in mind.
For starters, lets remember that all state-by-state scorecards are a rough estimate of the ranking’s target. Results suggest the winners and losers for a hypothetical-but-typical household. And no matter the grading formula, the math won’t fit everyone. Each potential relocation involves a decidedly different need for wellness or medical care.
With the caveats noted, my scorecard was based on seven studies that graded various aspects of a household’s well-being, from the broad cost and availability of medical care to how states meet the specific needs of children and seniors. By the way, only 17 states scored better than the Golden State on my wellness composite scorecard.
My spreadsheet tells soon-to-be-ex-Californians that Massachusetts is the healthiest option. No. 2 was Hawaii followed by Minnesota, New Jersey and Maryland.
Yet if health care is driving your California departure planning, avoid West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma.
And how did popular relocation choices fare in this grading? Texas ranked a lowly No. 41, Florida was No. 31, Arizona was No. 38, Nevada was No. 40 and Idaho was No. 19.
Inside the grades
Ponder how states score on these various measurements of health needs …
Health systems: Quality and availability of care are important, no matter where a person is within their life cycle. According to US News & World Report, the best care network is in Hawaii, followed by Massachusetts and Connecticut. Worst? Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma. And California ranked No. 5 in this grading.
Cost: The price of medical care often drives a household’s ability to use it. Rankings by Forbes show the best pricing for healthcare is in Michigan, followed by Washington and Nevada. Worst? South Dakota, Louisiana and West Virginia. California ranked No. 19 in this metric.
Children’s health: Got little tykes? The best state, medically speaking, is Massachusetts, according to the Annie Casey Foundation. Next is New Hampshire then Minnesota. Worst? New Mexico, Louisiana and Mississippi. And California? A poor No. 33 for children’s medicine, by this ranking.
Senior medicine: The older crowd will want to eye No. 1 Minnesota, says MedicareGuide. Next came North Dakota and Massachusetts. Worst? Oklahoma, Georgia and Mississippi. California ranked No. 4, by this math.
General health: I also considered a state-by-state overall health grading with senior leanings by United Health Foundation. It found New Hampshire was the healthiest state, followed by Massachusetts and Vermont. Worst? Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. California came in at No. 22.
Mental health: It’s not hard to feel out of sorts these days. Massachusetts is the best place for your psyche, says Mental Health America. Next was New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Worst? Nevada, Idaho and Arizona. California ranked No. 24.
Happiness: A smile on your face is a great stimulant for your health. And rankings by WalletHub tell us the happiest state is Hawaii, followed by Maryland and Minnesota. Least happy? West Virginia, Louisiana and Arkansas. In this cheery yardstick, California scored seventh-happiest.
Bottom line
Good health is priceless, so the cost of medicine – from the expense to quality and availability – should be part of any relocation strategy.
Please note that when it comes to health and your state selection, it may be a case of “you get what you pay for.”
Consider each state’s overall cost of living, using a metric combining state rankings from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and C2ER.
The 10 most expensive states outside of California to live in had a lofty No. 13 average health ranking, according to my aforementioned scorecard.
The 10 states with the cheapest cost of living? They averaged a worrisome No. 38 health rank.
Note: Full results are also at https://bit.ly/beststate4health
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com