Live longer in San Diego
The San Diego Metro Area is one of the nation’s top-ranked areas for long life expectancy. The average life expectancy in San Diego is 80.7 years which is approximately six months longer than the average life expectancy for the State of California as a whole. Over the past decade or so, the life expectancy of San Diegans has experienced an increase, on average, of 4 to 5 years.
Access to quality healthcare facilities helps to keep the residents of San Diego healthy. San Diego is home to some of the nation’s best academic medical centers and hospitals, providing high-quality primary and specialty care. The county’s “Live Well, San Diego” health initiative adopted in 2010, is a ten year plan, the goal of which is to build a more healthy, safe, and thriving community.
Beating the average
There are a variety of factors to take into consideration when comparing the average life expectancy in San Diego to the national life expectancy average of 78 years. Generally speaking, gender as well as genetics play a role in calculating life expectancies. According to the CDC, females in the U.S. have an average life expectancy of 81 years vs. males with a life expectancy of 76 years.
But, lifestyle also has a lot of bearing on life expectancy. People living in Southern California tend to be more active and more physically fit. Year-round sunshine and a mild climate encourage a more active lifestyle. San Diegans, in particular, are committed to staying physically active whether it’s biking, walking or running, hiking, swimming, or surfing. According to Livability.com, 85% of adults in San Diego County engage in some type of leisure time physical activity.
Other lifestyle choices, such as smoking and poor diet and nutrition, have an effect on your overall health and, therefore, play a part in determining life expectancy. Eighty percent of adults in San Diego reported a healthy weight and a BMI of less than 30 while 88% of adults classified themselves as non-smokers, according to Livability.com.
Responsible planning
How long you can expect to live involves making more responsible and healthier lifestyle choices. Just as important is making responsible choices when it comes to estate planning. Creating and implementing an estate plan at an earlier age can offer you the financial protection you will need after you retire and will ensure that any assets, property, and personal possessions will be transferred to your heirs and beneficiaries at the time of your death.
Creating an estate plan can help to minimize taxes, court costs, and unnecessary legal fees. It can save your family and beneficiaries the hassle of going through probate. At the Law Office of David W. Foley, our wills and trust attorneys can advise you about setting up a living trust to designate how your assets are to be distributed, about health care directives, and much more.
Contact our San Diego office for more information about estate planning and living trusts.