US States Ranked by Life Expectancy in National Vital Statistics Report

Average US life expectancy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was 78.8 years, according to the recently published Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Vital Statistics Report (NVSR). However, the agency warns, that number masked wide variations in location and gender.

For example, in 2019 the average Hawaiian could expect to live 80 years, while in Mississippi average life expectancy was 74.4 years. Similarly, women were living 6.4 years longer than men in Mississippi, but only 3.5 years longer in Utah.

A quick look follows here at how states ranked by longest and shortest life expectancy at birth and at age 65 years and by the difference in life expectancy between men and women.

According to the CDC's 2020 mortality report, average US life expectancy declined by nearly 2 years in 2020, presumably fueled by COVID-19 deaths.

Reference: Arias E, Xu JQ, Tejada-Vera B, Bastian B. U.S. state life tables, 2019. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2022;70:18. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2022.