The U.S. States Most (and Least) Likely to Keep You Healthy This Winter

Winter is coming, and with it: flu season. This year, health experts warn of a new, “unusually early and severe” influenza strain making its way to the US after sweeping through the UK, Japan, and Canada. Aside from getting a flu shot, there are many things you can do to minimize your chances of getting sick, including eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, or even moving to a different state.

To identify which parts of the country offer the best conditions for staying healthy during the winter, experts at the healthcare staffing platform Nursa ranked each U.S. state based on a series of immune resilience indicators, from average wintertime temperatures and total hours of sunlight to daily fruit and vegetable consumption and the percentage of adults that sleep fewer than seven hours per night.

States That Struggle Least (and Most) With Winter Health

A man sneezing at his desk with a tissue | Gustavo Fring/Pexels

California ended up taking the number one spot for winter wellness, scoring a 9.19 out of 10 on Nursa’s grading scale. This should hardly come as a surprise, as the Sunshine State is world-famous for its warm, sunny climate.

Winter temperatures range between 39 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit, well above the national average. More importantly perhaps, Californian culture discourages smoking and promotes organic foods, fitness, and outdoor leisure activities, ensuring its elderly population—the largest in the country—stays healthy.

At the bottom of Nursa’s ranking, we have Ohio and Alaska. Both are tied for the worst state to live in during flu season, scoring a 4.93 out of 10. Ohio’s poor performance is largely due to lack of sleep, as nearly 40% of residents get less than 7 hours of shut-eye. Lack of sunshine is also an issue: the Buckeye State ranks fifth in cloudy skies.

Data for Most Unhealthy Winters

Rank	State	Adults sleeping less than 7 hours on average a night	Average winter temperature (°F)	Winter sun (% time between sunrise and sunset)	Total hours of sun in winter	Total clear days in winter	Adults eating 2+ fruits and 3+ vegetables daily (%)	Winter wellness score/10
=1	Ohio	38.5%	29.5°	36%	321	12	7.3%	4.93
=1	Alaska	37.1%	2.6°	34%	255	19	8.9%	4.93
3	New York	38.4%	23.3°	32%	289	8	12%	5.10
4	Idaho	32.5%	25.4°	43%	366	14	5.4%	5.34
5	Wisconsin	32.8%	17.2°	46%	405	20	6.3%	5.53
6	Illinois	36%	28.3°	46%	422	21	6.2%	5.59
=7	Michigan	35.2%	21.7°	36%	340	10	9.6%	5.68
=7	Indiana	37.7%	29.4°	42%	380	17	8.7%	5.68
=7	Oregon	30.9%	34°	30%	266	8	6.5%	5.68
=10	North Dakota	33.2%	12.2°	51%	426	20	6.3%	5.74
=10	Tennessee	38.8%	39.1°	43%	415	20	6.8%	5.74
12	Alabama	40.5%	46.5°	46%	464	22	4.8%	5.84
=13	Kentucky	39.3%	35.9°	43%	408	18	8.9%	5.98
=13	Montana	31.7%	21.2°	48%	368	13	7%	5.98
15	Washington	32.4%	33°	30%	232	8	9%	6.12

Alaska’s challenges stem from extreme cold. Daytime temperatures during the holiday season average around 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit, making winters in Boston or Chicago seem almost tropical by comparison.

The state, deservedly dubbed The Last Frontier, receives just 255 hours of sunlight each winter—a little over 10 days. That’s less than any other state in the country except for Washington, according to Nursa. Despite their climate and remote location, Alaskans consume a lot of fruit and vegetables, more than people living in states like Ohio, Idaho, and Nevada. Even so, their diets can’t make up for the cold.

A person in Chicago braving the cold wearing gloves, a scarf, and jacket | Scott Olson/GettyImages

Scoring a 5.10 out of 10, New York is the third-worst state to live in during flu season—a ranking driven by insufficient sleep (there’s some truth to New York City’s moniker) and gloomy weather conditions: the Empire State has the lowest number of clear winter days in the entire country. Scoring slightly higher than New York are Idaho, Wisconsin, and Illinois, thanks to a lack of sunlight and poor eating habits.

Weather and climate can not only impact our physical health, but also our mental well-being. As many as 5% of Americans struggle with seasonal affective disorder or SAD, while two in five Americans say their mood worsens during winter, when the days grow shorter, colder, and cloudier. But much shorter, colder, and cloudier, depending on where you live.