Special Report

Cities With the Shortest Life Expectancy in Every State

angel statue holding roses cemetery death
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The U.S. death rate rose last year for the first time in a decade. This led to the first drop in life expectancy since 1993. The typical American in 2015 can expect to live 78.8 years, down slightly from 78.9 years in 2014. Heart disease and cancer remain the leading causes of death in the United States.

To highlight how life expectancy trends vary across the United States, 24/7 Wall St. listed the city in every state with the shortest life expectancy at birth. Across all metro areas, life expectancy is lowest in Gadsden, Alabama, where life expectancy at birth is only 73.3 years. By contrast, average life expectancy in Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida is more than 10 years longer.

Wealthier individuals tend to be healthier, and poorer individuals less healthy. In the poorer end of the income spectrum, especially for those living in poverty, income has an outsized impact on health. Adults living in poverty are nearly five times more likely to report being in poor or fair health than more affluent adults. The cities on this list tend to have lower household incomes and a larger share of residents living in poverty than metro areas with longer life expectancies. Median household incomes are lower than the national median in all but nine of the 50 cities.

Click here to see the cities with the shortest life expectancy in every state.

Click here to see the cities with the longest life expectancy in every state.

Another common trend among the cities with the shortest life expectancy in their state is the tendency to report more unhealthy behaviors than cities with longer life expectancies. Inactivity and unhealthy eating contribute to higher obesity rates, which in turn increase the risk of life-shortening diseases. Of the 50 cities with the shortest life expectancy in their state, 40 have higher obesity rates than the nation as a whole.

While every city on this list has the shortest life expectancy in their state, these life expectancies are not necessarily short in a national context. For example, because life expectancy is so high across Massachusetts, even in Pittsfield — the city with the shortest life expectancy in the state — residents are expected to live longer than the typical American.

To determine the metropolitan areas in each state where people have the lowest life expectancy, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2013 county-level life expectancy at birth figures provided by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), a global research center affiliated with the University of Washington. Using death records data from the National Center for Health Statistics, researchers applied a mixed effects Poisson statistical model and Gaussian Process Regression to estimate age-specific mortality rates for U.S. counties from 1985 to 2013.

To obtain metro area life expectancy estimates, we mapped the counties to their corresponding metro areas and calculated the average life expectancy by sex across all counties in a given metro area. County estimates were weighted by 2013 5-year population figures from the American Community Survey (ACS). To ensure 2008 and 2013 life expectancy estimates were comparable, both estimates were weighted by populations in 2013.

Metro-level median household income came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey. Obesity rates came from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

These are the metro areas in each state where people live the shortest lives.

Gadsden, AL
Wikimedia Commons

1. Alabama
> Metro area: Gadsden
> Life expectancy: 73.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 34.7%
> Median household income: $43,346

Anchorage, Alaska
Thinkstock

2. Alaska
> Metro area: Anchorage
> Life expectancy: 78.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.4%
> Median household income: $78,238

Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona
Thinkstock

3. Arizona
> Metro area: Lake Havasu City-Kingman
> Life expectancy: 75.2 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 28.1%
> Median household income: $40,908

Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Wikimedia Commons

4. Arkansas
> Metro area: Pine Bluff
> Life expectancy: 73.8 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 38.3%
> Median household income: $36,538

Redding, California
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5. California
> Metro area: Redding
> Life expectancy: 76.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.2%
> Median household income: $46,693

Pueblo, Colorado
Wikimedia Commons

6. Colorado
> Metro area: Pueblo
> Life expectancy: 77.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 26.3%
> Median household income: $40,050

Norwich, Connecticut
Wikimedia Commons

7. Connecticut
> Metro area: Norwich-New London
> Life expectancy: 80.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 26.7%
> Median household income: $65,764

Dover, Delaware
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8. Delaware
> Metro area: Dover
> Life expectancy: 77.6 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 33.2%
> Median household income: $56,778

Panama City Beach, Florida, view of Front Beach Road at night
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9. Florida
> Metro area: Panama City
> Life expectancy: 76.4 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 30.4%
> Median household income: $48,066

Macon, Georgia
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10. Georgia
> Metro area: Macon
> Life expectancy: 74.9 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 30.9%
> Median household income: $40,067

An aerial view of a Maui beach, Kahului, Hawaii
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11. Hawaii
> Metro area: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina
> Life expectancy: 80.8 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 22.4%
> Median household income: $70,468

Pocatello, Idaho
Wikimedia Commons

12. Idaho
> Metro area: Pocatello
> Life expectancy: 77.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 28.2%
> Median household income: $41,530

Danville, Illinois
Wikimedia Commons

13. Illinois
> Metro area: Danville
> Life expectancy: 76.1 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 37.3%
> Median household income: $45,098

Terre Haute, Indiana
Wikimedia Commons

14. Indiana
> Metro area: Terre Haute
> Life expectancy: 75.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 32.7%
> Median household income: $40,974

Sioux City, Iowa
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15. Iowa
> Metro area: Sioux City
> Life expectancy: 78.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 33.9%
> Median household income: $52,698

Wichita, Kansas
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16. Kansas
> Metro area: Wichita
> Life expectancy: 77.8 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 30.9%
> Median household income: $51,591

Bowling Green, Kentucky
Wikimedia Commons

17. Kentucky
> Metro area: Bowling Green
> Life expectancy: 76.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 30.9%
> Median household income: $43,437

Alexandria, Louisiana
Wikimedia Commons

18. Louisiana
> Metro area: Alexandria
> Life expectancy: 74.4 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 36.1%
> Median household income: $42,778

