The 5 best states in America for seniors who live independently — and the 5 worst

It's no secret that America has an aging population. A record 4.2 million Americans reached 65 this year, and one recent study showed that 75% of older Americans would prefer to stay in their homes and communities as they age — a trend called "aging in place."

But "aging in place" isn't always the safest option for seniors, especially depending on where they live.

Seniorly, a site that helps people find assisted-living centers, tried to identify the safest and most dangerous states for seniors to age in place. It looked at a series of metrics, including isolation risk, home-care quality, availability of home health aides, emergency-care timeliness, smart-home adoption, housing cost burden, road safety, walkability, food delivery, and weather hazards.

"The best states for aging in place make it easier to get around, stay healthy, and feel supported, while others lag behind in critical areas such as healthcare access, home-care services, and community resources," Seniorly wrote.

Continue reading to see the five best states for aging in place, and the five worst, according to Seniorly.