BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation indicates that while life expectancy in most United States counties is increasing, it is growing more slowly for women.

Men and women alike from New Jersey need to move to Bergen County if they want to live longer, according to the study. As of 2010, Bergen County has the highest life expectancy among New Jersey counties for both men and women.

State counties that have the longest life expectancy for men, according to philly.com, include 1.) Bergen, 80.5 years, 2.) Somerset, 80.2 years, 3.) Morris, 80 years, 4.) Hunterdon, 79.4 years, 5.) Middlesex, 78.5 years,  6.) Union, 77.8 years,  7.) Monmouth, 77.6 years, 8.) Burlington and Warren tied at 77.5 years, 10. Hudson, and Passaic tied at 77.2 years, 12.) Mercer, 76.9 years, 13.) Sussex, 76.8 years, 14.) Ocean, 76.5 years, 15.) Gloucester, 75.9 years, 16.) Camden, Essex and Atlantic tied at 75.3 years, 19.) Cape May, 74.8 years, 20.) Cumberland, 74.4 years, and 21.) Salem at 73.4 years.

Top New Jersey counties for women’s life expectations, according to philly.com include 1.) Bergen, 84.3 years, 2.) Somerset, 83.8 years, 3.) Morris, 83.6 years, 4.) Hunterdon, 83.3 years,  5.) Middlesex, 82.9 years, 6.) Union, 82.4 years, 7.) Passaic, 82.3 years, 8.) Hudson, 82.2 years, 9.) Monmouth, 82.1 years ,10.) Warren, 81.9 years, 11.) Mercer, 81.5 years, 12.) Ocean, 81.4 years, 13.) Burlington, 81.3 years, 14.) Sussex, 81.2 years, 15.) Cape May, 81.0 years, 16.) Essex and Gloucester tied at 80.5 years,  18. Camden, 80 years, 19.)Salem, 79.4 years, 20.) Atlantic, 79.3 years, and 21.) Cumberland, 79.1 years.

The survey found that white men lived 4.6 years longer than blacks in 2009, and white women outlived black women by 3.5 years, according to New Milford Patch.

Mary E. O’Dowd, New Jersey commissioner of health and senior services Mary O’Dowd said, “While the life expectancy for African Americans has improved at a rate greater than that for whites, disparities continue to be a challenge. We are committed to leading the effort to reduce -- and eventually eliminate -- health disparities in New Jersey.”

The IHME web site reported that women’s life expectancy across the U.S. increased from 78 years to 80.9 years between 1985 and 2010, while men’s life expectancy jumped from 71 years in 1985 to 76.3 years by 2010.