The average life expectancy of Americans dropped last year for the first time since World War II, from 78.8 years to 77.3. The CDC attributes the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic and to 93,000 drug overdose deaths — an all-time one-year high. Homicide, diabetes, and liver disease were also contributing factors. (Here is a look at the states with the most drug overdose deaths in 2020.)
However, a relatively large number of Americans still live to be over 85 — 6.7% of the population last year. A number of factors tend to lengthen life spans, including diet and exercise, advances in medical care, and genetics. There are also considerable regional variations across the country, and the state with the longest life expectancy is Hawaii. (On a more granular level, these are the cities where people live the longest.)
24/7 Tempo reviewed average life expectancy at birth in each state. The average ranges from less than 75 years to over 82. These variations are tied to a number of economic and behavioral factors. For example, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and in nearly every state where life expectancy at birth is lower than the national average, the share of adults who smoke exceeds the 16.6% national average. (It is important to note that the figures are averages for the years 2017 through 2019, the most recent period for which state-level data is available, so they are pre-pandemic.)
Click here to see the states with the longest life expectancy
Income levels are also linked to life expectancy. Poverty, for example, presents challenges and stressors that can take a cumulative toll on both physical and mental health. Additionally, lower-income Americans are less able to afford adequate health care or a range of healthy options related to diet and lifestyle. Recent studies have shown that life expectancy among the wealthiest 1% of Americans exceeds that of the poorest 1% by well over a decade. In nearly every state with longer than average life expectancy, the poverty rate is below the 12.3% national average.
Methodology
To determine the state with the longest life expectancy, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on life expectancy (the average number of years a person can expect to live) from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program’s 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report. Data published in the report is from the period 2017 to 2019.
Additional information on the share of adults reporting poor or fair health, the share reporting a body mass index of 30 or higher (the adult obesity rate), and the number of current smokers is also from the 2021 CHR. The share of the civilian noninstitutionalized population without health insurance, median household income, and poverty rates are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
50. West Virginia
> Life expectancy: 74.8 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 23.6% (the highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 37.8% (2nd highest)
> Smoking rate: 26.9% (the highest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.7% (18th lowest)
> Median household income: $48,850 (2nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 16.0% (6th highest)
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49. Mississippi
> Life expectancy: 74.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 22.1% (3rd highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 39.1% (the highest)
> Smoking rate: 21.0% (7th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 13.0% (5th highest)
> Median household income: $45,792 (the lowest)
> Poverty rate: 19.6% (the highest)
48. Alabama
> Life expectancy: 75.6 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.4% (6th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 36.1% (4th highest)
> Smoking rate: 20.0% (12th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 9.7% (17th highest)
> Median household income: $51,734 (5th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 15.5% (7th highest)
47. Kentucky
> Life expectancy: 75.6 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.8% (4th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 34.6% (6th highest)
> Smoking rate: 24.1% (2nd highest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.4% (14th lowest)
> Median household income: $52,295 (7th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 16.3% (4th highest)
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46. Tennessee
> Life expectancy: 76.0 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.2% (7th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 33.3% (14th highest)
> Smoking rate: 20.8% (8th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 10.1% (14th highest)
> Median household income: $56,071 (9th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.9% (9th highest)
45. Arkansas
> Life expectancy: 76.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 23.3% (2nd highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 35.0% (5th highest)
> Smoking rate: 23.7% (3rd highest)
> Population without health insurance: 9.1% (20th highest)
> Median household income: $48,952 (3rd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 16.2% (5th highest)
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44. Oklahoma
> Life expectancy: 76.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 20.9% (8th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 34.5% (7th highest)
> Smoking rate: 19.9% (13th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 14.3% (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $54,449 (8th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 15.2% (8th highest)
43. Louisiana
> Life expectancy: 76.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.4% (5th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 36.3% (3rd highest)
> Smoking rate: 21.1% (6th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 8.9% (21st highest)
> Median household income: $51,073 (4th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 19.0% (2nd highest)
42. Ohio
> Life expectancy: 77.0 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.8% (21st highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 33.5% (12th highest)
> Smoking rate: 21.4% (5th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.6% (16th lowest)
> Median household income: $58,642 (15th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.1% (15th highest)
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41. Indiana
> Life expectancy: 77.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.2% (17th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 33.9% (10th highest)
> Smoking rate: 21.7% (4th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 8.7% (22nd highest)
> Median household income: $57,603 (14th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.9% (24th highest)
40. South Carolina
> Life expectancy: 77.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.8% (20th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 34.0% (9th highest)
> Smoking rate: 18.7% (18th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 10.8% (11th highest)
> Median household income: $56,227 (10th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.8% (10th highest)
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39. Missouri
> Life expectancy: 77.3 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 19.5% (11th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 32.5% (16th highest)
> Smoking rate: 20.1% (11th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 10.0% (15th highest)
> Median household income: $57,409 (13th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.9% (18th highest)
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38. Georgia
> Life expectancy: 77.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.4% (15th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 32.3% (21st highest)
> Smoking rate: 16.3% (23rd lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 13.4% (3rd highest)
> Median household income: $61,980 (22nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.3% (14th highest)
37. New Mexico
