16. Kansas
> Metro area:Manhattan
> Life expectancy: 79.8 years
> Obesity rate: 27.9%
> Poverty rate: 19.6%

A typical resident of the Manhattan metro area can expect to live 79.8 years, nearly a year and a half longer than the average American. Education may be one factor driving longer life expectancies, as 96% of area adults have at least a high school diploma, and 45.8% of adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, the third and 12th highest rates among all metro areas, respectively. An educated population tends to have higher-paying jobs which help lower the barriers to healthy living. Educated individuals are also more likely to have acquired the knowledge necessary to stay healthy. Additionally, just 7.5% of the population does not have health insurance. The low uninsured rate may also contribute to the area’s high life expectancy.

17. Kentucky
> Metro area:Lexington-Fayette
> Life expectancy: 77.6 years
> Obesity rate: 28.6%
> Poverty rate: 18.2%

Lexington-Fayette metro area residents are among the least likely Americans to be physically active on a regular basis. As many as 24.7% of metro residents do not exercise regularly, compared to 23.0% of Americans. As a whole, Kentucky is not a particularly healthy state. All of the five metro areas located within state boundaries have shorter life expectancies than the 78.5 year national average, including Lexington-Fayette — the metro area with the longest life expectancy.

18. Louisiana
> Metro area:New Orleans-Metairie
> Life expectancy: 76.4 years
> Obesity rate: 31.8%
> Poverty rate: 18.1%

None of the metro areas in Louisiana has an average life expectancy higher than the 78.5 years expected nationwide. However, residents of the New Orleans metro area can expect to live the longest of any urban residents in the state, with a life expectancy at birth of 76.4 years. Relatively low obesity may be one factor contributing to low life expectancies. As many as 31.8% of metro area residents are obese, and statewide more than 34% of residents are obese. Both figures are higher than the 27% of Americans with obesity.

19. Maine
> Metro area:Portland-South Portland
> Life expectancy: 79.9 years
> Obesity rate: 24.0%
> Poverty rate: 11.0%

An average Maine resident can expect to live 78.7 years, in line with the national average. Residents of the Portland-South Portland metro area, however, are expected to live longer — 79.9 years, among the longest life expectancies in the country. As in many other states with high life expectancies, Portland-South Portland residents are more likely than most Americans to abstain from smoking and less likely to be obese. The city’s poverty rate of 11.0% is also quite low. This has likely helped improve health outcomes as poverty frequently contributes to poor health.

20. Maryland
> Metro area:California-Lexington Park
> Life expectancy: 78.3 years
> Obesity rate: 29.2%
> Poverty rate: 7.5%

California-Lexington Park metro area residents can expect to live 78.3 years, slightly lower than the national average of 78.5 years. However, the metro area still has the longest life expectancy among Maryland urban areas. The city’s exceptionally low poverty rate of 7.5% may contribute to its state-leading life expectancy. Additionally, a typical household in the metro area earns $86,417 annually, roughly $33,000 more than across the nation and $12,000 more than the median household income statewide. The elements of a healthy, long, life are often costly, and the high incomes in the California-Lexington Park metro area likely help explain the longevity among area residents.