List of U.S. states by changes in life expectancy, 1985–2010 explained

This article ranks states of the United States sorted by changes in the life expectancy of their residents between 1985 and 2010. Changes in the life expectancy of men and women in each state are also sorted. States are also ranked for three risk factors controllable by the individual: obesity, smoking, and physical activity.

The data is taken from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent global health research center at the University of Washington.

Increase in life expectancy, 1985–2010 (all values expressed in years)[1]
rank and state increase in life expectancy, 1985–2010—all increase in life expectancy, 1985–2010—male increase in life expectancy, 1985–2010—female
7.2 9.4 5.1
6.2 7.5 5.0
5.5 6.6 4.5
5.3 6.5 4.2
4.9 6.0 3.9
4.9 5.9 3.9
4.9 5.9 3.8
4.8 5.8 3.8
4.8 6.0 3.5
4.5 5.6 3.5
4.5 5.7 3.4
4.4 5.3 3.6
4.2 5.7 2.8
4.2 5.2 3.1
United States (all) 4.1 5.3 3.0
4.1 5.1 3.l
4.0 4.9 3.2
4.0 5.1 2.9
4.0 5.1 2.9
4.0 5.0 2.9
4.0 5.0 2.9
3.9 5.3 2.6
3.9 5.1 2.8
3.9 5.0 2.8
3.9 5.0 2.8
3.8 5.3 2.4
3.7 5.0 2.5
3.7 4.7 2.7
3.64.9 2.4
3.5 4.5 2.5
3.4 4.6 2.1
3.2 4.1 2.3
3.2 4.2 2.2
3.1 3.2 3.0
3.1 4.4 1.8
3.0 4.2 1.9
3.0 4.1 2.0
3.0 4.2 1.8
2.9 3.8 2.1
2.9 3.7 2.1
2.9 3.9 1.9
2.8 3.8 1.7
2.7 4.0 1.6
2.7 3.9 1.6
2.7 3.8 1.4
2.5 3.5 1.5
2.4 3.6 1.1
2.1 3.3 0.9
2.0 3.2 1.0
2.0 3.1 0.8
1.9 2.7 1.0
1.2 2.4 0.1
Note: May not add to total due to rounding.

Life expectancy (years)

Average life expectancy from birth (all values expressed in years)[2]
rank and state 2010 all 2010 male 2010 female 1985 all 1985 male 1985 female
1. Hawaii 80.7 77.8 83.5 77.6 74.6 80.5
2. California 80.4 78.2 82.5 75.0 71.7 78.3
3. Connecticut 80.4 78.2 82.5 75.6 72.4 78.7
4. Minnesota 80.3 78.2 82.5 76.3 73.0 79.6
5. Massachusetts 80.1 77.8 82.4 75.2 71.9 78.5
6. New Hampshire 79.9 77.9 81.9 75.0 72.0 78.1
7. New York 79.9 77.6 82.2 73.7 70.2 77.1
8. New Jersey 79.7 77.5 82.0 74.2 70.9 77.5
9. Colorado 79.7 77.6 81.7 76.0 72.9 79.0
10. Utah 79.7 77.8 81.6 76.5 73.6 79.4
11. Washington 79.6 77.6 81.6 75.7 72.5 78.8
12. Vermont 79.5 77.3 81.6 75.0 71.7 78.2
13. North Dakota 79.4 76.7 82.0 76.5 72.9 80.1
14. Wisconsin 79.3 77.0 81.6 75.8 72.5 79.1
15. Arizona 79.3 76.8 81.7 75.3 71.7 78.8
16. Nebraska 79.1 76.9 81.4 75.7 72.3 79.2.
17. Oregon 79.1 77.0 81.2 75.4 72.0 78.7
18. Rhode Island 79.1 76.7 81.4 75.1 71.7 78.5
19. Florida 79.0 76.3 81.6 74.9 71.2 78.5
19. Idaho 79.0 77.0 80.9 76.0 72.8 79.1
21. Iowa 78.9 76.7 81.2 75.9 72.5 79.3
22. South Dakota 78.9 76.4 81.4 75.8 72.0 79.6
23. Maine 78.7 76.5 80.9 74.8 71.5 78.1
24. Illinois 78.6 76.3 81.0 74.1 70.7 77.5
25. Virginia 78.5 76.3 80.7 73.7 70.3 77.1
United States (all) 78.5 76.1 80.8 74.3 70.8 77.8
26. Maryland 78.4 76.1 80.8 73.5 70.2 76.9
27. Montana 78.3 76.2 80.5 75.6 72.3 79.0
28. Pennsylvania 78.2 75.7 80.7 74.2 70.8 77.5
29. Kansas 78.1 75.8 80.5 75.6 72.3 79.0
30. Texas 78.1 75.8 80.4 74.3 70.5 78.0
31. Wyoming 78.0 75.8 80.2 75.3 72.0 78.6
31. Delaware 78.0 75.6 80.4 73.6 70.3 76.8
33. Alaska 78.0 75.8 80.1 74.3 70.9 77.7
34. Nevada 77.9 75.6 80.2 73.7 70.4 77.1
34. New Mexico 77.9 75.2 80.6 74.9 71.2 78.6
36. Michigan 77.8 75.5 80.1 73.8 70.4 77.3
37. Ohio 77.4 75.0 79.7 74.2 70.9 77.4
38. North Carolina 77.3 74.8 79.8 73.4 69.5 77.2
39. Indiana 77.2 74.7 79.8 74.3 70.9 77.7
40. Missouri 77.1 74.6 79.6 74.3 70.8 77.9
41. Georgia 76.8 74.4 79.2 72.6 68.7 76.4
42. South Carolina 76.5 73.7 79.2 72.5 68.6 76.3
43, District of Columbia 76.4 73.7 79.l 69.2 64.3 74.0
44. Tennessee 76.1 73.4 78.7 73.4 69.5 77.3
45. Arkansas 75.8 73.0 78.5 73.8 69.8 77.5
46. Kentucky 75.7 73.2 78.2 73.3 69.5 77.1
47. Oklahoma 75.6 73.2 78.0 74.4 70.8 78.0
48. West Virginia 75.4 72.6 78.1 73.5 69.8 77.1
49. Louisiana 75.3 72.5 78.2 72.4 68.8 76.1
50. Alabama 75.1 72.4 77.8 73.0 69.l 76.9
51. Mississippi 74.4 71.5 77.4 72.4 68.4 76.5
Note: may not add to total due to rounding

