Kentucky ranks among the bottom 10 states for life expectancy. Here’s what one analysis says is contributing. – Search Videos || Us Life Expectancy 2024 Map Usa – Eilis Diandra
Kentucky ranks among the bottom 10 states for life expectancy, with a median life expectancy of 72.3 years. Contributing factors include high rates of smoking (20%), obesity (over half of the state has a BMI of over 30), and an opioid crisis, which significantly impacts mortality rates.
Additionally, the state faces challenges such as chronic diseases, maternal and infant mortality, and limited healthcare access, particularly in rural areas. Kentucky numbers among the least healthy states in the U.S., with one of the lowest life expectancies, a recent state-by-state analysis reveals.
Why is Kentucky life expectancy so low?
In the report from Nursa, a healthcare staffing company, Kentucky ranked among the bottom 10 states for life expectancy, with an average of 72.3 years. That’s about six years less than the national average of 78.4 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Allison Adams, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the state needs serious investments in housing, transportation and other essentials to move the needle on life expectancy.
“Kentucky’s lower life expectancy reflects systems that are too often trying to treat illness after it happens, instead of preventing it in the first place,” Adams told the Herald-Leader in a statement emailed via a spokesperson.
“To move the needle, we need policies and investments that strengthen public health and improve our social, economic, and community conditions where health begins,” Adams continued. “We can help Kentuckians live longer, healthier lives by having a stronger focus on prevention and access to the essentials that impact our well-being like housing, food, transportation, quality care and opportunity.”
In its Healthiest States Index, Nursa also scored states on several factors that correlate with generally healthy or unhealthy populations, such as levels of pollution, smoking rates and the availability of public parks and places to shop for food, among other factors.
Here’s a deeper look at the analysis, including what factors drive the Bluegrass State’s lower-than-average life expectancy.
How did Nursa find the healthiest states?
To analyze each state’s overall health, Nursa looked at its performance on several factors, including:
- Access to public health infrastructure, measured by the number of parks, gyms, swimming pools and walkable routes, such as trails and footpaths. Location data was sourced from OpenStreetMap.
- Access to whole foods, measured by the number of healthy places to shop, such as grocery and health foods stores, versus unhealthy places, like fast food restaurants and bars.
- Pollution data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess levels of common pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide.
- The percentage of adults who smoke, sourced from the CDC.
- Hospital readmission rates.
- Life expectancy data from the CDC.
The number of parks, gyms, pools, walkable routes and healthy versus unhealthy food retailers was normalized by population, reported per 100,000 people. In assigning final scores, Nursa used a percent-rank method for the fairest possible comparison.
Related video: Why Kentucky Doesn’t Have As Many People As Tennessee; Part 7 (Geography By Geoff)
Why is Kentucky’s life expectancy so low?
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, life expectancy was on the decline in Kentucky.
Ongoing public health challenges around chronic disease, especially high heart disease and cancer rates, along with substance abuse, high poverty, smoking and obesity rates have contributed to its decline.
Several of these factors show up in Nursa’s analysis, including:
- One of the highest smoking rates in the country. More than 20% of adults in Kentucky smoke, according to Nursa.
- Fewer places to workout. Kentucky has 4.28 gyms per 100,000 people. Compare that to Oregon, a state with a similar population size, which has 14.73 gyms per 100,000 people. Similarly, Oregon has 26.75 parks per 100,000 people. Kentucky has 9.55 parks per 100,000 people.
- Kentucky has more places to buy unhealthy foods than healthy foods: 26.22 to 20.41 per 100,000 people, respectively.
Which US states have the highest and lowest life expectancy?
Kentucky ranks among the bottom 10 states for the lowest life expectancy, according to Nursa:
- South Carolina: 73.5 years
- New Mexico: 73 years
- Oklahoma: 72.7 years
- Arkansas: 72.5 years
- Tennessee: 72.4 years
- Kentucky: 72.3 years
- Louisiana: 72.2 years
- Alabama: 72 years
- West Virginia: 71 years
- Mississippi: 70.9 years
The U.S. states with the highest life expectancy include:
- Hawaii: 79.9 years
- Massachusetts: 79.6 years
- Connecticut: 79.2 years
- New Jersey: 79 years
- New York: 79 years
- Minnesota: 78.8 years
- New Hampshire: 78.5 years
- Rhode Island: 78.5 years
- Vermont: 78.4 years
- California: 78.3 years
Map Shows Which U.S. States Have the Highest (and Lowest) Life Expectancy
Kentucky’s low life expectancy was a contributing factor in a previous analysis of places to retire, according to a 2023 WalletHub analysis.
