This Is the Average Lifespan in Your State

Thanks to the pandemic, life expectancy is down significantly nationwide, declining to 77 years in 2020 from 78.8 in 2019. But what do things look like on a state-by-state basis? The CDC recently released state-by-state numbers broken down by overall life expectancy and life expectancy by gender. The numbers are from 2019, so the pandemic's effect is not yet realized, but they still offer an interesting look at geographical differences. Most states with below-average life expectancies are in the South, while the states with above-average numbers are in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Curious to find out what the life expectancy is in your state? Read on. 

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Overall life expectancy: 74.4

Men: 71.2

Women: 77.6

Mississippi holds the unfortunate titles of shortest overall life expectancy and shortest life expectancy for men. It also has the starkest contrast between life expectancy for men and women with a difference of 6.4 years.

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Overall life expectancy: 74.5

Men: 71.9

Women: 77.3

West Virginia is where women can expect to live the shortest lives in the country at 77.3 years.

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Overall life expectancy: 75.2

Men: 72.2

Women: 78.2

Alabama is third to last when it comes to men’s life expectancy.

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Overall life expectancy: 75.5

Men: 72.9

Women: 78

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Overall life expectancy: 75.6

Men: 72.8

Women: 78.5

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Overall life expectancy: 75.7

Men: 73

Women: 78.4

Overall life expectancy: 75.7

Men: 73.2

Women: 78.3

Overall life expectancy: 75.7

Men: 72.8

Women: 78.6

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Overall life expectancy: 76.8

Men: 73.9

Women: 79.7

Overall life expectancy: 76.9

Men: 74.3

Women: 79.5

Overall life expectancy: 76.9

Men: 73.9

Women: 80.1

New Mexico is second when it comes to the difference in life expectancy of men vs. women, with 6.2 years separating the sexes.

Overall life expectancy: 76.9

Men: 74.1

Women: 79.8

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Overall life expectancy: 77

Men: 74.5

Women: 79.5

Overall life expectancy: 77.4

Men: 74.9

Women: 79.9

Overall life expectancy: 77.6

Men: 75

Women: 80.1

Overall life expectancy: 77.7

Men: 75.4

Women: 80.5

Overall life expectancy: 77.7

Men: 75.8

Women: 79.9

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Overall life expectancy: 78

Men: 75.6

Women: 80.3

Overall life expectancy: 78

Men: 75.6

Women: 80.6

Overall life expectancy: 78

Men: 74.9

Women: 80.8

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Overall life expectancy: 78.1

Men: 75.1

Women: 81

Overall life expectancy: 78.2

Men: 75.9

Women: 80.4

Overall life expectancy: 78.3

Men: 75.8

Women: 80.9

Overall life expectancy: 78.3

Men: 75.7

Women: 80.9

Overall life expectancy: 78.4

Men: 76.1

Women: 80.8

Overall life expectancy: 78.4

Men: 76.2

Women: 80.8

The life expectancy of men in Montana hews close to the national average of 76.3.

Overall life expectancy: 78.5

Men: 75.8

Women: 81.2

The life expectancy of women in Maryland falls just shy of the national average of 81.4.

Overall life expectancy: 78.6

Men: 76.1

Women: 81

Overall life expectancy: 78.8

Men: 76.3

Women: 81.5

North Dakota's life expectancy for men matches the national average for men.

Overall life expectancy: 78.8

Men: 76.1

Women: 81.6

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Overall life expectancy: 79

Men: 76.4

Women: 81.5

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Overall life expectancy: 79

Men: 76.5

Women: 81.6

Overall life expectancy: 79

Men: 76.3

Women: 81.8

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Overall life expectancy: 79.1

Men: 76.8

Women: 81.3

Overall life expectancy: 79.2

Men: 77.1

Women: 81.3

Overall life expectancy: 79.3 

Men: 77

Women: 81.5

Overall life expectancy: 79.4

Men: 77.1

Women: 81.6

Overall life expectancy: 79.5

Men: 77

Women: 81.8

Overall life expectancy: 79.5

Men: 77.5

Women: 81.5

Overall life expectancy: 79.6

Men: 77.3

Women: 81.9

Overall life expectancy: 79.7

Men: 78

Women: 81.5

Utah has the smallest gap between men's and women’s life expectancy, with a difference of 3.5 years.

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Overall life expectancy: 79.8

Men: 77.2

Women: 82.3

Overall life expectancy: 80

Men: 77.8

Women: 82.2

Overall life expectancy: 80

Men: 77.9

Women: 82.1

Overall life expectancy: 80.1

Men: 77.6

Women: 82.5

Overall life expectancy: 80.3

Men: 77.7

Women: 82.8

Overall life expectancy: 80.4

Men: 77.9

Women: 82.8

Overall life expectancy: 80.4

Men: 78.3

Women: 82.6

Overall life expectancy: 80.7

Men: 78.2

Women: 83.1

Overall life expectancy: 80.9

Men: 78.4

Women: 83.3

While Hawaii boasts the highest overall life expectancy in the nation, California beats the Aloha State for the claim of the longest life expectancy for men.

California also comes in second in the nation for the longest life expectancy for women. 

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Overall life expectancy: 80.9

Men: 78

Women: 83.9

In Hawaii, the life expectancy for women is the highest in the nation, at 83.9 years. The state also has the fifth-largest gap in the life expectancy of women vs. men at 5.9 years.

Related: America's Healthiest States for Seniors, Ranked