America's life - expectancy map

THE AVERAGE U.S. LIFE EXPECTANCY HAS HIT ITS worst decline in 100 years, and America's standing is dismal among peer nations. But the average obscures a more complex story. The U.S. is facing the greatest divide in life expectancy across regions in the past 40 years. Research from American Inequality found that Americans born in certain areas of Mississippi and Florida may die 20 years younger than their peers born in parts of Colorado and California.

- JEREMY NEY 

The decline is not occurring equally throughout the country. In the land of opportunity, millions of people are not even given a fair shot at life.

America is unique among wealthy countries when it comes to how young its people die, and the trend is only getting worse. From 2019 to 2021, U.S. life expectancy declined by almost two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the worst two-year decline since 1921 to 1923. When COVID-19 hit, America experienced a larger decline in life expectancy than any other wealthy country. Life expectancy in the U.S. is now 76 years.

What is driving the differences in who lives and who dies in America?

State policies tremendously influence life expectancy. Income support, Medicaid expansion, stronger gun control, drug-overdose prevention, and safe abortion access are among the drivers of regional divides in life expectancy. Overdoses kill more than 100,000 people each year. Guns kill more people than cars do. Digging into communities also sheds light on even more fundamental American divides.

American Inequality's research has found a high correlation between household income and life expectancy. Income is a major driver of higher life expectancies. In the wealthiest places like Aspen, Colo., and Santa Clara, Calif., median household incomes reach the hundreds of thousands of dollars and residents live to 87 on average, the highest in the country. But in poorer places like Owsley County, Kentucky, and Union County, Florida, the median household income is $35,000 and life expectancy floats around 67 on average, the lowest in the country.