Comparing The American States With The Lowest & Highest Life Expectancy – Explore Owl || Here is a look at the states with the most drug overdose deaths in 2020.
Life expectancy is one of the most important and commonly cited indicators of population health — and in the United States, life expectancy is falling at a historic rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, life expectancy at birth declined by 1.5 years in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II.
The CDC attributes the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic and 93,000 drug overdose deaths — an all-time one-year high. Homicide, diabetes, and liver disease were also contributing factors.
While the national trend is alarming, there are considerable regional variations in life expectancy across the country.
As of 2019, the most recent available year of state-level data, life expectancy at birth in Kentucky is 75.6 years, the 47th highest among states and well below the comparable national average of 79.2 years.
Both at an individual and population level, life expectancy is closely linked to certain behavioral factors. For example, smoking is the leading cause of death in the United States, and adults in Kentucky are more likely to smoke than average. An estimated 24.1% of the 18 and older population in the state are smokers — meaning they smoke every day or most days and have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Nationwide, 16.6% of the adult population are smokers.
Data on average life expectancy at birth is from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program’s 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report. Additional data is from both CHR and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
| Rank | State | Life expectancy at birth (yrs.) | Adults who smoke (%) | Median household income ($) | Poverty rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 82.3 | 14.4 | 83,102 | 9.3 |
| 2 | California | 81.7 | 11.5 | 80,440 | 11.8 |
| 3 | New York | 81.4 | 13.0 | 72,108 | 13.0 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 80.9 | 12.5 | 78,833 | 10.0 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 80.9 | 15.5 | 74,593 | 9.0 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 80.6 | 13.7 | 85,843 | 9.4 |
| 6 | Colorado | 80.6 | 14.7 | 77,127 | 9.3 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 80.5 | 13.2 | 85,751 | 9.2 |
| 9 | Washington | 80.4 | 12.1 | 78,687 | 9.8 |
| 10 | Florida | 80.2 | 14.9 | 59,227 | 12.7 |
| 11 | Utah | 80.1 | 9.1 | 75,780 | 8.9 |
| 12 | Arizona | 80.0 | 14.5 | 62,055 | 13.5 |
| 13 | Oregon | 79.9 | 15.7 | 67,058 | 11.4 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 79.8 | 15.2 | 71,169 | 10.8 |
| 14 | Vermont | 79.8 | 14.7 | 63,001 | 10.2 |
| 16 | North Dakota | 79.7 | 19.7 | 64,577 | 10.6 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 79.7 | 16.6 | 77,933 | 7.3 |
| 18 | Nebraska | 79.6 | 16.6 | 63,229 | 9.9 |
| 18 | Virginia | 79.6 | 15.1 | 76,456 | 9.9 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 79.5 | 17.2 | 64,168 | 10.4 |
| 21 | Illinois | 79.4 | 15.9 | 69,187 | 11.5 |
| 21 | Idaho | 79.4 | 15.0 | 60,999 | 11.2 |
| 21 | Iowa | 79.4 | 17.4 | 61,691 | 11.2 |
| 24 | Texas | 79.2 | 14.2 | 64,034 | 13.6 |
| 24 | Maryland | 79.2 | 12.6 | 86,738 | 9.0 |
| 26 | Alaska | 79.0 | 18.5 | 75,463 | 10.1 |
| 27 | Montana | 78.9 | 18.9 | 57,153 | 12.6 |
| 27 | South Dakota | 78.9 | 20.2 | 59,533 | 11.9 |
| 27 | Wyoming | 78.9 | 19.2 | 65,003 | 10.1 |
| 30 | Nevada | 78.7 | 15.7 | 63,276 | 12.5 |
