Counties with the lowest life expectancy in North Carolina
Life expectancy can be influenced by numerous factors. Approximately 25% of your lifespan is influenced by genetics, as stated by the National Library of Medicine. Health and lifestyle choices—such as adhering to a nutritious, balanced diet; avoiding smoking; consuming limited alcohol; keeping a healthy weight; and remaining physically active—can increase your lifespan by more than a decade, research from the National Institutes of Health indicates. Besides these factors, another critical aspect you may not have thought about is your surroundings and community.
While life expectancy typically rises each year in the United States—growing from nearly 70.8 years in 1970 to 77.5 in 2022, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—this specific indicator can differ from state to state or even county to county. In certain areas of the nation, the average lifespan is declining due to various risk factors in addition to health, including socioeconomic elements such as poverty, unemployment, income, and education.
A 2020 study conducted by researchers from Penn State, West Virginia, and Michigan State Universities found that communities characterized by higher population densities, numerous fast-food outlets, and a significant number of jobs in extraction industries are correlated with shorter life expectancies.
To discover how life expectancy differs throughout North Carolina, Stacker utilized the 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute to pinpoint the counties with the lowest life expectancy. Life expectancy is measured as the average number of years a person can anticipate living from birth and is computed based on the number of deaths within a specified timeframe and the average population at risk of dying during that span. Counties with unreliable or inadequate data were disregarded in the analysis. Mortality statistics were sourced from the National Vital Statistics System.
Continue reading to find out if your county is among those listed.
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#50. Onslow County
– Life expectancy: 75.0 years
— 1.6 years below the state average
#49. Catawba County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.9 years
— 1.7 years below the state average
#48. Duplin County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.9 years
— 1.7 years below the state average
#47. Graham County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.8 years
— 1.8 years below the state average
#46. Lee County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.8 years
— 1.8 years below the state average
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#45. Caswell County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.8 years
— 1.8 years below the state average
#44. Craven County
– Life expectancy: 74.7 years
— 1.9 years below the state average
#43. Alexander County
– Life expectancy: 74.6 years
— 2.0 years below the state average
#42. Cherokee County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.5 years
— 2.1 years below the state average
#41. Surry County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.5 years
— 2.1 years below the state average
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#40. Wilkes County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.5 years
— 2.1 years below the state average
#39. Chowan County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.5 years
— 2.1 years below the state average
#38. Warren County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.4 years
— 2.2 years below the state average
#37. Stanly County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.4 years
— 2.2 years below the state average
#36. Nash County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.4 years
— 2.2 years below the state average
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#35. Yadkin County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.4 years
— 2.2 years below the state average
#34. Pasquotank County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 2.3 years below the state average
#33. Sampson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 2.3 years below the state average
#32. Davidson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 2.3 years below the state average
#31. Pamlico County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 2.3 years below the state average
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#30. Mitchell County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 2.3 years below the state average
#29. Wilson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.9 years
— 2.7 years below the state average
#28. Cumberland County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.9 years
— 2.7 years below the state average
#27. Jones County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.9 years
— 2.7 years below the state average
#26. Hoke County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.8 years
— 2.8 years below the state average
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#25. Gaston County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.8 years
— 2.8 years below the state average
#24. Randolph County
– Life expectancy: 73.7 years
— 2.9 years below the state average
#23. Rowan County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.6 years
— 3.0 years below the state average
#22. Wayne County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.6 years
— 3.0 years below the state average
#21. Bertie County
– Life expectancy: 73.5 years
— 3.1 years below the state average
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#20. Rutherford County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.4 years
— 3.2 years below the state average
#19. Caldwell County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 73.4 years
— 3.2 years below the state average
#18. Hertford County
– Life expectancy: 73.3 years
— 3.3 years below the state average
#17. Northampton County
– Life expectancy: 73.2 years
— 3.4 years below the state average
#16. Montgomery County
– Life expectancy: 73.1 years
— 3.5 years below the state average
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#15. Rockingham County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 72.7 years
— 3.9 years below the state average
#14. Cleveland County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 72.7 years
— 3.9 years below the state average
#13. Martin County
– Life expectancy: 72.4 years
— 4.2 years below the state average
#12. Vance County
– Life expectancy: 71.9 years
— 4.7 years below the state average
#11. Anson County
– Life expectancy: 71.8 years
— 4.8 years below the state average
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#10. Lenoir County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.7 years
— 4.9 years below the state average
#9. Bladen County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.7 years
— 4.9 years below the state average
#8. Washington County
– Life expectancy: 71.5 years
— 5.1 years below the state average
#7. Edgecombe County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.2 years
— 5.4 years below the state average
#6. Halifax County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.2 years
— 5.4 years below the state average
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#5. Scotland County
– Life expectancy: 71.0 years
— 5.6 years below the state average
#4. Columbus County
– Life expectancy: 70.7 years
— 5.9 years below the state average
#3. Richmond County
– Life expectancy: 70.5 years
— 6.1 years below the state average
#2. Robeson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 69.3 years
— 7.3 years below the state average
#1. Swain County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 69.3 years
— 7.3 years below the state average
This article incorporates data by Karim Noorani, composed by Kiersten Hickman, and is part of a collection utilizing automated data across 49 states.
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By Stacker
