How Long Will You Live? Your State’s Life Expectancy Is an Indicator

When Americans think of life expectancy, we often look at it from a nationwide perspective, contrasting our countrie to others. But did you know that the gap in life expectancy between the state with the highest and the one with the lowest is 8.8 years?

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) ran the data, uncovering where in the U.S. Americans live the longest and shortest lives.

Methodology

The NCHS gathered data on the estimated life expectancy by state based on people born in 2020, which is the most recent data available. Based on their estimates, children born in 2020 have an estimated life expectancy of 77 years.

That said, the NCHS also gathered details on the life expectancy of males and females. Whereas men born in 2020 are expected to live an average of 74.2 years, women will likely live a whole 5.7 years more, reaching the age of 79.9.

The Gender Difference

Fifty-seven percent of people 65 years old are women. Fast forward twenty years, and that number jumps up to an 85-year-old population of 67% female. Before you start pondering women’s versus men’s health, though, consider this: One of the leading causes of men having a lower life expectancy is that they tend to take bigger, more life-threatening risks, particularly when they’re younger.

Risk also translates to jobs, where men statistically have more dangerous careers than women. Furthermore, men take their lives at a higher rate than women.

Of course, health also plays a role. Men have a 50% higher chance of passing away from heart disease than women. Of the women who lose their lives to heart disease, they tend to pass away at an older age than men with the same illness.

Furthermore, on average, men are taller than women. Like many other animals, humans are a species where bigger animals (men, in our case) tend to pass away at a younger age.

With these stats in mind, these are the states where residents live the longest and shortest lives.

Mississippi’s Issue

According to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Mississippi residents suffer from significantly larger health disparities than most other Americans. They emphasize that racial and ethnic minority populations, as well as people living in rural and poor urban areas, struggle the most from a health standpoint.

According to data shared by the MSDH, 72.8% of Mississippians ages 18 years and older say that they’re overweight or obese. Furthermore, doctors have told 43.6% of Mississippians that they have high blood pressure.

Health in Paradise

Several factors contribute to Hawaii’s impressive longevity statistics. For starters, the Aloha State has the second-lowest cardiovascular disease and cancer fatality rate in the U.S.

Furthermore, pleasant year-round weather makes it easier for Hawaiians to get outside and exercise compared to residents of many other states.

It turns out that soaking up sunshine while burning some calories might be helping Hawaiians’ longevity, too. Vitamin D, which Americans get when spending time in the sun, helps maintain bone health. It may even protect people against several diseases, including hypertension.

On the Decline

Life expectancy is declining in the United States, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a driving factor. Life expectancy dropped 1.8 years in 2020 and 0.9 years in 2021. That’s the largest two-year decline the U.S. experienced since 1921 to 1923.

What life expectancy will 2024 bring?

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