| 30 | Maine | 78.7 | 19.4 | 58,924 | 10.9 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 78.5 | 17.9 | 63,463 | 12.0 |
| 32 | Kansas | 78.5 | 17.9 | 62,087 | 11.4 |
| 32 | Delaware | 78.5 | 17.4 | 70,176 | 11.3 |
| 35 | North Carolina | 78.1 | 17.9 | 57,341 | 13.6 |
| 35 | Michigan | 78.1 | 20.1 | 59,584 | 13.0 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 78.0 | 15.9 | 51,945 | 18.2 |
| 38 | Georgia | 77.9 | 16.3 | 61,980 | 13.3 |
| 39 | Missouri | 77.3 | 20.1 | 57,409 | 12.9 |
| 40 | South Carolina | 77.1 | 18.7 | 56,227 | 13.8 |
| 40 | Indiana | 77.1 | 21.7 | 57,603 | 11.9 |
| 42 | Ohio | 77.0 | 21.4 | 58,642 | 13.1 |
| 43 | Louisiana | 76.1 | 21.1 | 51,073 | 19.0 |
| 43 | Arkansas | 76.1 | 23.7 | 48,952 | 16.2 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 76.1 | 19.9 | 54,449 | 15.2 |
| 46 | Tennessee | 76.0 | 20.8 | 56,071 | 13.9 |
| 47 | Kentucky | 75.6 | 24.1 | 52,295 | 16.3 |
| 47 | Alabama | 75.6 | 20.0 | 51,734 | 15.5 |
| 49 | Mississippi | 74.9 | 21.0 | 45,792 | 19.6 |
| 50 | West Virginia | 74.8 | 26.9 | 48,850 | 16.0 |
Why Kentucky has a low life expectancy: New report | Lexington Herald Leader
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The average life expectancy fell across the United States in recent years, with some states, including Kentucky, seeing more significant declines than others.
Life expectancy in Kentucky falling faster than in other US states; Here’s why
The top three leading causes of death in Kentucky are heart disease, cancer and accidents.
Using data from the CDC, the Forbes Advisor Life Insurance team analyzed each state’s average life expectancy and calculated the percentage change from 2018 to 2021 (the most recent year for which state-level data is available).
The new study by Forbes Advisor found that the average life expectancy in Kentucky fell by 3.98%. That is the tenth-most significant decline nationwide.
Life expectancy in Kentucky dropped from 75.3 years in 2018 to 72.3 years in 2021.
Overall, Kentucky has the fifth shortest average life expectancy among all U.S. states (72.3 years).
The top five leading causes of death in Kentucky are heart disease, cancer, accidents, chronic lower respiratory disease and Covid-19.
Despite Kentucky having slightly more women than men, fatal accidents were nearly twice as common among men than women from 2018 to 2022, with 12,111 deaths among men and 6,577 deaths among women.
Women are expected to live longer in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia. The average expected life expectancy gap between women and men is 5.7 years.
The states where life expectancy is falling most (and least)
| Rank | State | 2018 | 2021 | % Change (2018 to 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | 77.2 | 73.0 | −5.44% |
| 2 | Mississippi | 74.6 | 70.9 | −4.96% |
| 3 | Arizona | 78.7 | 75.0 | −4.70% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 74.4 | 71.0 | −4.57% |
| 5 | Louisiana | 75.6 | 72.2 | −4.50% |
| 6 | Alaska | 78.0 | 74.5 | −4.49% |
| 7 | Alabama | 75.1 | 72.0 | −4.13% |
| 8 | Tennessee | 75.5 | 72.4 | −4.11% |
| 9 | Arkansas | 75.6 | 72.5 | −4.10% |
| 10 | Kentucky | 75.3 | 72.3 | −3.98% |
Source: The U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention via Forbes Advisor.
Get the data Created with Datawrapper
For more information on the Forbes Advisor life expectancy in the U.S. study, click here.
West Virginia had the highest rate of fatal opioid overdoses of any state in 2023, according to a new analysis from KFF.