> Life expectancy: 78.0 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 20.3% (9th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.3% (13th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.9% (21st lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 10.0% (16th highest)
> Median household income: $51,945 (6th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 18.2% (3rd highest)
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36. North Carolina
> Life expectancy: 78.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.0% (19th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 32.3% (20th highest)
> Smoking rate: 17.9% (21st highest)
> Population without health insurance: 11.3% (10th highest)
> Median household income: $57,341 (12th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.6% (12th highest)
35. Michigan
> Life expectancy: 78.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.3% (16th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 32.4% (17th highest)
> Smoking rate: 20.1% (10th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 5.8% (10th lowest)
> Median household income: $59,584 (19th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.0% (17th highest)
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34. Pennsylvania
> Life expectancy: 78.5 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.6% (23rd highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 30.8% (25th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 17.9% (22nd highest)
> Population without health insurance: 5.8% (9th lowest)
> Median household income: $63,463 (23rd highest)
> Poverty rate: 12.0% (22nd highest)
33. Kansas
> Life expectancy: 78.5 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 16.3% (24th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 33.0% (15th highest)
> Smoking rate: 17.9% (20th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 9.2% (19th highest)
> Median household income: $62,087 (24th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.4% (24th lowest)
32. Delaware
> Life expectancy: 78.5 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 16.3% (23rd lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 32.4% (18th highest)
> Smoking rate: 17.4% (23rd highest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.6% (15th lowest)
> Median household income: $70,176 (16th highest)
> Poverty rate: 11.3% (22nd lowest)
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31. Nevada
> Life expectancy: 78.7 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 19.1% (12th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.1% (10th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.7% (19th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 11.4% (8th highest)
> Median household income: $63,276 (24th highest)
> Poverty rate: 12.5% (21st highest)
30. Maine
> Life expectancy: 78.7 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.1% (24th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.8% (23rd lowest)
> Smoking rate: 19.4% (15th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 8.0% (25th highest)
> Median household income: $58,924 (16th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 10.9% (19th lowest)
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29. South Dakota
> Life expectancy: 78.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.4% (5th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 32.4% (19th highest)
> Smoking rate: 20.2% (9th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 10.2% (13th highest)
> Median household income: $59,533 (18th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.9% (23rd highest)
28. Wyoming
> Life expectancy: 78.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.3% (17th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.2% (20th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 19.2% (16th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 12.3% (6th highest)
> Median household income: $65,003 (19th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.1% (14th lowest)
27. Montana
> Life expectancy: 78.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 14.1% (11th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.1% (11th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 18.9% (17th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 8.3% (24th highest)
> Median household income: $57,153 (11th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.6% (20th highest)
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26. Alaska
> Life expectancy: 79.0 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.6% (20th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 31.9% (22nd highest)
> Smoking rate: 18.5% (19th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 12.2% (7th highest)
> Median household income: $75,463 (12th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.1% (13th lowest)
25. Texas
> Life expectancy: 79.2 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.7% (13th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 31.4% (25th highest)
> Smoking rate: 14.2% (9th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 18.4% (the highest)
> Median household income: $64,034 (22nd highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.6% (11th highest)
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24. Maryland
> Life expectancy: 79.2 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.2% (16th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 31.6% (24th highest)
> Smoking rate: 12.6% (5th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.0% (12th lowest)
> Median household income: $86,738 (the highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.0% (4th lowest)
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23. Iowa
> Life expectancy: 79.4 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.5% (6th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 34.3% (8th highest)
> Smoking rate: 17.4% (24th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 5.0% (6th lowest)
> Median household income: $61,691 (21st lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.2% (20th lowest)
22. Illinois
> Life expectancy: 79.4 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.9% (21st lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.7% (22nd lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.9% (22nd lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 7.4% (21st lowest)
> Median household income: $69,187 (17th highest)
> Poverty rate: 11.5% (25th lowest)
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21. Idaho
> Life expectancy: 79.4 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.1% (15th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.0% (19th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.0% (15th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 10.8% (12th highest)
> Median household income: $60,999 (20th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.2% (21st lowest)
20. Wisconsin
> Life expectancy: 79.5 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 14.8% (12th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 31.7% (23rd highest)
> Smoking rate: 17.2% (25th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 5.7% (8th lowest)
> Median household income: $64,168 (21st highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.4% (16th lowest)
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19. Virginia
> Life expectancy: 79.6 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 16.6% (25th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 30.5% (24th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.1% (16th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 7.9% (24th lowest)
> Median household income: $76,456 (10th highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.9% (11th lowest)
18. Nebraska
> Life expectancy: 79.6 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.8% (10th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 33.4% (13th highest)
> Smoking rate: 16.6% (24th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 8.3% (23rd highest)
> Median household income: $63,229 (25th highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.9% (10th lowest)
