Recent research shows that Americans do not live as long as they used to. This is after several years in which lifespans in the United States rose. U.S. life expectancy dropped a year and a half in 2020 compared to the year before. The pace of the drop was the largest since 1943, during World War II. Life expectancy at birth in 2020 was 77.3 years. Notably, the number is below that of many other developed nations. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that the figure for Japan is the longest. America is in the middle of the pack, behind Slovenia.

As is the case with all demographic numbers, the life expectancy of Americans varies widely by location. In some parts of the country, life expectancy is far higher than the national average. Using data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR), a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 50 U.S. counties with the longest average life expectancy at birth. It is important to note that life expectancy figures are averages for the years 2017 through 2019, the most recent period for which metro-level data is available, so they are pre-pandemic.

Among the counties and county-equivalents we considered, average life expectancy at birth ranges from 84 years to well over 90, while the national average is 79.2 years. Most counties we looked at are located in western states, especially Colorado.

Variations in life expectancy 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. 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 and 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.

The county where residents have the longest lifespan is Summit County, Colorado. Here are the details:

• Life expectancy at birth: 98.9 years
• Adults reporting poor or fair health: 11.9% (57th lowest of 3,070 counties)
• Adult obesity rate: 15.4% (sixth lowest)
• Smoking rate: 14.5% (139th lowest)
• Population without health insurance: 16.6% (285th highest)
• Median household income: $79,277 (177th highest)
• Poverty rate: 8.0% (290th lowest)

Of the 3,220 counties or county-equivalents, 3,142 had boundaries that fell within one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Counties were excluded if life expectancy data was unavailable, if the confidence interval for the estimate was deemed too large or if the county’s 2019 five-year population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau was less than 1,000.

The remaining 3,070 places 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 five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.

Click here to see all the American counties where people have the longest lifespans.

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