A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that older adults feel younger out west. Fully 78% of adults ages 65 and older who live in the West say they don’t feel old, compared with 67% of older adults who live in the rest of the country.

Not that we’re tooting our own horn out here (we are based in Scottsdale, AZ, after all), but we’re not surprised by the numbers.

If you have clients debating where their next move will be, share the following statistics:

• Two-thirds of Westerners ages 65 and older say they feel younger than their chronological years, compared with 57% of older Americans in other regions.
• Among older Westerners, half say they feel 10 or more years younger than their actual age and one-in-five say they feel 20 or more years younger.
• Older folks living in the West also feel healthier than older folks elsewhere. Among adults ages 65 and older, some 72% of those living in the West say they are in excellent or good health. This compares with 63% of those living in other regions of the country.

So, celebrate 2010 and all the possibilities it brings. Don’t worry about that extra candle on the birthday cake. Embrace the future and remember you can always join us out west. We welcome you here!

Go West, Old Man…