Why Do New Yorkers Live Longer?

New Yorkers are living longer, and New York magazine wants to know why. Department of Health figures show the average Gothamite lives longer than the average American. It could be thanks to more and faster walking, the magazine says, but ultimately has more to do with the fact that the city attracts people who are more likely to be healthy.

The New York average lifespan is about 9 months longer than the national average, and the rate of increase is considerably faster. The rapid increase within the city's population is probably due to a combination of luck and good policy—and an intricate calculus involving population density, demanding foodies, the trans-fat and smoking bans, and availability of cutting-edge medical care. (More life expectancy stories.)