What does this life expectancy ranking show?

It orders states by Life expectancy at birth. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

County Health Rankings, NCHS supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Health

Highest life expectancy by state

Life expectancy at birth.

The average number of years a person born here could expect to live, given current death rates at every age. It is a description of the county now, not a forecast for anyone in particular, and it moves with income, smoking, addiction and access to care rather than with anything about the place itself. The gap between the best and worst US counties is over twenty years. Small counties rest on few deaths, so a single year is noisier there than the figure suggests. County Health Rankings, from National Center for Health Statistics mortality files.

How to read this ranking

Hawaii has the highest published life expectancy in this comparison, at 81.4. The next states shown are Massachusetts (79.7) and New York (79.5).

The table orders 50 states by life expectancy at birth. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. The average number of years a person born here could expect to live, given current death rates at every age. It is a description of the county now, not a forecast for anyone in particular, and it moves with income, smoking, addiction and access to care rather than with anything about the place itself. The gap between the best and worst US counties is over twenty years. Small counties rest on few deaths, so a single year is noisier there than the figure suggests. County Health Rankings, from National Center for Health Statistics mortality files.

1Hawaii81.4
2Massachusetts79.7
3New York79.5
4California79.4
5Minnesota79.3
6New Jersey79.1
7New Hampshire78.9
8Rhode Island78.9
9Washington78.9
10Utah78.7
11Vermont78.7
12Colorado78.6
13Maryland78.1
14Nebraska78.1
15Oregon78.1
16Virginia78.1
17Idaho78.0
18North Dakota78.0
19Florida77.9
20Iowa77.9
21Wisconsin77.9
22Illinois77.6
23Maine77.2
24South Dakota77.1
25Montana77.0
26Pennsylvania77.0
27Texas76.9
28Arizona76.8
29Delaware76.7
30District of Columbia76.5
31Kansas76.5
32Wyoming76.5
33Nevada76.4
34Alaska76.3
35Michigan76.3
36North Carolina76.1
37Georgia75.8
38Missouri75.3
39Ohio75.3
40Indiana75.2
41South Carolina74.7
42New Mexico74.4
43Oklahoma73.9
44Arkansas73.8
45Tennessee73.7
46Kentucky73.5
47Alabama73.4
48Louisiana73.4
49West Virginia72.3
50Mississippi72.1

Not ranked, because this measure is not published for them: Connecticut.

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Life expectancy at birth. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: County Health Rankings, NCHS. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Source: County Health Rankings, NCHS. · How this is built

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