Washington ranks 11th in states with longest life expectancy

SEATTLE - A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks Washington 11th in states with the longest life expectancy.

The U.S. State Life Tables is an annual report for each of the 50 states and District of Columbia, provided by the National Vital Statistics System. The data for 2021 was released on August 21, 2024.

The rankings of each state's life expectancy were created using observed data and probability based on previous statistics.

According to the report, the average life expectancy for Washingtonians is 78.2 years, which is higher than the national average of 76.4 years.

Washington ranks 11th of all U.S. states. The state with the highest life expectancy is Hawaii at 79.9 years, and the lowest is Mississippi at 70.9 years.

"States with the highest life expectancy at birth were predominantly Western (Hawaii, California, and Washington) and Northeastern states (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey), but also included Utah and Minnesota."

Washington ranks one spot lower for life expectancy at age 65 (19.1 years), and the difference between male and female life expectancies at birth in Washington is five years.

Life expectancies also declined in most states between 2020 and 2021. Though some East Coast states gained over a year like New York and New Jersey, Washington's average life expectancy declined by a year, while Alaska's dipped by 2.1 years.

"Overall, life expectancy in the United States declined by 0.6 years from 2020 to 2021, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increases in unintentional injuries (mainly drug overdose deaths)."

You can view the full report and learn more about how it was made on the CDC's website.

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