Seattle Culture
The Timeless Trek in Seattle to Hit 150 Years
Could Seattle become the first city with a supercentenarian?
By Rob Smith March 5, 2025
Want to live a long time? You’re in the right place.
Seniorliving.org says the average life expectancy in Washington state is 80.2 years, well above the national average.
What if you want to live longer, say to 150? You’re still in the right place. Seattle is among the places where the first person to reach 150 years of age could live.
That’s according to a report from Portland-based Sperling’s BestPlaces and global health care technology company Medtronic. After analyzing various health data including demographic trajectories, health resources, poverty rate and wellness metrics, the study ranked Seattle No. 5 in the United States as the city “most likely to nurture the next record-breaking centenarian.”
The report, with the provocative headline “Is the first person to live to 150 already among us?” says this about Seattle: “Seattle’s reputation for active living contributes to its strong longevity ranking. It ranks highest in plant-based dietary adoption and scores well in overall wellness. However, Social Capital ranks lower at 18th, indicating weaker community participation. Seattle also falls outside the top 10 for life expectancy, in part due to excessive alcohol consumption.
“Despite these challenges, Seattle benefits from low obesity rates, high physical activity levels and excellent access to health care and nutritious food. While plant-based diets have been associated with positive health outcomes, other lifestyle and environmental factors likely play a more substantial role in overall longevity.”
Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Bridgeport, Conn.; and Boston are the only cities ahead of Seattle. Honolulu, which Seniorliving.org says has the highest life expectancy in the U.S., ranked No. 7.
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