Bangor, Maine
Thinkstock

19. Maine
> Metro area: Bangor
> Life expectancy: 77.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 31.0%
> Median household income: $44,173


Hagerstown, Maryland

20. Maryland
> Metro area: Hagerstown-Martinsburg
> Life expectancy: 77.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 34.3%
> Median household income: $55,142

Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Wikimedia Commons

21. Massachusetts
> Metro area: Pittsfield
> Life expectancy: 79.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 22.9%
> Median household income: $50,765

Flint, Michigan
Wikimedia Commons

22. Michigan
> Metro area: Flint
> Life expectancy: 76.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 36.0%
> Median household income: $44,025

Duluth, Minnesota
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23. Minnesota
> Metro area: Duluth
> Life expectancy: 78.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 26.8%
> Median household income: $50,566

Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Wikimedia Commons

24. Mississippi
> Metro area: Hattiesburg
> Life expectancy: 75.2 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 34.6%
> Median household income: $41,938

Joplin, Missouri
Wikimedia Commons

25. Missouri
> Metro area: Joplin
> Life expectancy: 75.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 32.3%
> Median household income: $45,089

Great Falls, Montana
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26. Montana
> Metro area: Great Falls
> Life expectancy: 77.9 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 29.0%
> Median household income: $45,606

Aerial view of Omaha, Nebraska
Thinkstock

27. Nebraska
> Metro area: Omaha-Council Bluffs
> Life expectancy: 79.1 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 29.7%
> Median household income: $61,024

Carson City, Nevada
Wikimedia Commons

28. Nevada
> Metro area: Carson City
> Life expectancy: 76.6 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 24.1%
> Median household income: $42,251

Manchester, New Hampshire
Wikimedia Commons

29. New Hampshire
> Metro area: Manchester-Nashua
> Life expectancy: 80.1 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.3%
> Median household income: $74,323

Beautiful exterior architectural design of First Presbyterian church in Vineland, New Jersey
Thinkstock

30. New Jersey
> Metro area: Vineland-Bridgeton
> Life expectancy: 76.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 33.6%
> Median household income: $51,315

Farmington, New Mexico
Thinkstock

31. New Mexico
> Metro area: Farmington
> Life expectancy: 77.8 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 30.3%
> Median household income: $49,613

watertown-new-york
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/

32. New York
> Metro area: Watertown-Fort Drum
> Life expectancy: 78.1 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.4%
> Median household income: $51,107

Rocky Mount, North Carolina
https://www.flickr.com/photos/harriswalkerphotography/

33. North Carolina
> Metro area: Rocky Mount
> Life expectancy: 76.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 34.1%
> Median household income: $37,324

Grand Forks, North Dakota
Wikimedia Commons

34. North Dakota
> Metro area: Grand Forks
> Life expectancy: 78.8 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 29.7%
> Median household income: $53,443

Springfield, Ohio
Wikimedia Commons

35. Ohio
> Metro area: Springfield
> Life expectancy: 75.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 30.4%
> Median household income: $47,963

Lawton, Oklahoma high school
Wikimedia Commons

36. Oklahoma
> Metro area: Lawton
> Life expectancy: 76.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 34.9%
> Median household income: $47,617

Grants Pass, OR
Wikimedia Commons

37. Oregon
> Metro area: Grants Pass
> Life expectancy: 77.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 26.3%
> Median household income: $41,493

Scranton, Pennsylvania
Thinkstock

38. Pennsylvania
> Metro area: Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton
> Life expectancy: 76.9 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 29.6%
> Median household income: $49,670

Providence, Rhode Island 4
Thinkstock

39. Rhode Island
> Metro area: Providence-Warwick
> Life expectancy: 79.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.0%
> Median household income: $58,965

Florence, South Carolina
Wikimedia Commons

40. South Carolina
> Metro area: Florence
> Life expectancy: 74.0 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 36.3%
> Median household income: $38,062

Rapid City, South Dakota
Thinkstock

41. South Dakota
> Metro area: Rapid City
> Life expectancy: 79.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.8%
> Median household income: $52,809

Morristown, Tennessee
Wikimedia Commons

42. Tennessee
> Metro area: Morristown
> Life expectancy: 75.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 29.8%
> Median household income: $40,041

Texarkana
Thinkstock

43. Texas
> Metro area: Texarkana
> Life expectancy: 74.9 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 33.0%
> Median household income: $38,814

Salt Lake City at night, Utah
Thinkstock

44. Utah
> Metro area: Salt Lake City
> Life expectancy: 79.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 25.4%
> Median household income: $65,792

Burlington (Chittenden County), Vermont
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45. Vermont
> Metro area: Burlington-South Burlington
> Life expectancy: 80.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 22.7%
> Median household income: $66,807

blacksburg-virginia
Wikimedia Commons

46. Virginia
> Metro area: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
> Life expectancy: 77.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 27.0%
> Median household income: $50,947

Longview, Washington
Thinkstock

47. Washington
> Metro area: Longview
> Life expectancy: 77.7 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 32.4%
> Median household income: $49,949

Beckley, West Virginia
Wikimedia Commons

48. West Virginia
> Metro area: Beckley
> Life expectancy: 73.5 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 34.5%
> Median household income: $37,101

Janesville, Wisconsin
Wikimedia Commons

49. Wisconsin
> Metro area: Janesville-Beloit
> Life expectancy: 78.3 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 33.7%
> Median household income: $53,777

Casper, Wyoming
Wikimedia Commons

50. Wyoming
> Metro area: Casper
> Life expectancy: 76.9 yrs.
> Obesity rate: 28.1%
> Median household income: $52,886

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