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Best places for a long life

Residents of these 25 counties enjoy some of the highest life expectancies in the U.S.

14 of 25

14. Santa Clara County, CA

Towns include: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale
Life expectancy at birth: 80.25 years

Why do people in Santa Clara County live so long? Could be the garlic. The town of Gilroy produces more of the heart-healthy bulb than anywhere else in the U.S., and its annual garlic festival is held the last weekend of July.

Not in the mood for garlic ice cream? Try the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, devoted to Santa Clara's other main export.

Stanford University's Medical Center in Palo Alto is top-ranked, and the county as a whole is affluent, diverse, and offers a wide variety of entertainment and recreation, from winery tours to golf to international cuisine.

NEXT: 15. Arlington County, VA

Last updated September 22 2008: 11:08 AM ET

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Source: Life expectancy stats from consultant Bert Sperling of BestPlaces.net, Centers for Disease Control.

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