Controllable risk factors

This list ranks U.S. states for three factors, controllable by the individual: obesity, smoking, and physical activity. These factors affect longevity: obesity and smoking reduce longevity and a higher level of physical activity increases longevity.

Controllable risk factors—ranking[3]
rank and state longevity (2010) obesity—lowest to highest (2011)[4] smoking—lowest to highest (2011)[5] physical activity—highest to lowest (2011)[6]
1. Hawaii 80.7 1 8 2
2. California 80.4 6 2 6
3. Connecticut 80.4 7 3 19
4. Minnesota 80.3 18 19 15
5. Massachusetts 80.1 5 6 26
6. New Hampshire 79.9 14 16 10
7. New York 79.9 10 12 33
8. New Jersey 79.7 9 3 24
9. Colorado 79.7 2 13 1
10. Utah 79.7 11 1 8
11. Washington 79.6 21 9 5
12. Vermont 79.5 4 17 3
13. North Dakota 79.4 30 31 30
14. Wisconsin 79.3 27 23 13
15. Arizona 79.3 14 6 16
16. Nebraska 79.1 33 21 30
17. Oregon 79.1 19 21 4
18. Rhode Island 79.1 17 14 34
19. Florida 79.0 22 15 23
19. Idaho 79.0 22 5 13
21. Iowa 78.9 31 29 27
22. South Dakota 78.9 29 39 35
23. Maine 78.7 20 36 9
24. Illinois 78.6 25 10 22
25. Virginia 78.5 24 20 21
26. Maryland 78.4 26 10 27
27. Montana 78.3 8 32 10
28. Pennsylvania 78.2 35 29 29
29. Kansas 78.1 34 27 40
30. Texas 78.1 38 12 38
31. Wyoming 78.0 13 34 17
31. Delaware 78.0 36 24 39
33. Alaska 78.0 28 3412
34. Nevada 77.9 11 25 25
34. New Mexico 77.9 14 26 18
36. Michigan 77.8 42 41 20
37. Ohio 77.4 40 43 32
38. North Carolina 77.3 36 33 41
39. Indiana 77.2 40 40 43
40. Missouri 77.1 42 47 37
41. Georgia 76.8 32 27 36
42. South Carolina 76.5 44 37 42
43, District of Columbia 76.4 3 17 8
44. Tennessee 76.1 42 45 51
45. Arkansas 75.8 45 49 44
46. Kentucky 75.7 47 51 46
47. Oklahoma 75.6 45 46 44
48. West Virginia 75.4 48 50 49
49. Louisiana 75.3 50 44 47
50. Alabama 75.1 49 42 48
51. Mississippi 74.4 51 48 50

See also

Notes and References

  1. "U.S. County Profiles", Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,
  2. "U.S. County Profiles", Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,
  3. "U.S. County Profiles", Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,
  4. Obesity rates for states range from 27.1 of the population in Hawaii to 41.8 % in Mississippi
  5. "Map of Current Cigarette Use among Adults" CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/statesystem/cigaretteuseadult.html, accessed 17 Oct 2017. Cigarette smoking ranges from 9.1% of the population (Utah) to 25.9% (Kentucky).
  6. People with adequate physical activity range from 43.3 % of the population of Tennessee to 63.7 percent in Colorado