When it comes to living a long life, Hawaii is the place to be. Beyond the beaches, idyllic balmy weather and laid-back vibe, the state also has, it turns out, the most efficient health-care system in the U.S., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Hawaiians lived two years longer than the national average of 79 years, benefiting from four decades of employer-paid insurance, generous Medicaid benefits and favorable demographics. Residents of West Virginia, which ranked last, lived three years less than the average, even though per capita health-care spending there was $9,462 compared with $7,299 for Hawaii and expenditures were equivalent to almost a quarter of the state's gross domestic product — the highest in the U.S. 

Bloomberg ranked states based on three weighted metrics scored on a scale of 0 to 100: life expectancy, health-care costs per capita and costs as a percentage of state gross domestic product. The data cover 2014, the most recent available. 

Longevity and health aren't easy to improve in the short term, and Hawaiians have an edge: the state's 43-year-old Prepaid Health Care Act, which sets minimum standards for employer-provided benefits, including coverage for office visits, maternal care and hospital stays for employees working at least 20 hours a week, according to Hilton Raethel, chief executive officer of advocacy group Healthcare Association of Hawaii. A state fund helps defray costs for small businesses.