17. New Hampshire
> Life expectancy: 79.7 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 12.8% (2nd lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 28.6% (16th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 16.6% (25th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.3% (13th lowest)
> Median household income: $77,933 (8th highest)
> Poverty rate: 7.3% (the lowest)
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16. North Dakota
> Life expectancy: 79.7 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.6% (8th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 33.9% (11th highest)
> Smoking rate: 19.7% (14th highest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.9% (19th lowest)
> Median household income: $64,577 (20th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.6% (17th lowest)
15. Vermont
> Life expectancy: 79.8 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 12.8% (the lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.0% (9th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 14.7% (13th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 4.5% (4th lowest)
> Median household income: $63,001 (25th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 10.2% (15th lowest)
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14. Rhode Island
> Life expectancy: 79.8 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 16.5% (25th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 28.5% (15th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.2% (17th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 4.1% (2nd lowest)
> Median household income: $71,169 (15th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.8% (18th lowest)
13. Oregon
> Life expectancy: 79.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.2% (18th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.3% (21st lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.7% (20th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 7.2% (20th lowest)
> Median household income: $67,058 (18th highest)
> Poverty rate: 11.4% (23rd lowest)
12. Arizona
> Life expectancy: 80.0 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.6% (14th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.9% (14th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 14.5% (11th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 11.3% (9th highest)
> Median household income: $62,055 (23rd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.5% (13th highest)
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11. Utah
> Life expectancy: 80.1 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 14.8% (13th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.0% (8th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 9.1% (the lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 9.7% (18th highest)
> Median household income: $75,780 (11th highest)
> Poverty rate: 8.9% (2nd lowest)
10. Florida
> Life expectancy: 80.2 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 19.5% (10th highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.2% (12th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 14.9% (14th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 13.2% (4th highest)
> Median household income: $59,227 (17th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.7% (19th highest)
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9. Washington
> Life expectancy: 80.4 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.0% (14th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 28.6% (17th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 12.1% (3rd lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 6.6% (17th lowest)
> Median household income: $78,687 (7th highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.8% (9th lowest)
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8. New Jersey
> Life expectancy: 80.5 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.5% (19th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 27.0% (7th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 13.2% (7th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 7.9% (23rd lowest)
> Median household income: $85,751 (3rd highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.2% (5th lowest)
7. Colorado
> Life expectancy: 80.6 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.8% (9th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 22.4% (the lowest)
> Smoking rate: 14.7% (12th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 8.0% (25th lowest)
> Median household income: $77,127 (9th highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.3% (7th lowest)
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6. Massachusetts
> Life expectancy: 80.6 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.5% (7th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 25.0% (4th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 13.7% (8th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 3.0% (the lowest)
> Median household income: $85,843 (2nd highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.4% (8th lowest)
5. Connecticut
> Life expectancy: 80.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.0% (4th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 26.3% (5th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 12.5% (4th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 5.9% (11th lowest)
> Median household income: $78,833 (6th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.0% (12th lowest)
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4. Minnesota
> Life expectancy: 80.9 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 12.9% (3rd lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.0% (18th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 15.5% (18th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 4.9% (5th lowest)
> Median household income: $74,593 (13th highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.0% (3rd lowest)
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3. New York
> Life expectancy: 81.4 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 16.3% (22nd lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 26.4% (6th lowest)
> Smoking rate: 13.0% (6th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 5.2% (7th lowest)
> Median household income: $72,108 (14th highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.0% (16th highest)
2. California
> Life expectancy: 81.7 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.6% (22nd highest)
> Adult obesity rate: 24.3% (2nd lowest)
> Smoking rate: 11.5% (2nd lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 7.7% (22nd lowest)
> Median household income: $80,440 (5th highest)
> Poverty rate: 11.8% (25th highest)
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1. Hawaii
> Life expectancy: 82.3 years
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.4% (18th lowest)
> Adult obesity rate: 24.6% (3rd lowest)
> Smoking rate: 14.4% (10th lowest)
> Population without health insurance: 4.2% (3rd lowest)
> Median household income: $83,102 (4th highest)
> Poverty rate: 9.3% (6th lowest)
Methodology
To determine the states with the longest life expectancy, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed life expectancy — the average number of years a person can expect to live — data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program’s 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report. While the CHR report is from 2021, life expectancy data published in the report are from 2017-2019.
States were ranked based on life expectancy. Additional information on the share of adults reporting poor or fair health, the share of adults 20 years and older who report a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher (adult obesity rate), and the share of adults who are current smokers are also from the 2021 CHR. The share of the civilian noninstitutionalized population without health insurance, median household income, and poverty rates are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
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