The analysis is based on finalized 2023 opioid overdose death totals from the CDC’s WONDER database, which uses ICD-10 codes to identify deaths where synthetic and prescription opioids are listed as a contributing cause.
Becker’s calculated each state’s death rate per 100,000 residents using 2023 U.S. Census population estimates to enable fair comparisons across states.
The national opioid overdose death rate was 23.69 per 100,000 residents in 2023.
Here’s how each state and Washington, D.C. stack up:
States ranked by opioid overdose death rates – Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis
| State | Opioid overdoses deaths (2023) | Population (2023) | Rate per 100,000 |
| West Virginia | 1,184 | 1,770,071 | 66.89 |
| District of Columbia | 350 | 678,972 | 51.55 |
| Delaware | 457 | 1,031,890 | 44.29 |
| Tennessee | 2,930 | 7,126,489 | 41.11 |
| Alaska | 290 | 733,406 | 39.54 |
| Maine | 514 | 1,395,722 | 36.83 |
| Washington | 2,835 | 7,812,880 | 36.29 |
| Kentucky | 1,625 | 4,526,154 | 35.90 |
| Vermont | 232 | 647,464 | 35.83 |
| Maryland | 2,203 | 6,180,253 | 35.65 |
| New Mexico | 714 | 2,114,371 | 33.77 |
| Connecticut | 1,187 | 3,617,176 | 32.82 |
| Oregon | 1,384 | 4,233,358 | 32.69 |
| Ohio | 3,805 | 11,785,935 | 32.28 |
| South Carolina | 1,717 | 5,373,555 | 31.95 |
| Rhode Island | 347 | 1,095,962 | 31.66 |
| Massachusetts | 2,109 | 7,001,399 | 30.12 |
| New Hampshire | 399 | 1,402,054 | 28.46 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,576 | 12,961,683 | 27.59 |
| New York | 5,308 | 19,571,216 | 27.12 |
| Nevada | 862 | 3,194,176 | 26.99 |
| North Carolina* | 2,915 | 10,835,491 | 26.90 |
| Arizona | 1,950 | 7,431,344 | 26.24 |
| New Jersey | 2,350 | 9,290,841 | 25.29 |
| Indiana | 1,699 | 6,862,199 | 24.76 |
| Louisiana | 1,118 | 4,573,749 | 24.44 |
| Wisconsin | 1,421 | 5,910,955 | 24.04 |
| Virginia | 2,078 | 8,715,698 | 23.84 |
| Missouri | 1,458 | 6,196,156 | 23.53 |
| Alabama | 1,202 | 5,108,468 | 23.53 |
| Illinois | 2,893 | 12,549,689 | 23.05 |
| Michigan | 2,305 | 10,037,261 | 22.96 |
| Florida | 5,049 | 22,610,726 | 22.33 |
| Colorado | 1,304 | 5,877,610 | 22.19 |
| Oklahoma | 836 | 4,053,824 | 20.62 |
| California | 7,888 | 38,965,193 | 20.24 |
| Minnesota | 994 | 5,737,915 | 17.32 |
| Georgia | 1,881 | 11,029,227 | 17.05 |
| Mississippi | 493 | 2,939,690 | 16.77 |
| Wyoming | 86 | 584,057 | 14.72 |
| Utah | 499 | 3,417,734 | 14.60 |
| Kansas | 423 | 2,940,546 | 14.39 |
| Idaho | 265 | 1,964,726 | 13.49 |
| Montana | 129 | 1,132,812 | 11.39 |
| North Dakota | 87 | 783,926 | 11.10 |
| Texas | 3,181 | 30,503,301 | 10.43 |
| Arkansas | 314 | 3,067,732 | 10.24 |
| Hawaii | 133 | 1,435,138 | 9.27 |
| Iowa | 253 | 3,207,004 | 7.89 |
| South Dakota | 48 | 919,318 | 5.22 |
| Nebraska | 78 | 1,978,379 | 3.94 |
*Editor’s note: After the CDC finalized its 2023 mortality dataset, North Carolina updated more than 900 death certificates to include drug overdose as a cause of death. The figures shown above reflect North Carolina’s original reported data prior to these updates.
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