Counties with the highest life expectancy in North Carolina
Life expectancy figures have been increasing in the United States, with a rise of almost seven years over the last fifty years. (The typical lifespan was 70.8 in 1970 and recorded as 77.5 in 2022, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) Various elements can influence how long an individual lives—from heredity to consumption of alcohol or tobacco, dietary habits and body weight, along with levels of physical activity. However, the location of your residence also plays an important role.
In certain regions worldwide, known as “blue zones,” there exists a strikingly high population of individuals who reach at least 100 years of age. These five specific regions—Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica, Okinawa, Japan; and Sardinia, Italy—are extensively studied, as researchers endeavor to discover what aspects of these individuals’ nutritional intake, way of life, and surroundings contribute to their remarkable longevity. While it may not be an apparent influencing factor, your living environment can greatly affect your overall lifespan, which accounts for why certain states and even counties in the U.S. tend to have prolonged life expectancy compared to others.
By exploring the 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Stacker pinpointed the counties with the longest life expectancy in North Carolina. Life expectancy evaluates the average number of years a person can anticipate living from birth and is determined based on the number of fatalities within a certain timeframe and the average number of individuals susceptible to death during that interval. Counties lacking reliable or adequate information were left out of the examination. Mortality statistics were sourced from the National Vital Statistics System.
Continue reading to see if your county is among those listed.
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#28. Clay County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.6 years
— Equivalent to the state average
#28. Yancey County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.6 years
— Equivalent to the state average
#28. Johnston County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.6 years
— Equivalent to the state average
#28. Granville County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.6 years
— Equivalent to the state average
#25. Carteret County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.7 years
— 0.1 years above the state average
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#25. Forsyth County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.7 years
— 0.1 years above the state average
#25. Guilford County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.7 years
— 0.1 years above the state average
#24. Jackson County
– Life expectancy: 76.8 years
— 0.2 years above the state average
#22. Iredell County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.9 years
— 0.3 years above the state average
#22. Franklin County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.9 years
— 0.3 years above the state average
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#21. Davie County
– Life expectancy: 77.0 years
— 0.4 years above the state average
#19. Alleghany County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.2 years
— 0.6 years above the state average
#19. Currituck County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.2 years
— 0.6 years above the state average
#16. Tyrrell County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.6 years
— 1.0 year above the state average
#16. Cabarrus County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.6 years
— 1.0 year above the state average
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#16. Camden County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.6 years
— 1.0 year above the state average
#12. Polk County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.8 years
— 1.2 years above the state average
#12. Brunswick County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.8 years
— 1.2 years above the state average
#12. Buncombe County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.8 years
— 1.2 years above the state average
#12. Moore County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.8 years
— 1.2 years above the state average
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#10. Henderson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 78.1 years
— 1.5 years above the state average
#10. New Hanover County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 78.1 years
— 1.5 years above the state average
#9. Dare County
– Life expectancy: 78.5 years
— 1.9 years above the state average
#8. Union County
– Life expectancy: 78.9 years
— 2.3 years above the state average
#7. Mecklenburg County
– Life expectancy: 79.2 years
— 2.6 years above the state average
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#6. Durham County
– Life expectancy: 79.4 years
— 2.8 years above the state average
#5. Transylvania County
– Life expectancy: 79.5 years
— 2.9 years above the state average
#4. Watauga County
– Life expectancy: 79.7 years
— 3.1 years above the state average
#3. Chatham County
– Life expectancy: 79.9 years
— 3.3 years above the state average
#2. Wake County
– Life expectancy: 81.2 years
— 4.6 years above the state average
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#1. Orange County
– Life expectancy: 81.6 years
— 5.0 years above the state average
This article contains data reporting by Karim Noorani, with writing by Kiersten Hickman, and forms part of a series using data automation across all 50 states.
By Stacker
