Report ranks states by life expectancy; here are the top 10

Thursday, April 12, 2018
Life expectancy around the country is going up, but some states have it better than others, a new study shows.

A baby born in Hawaii in 2016 has a life expectancy that's more than six years longer than in Mississippi, according to the study's ranking of all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The study, which was put together by the US Burden of Disease Collaborators and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, compared life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in 2016 and compared it to 1990.

It also looked at 333 causes of death and 84 risk factors, calling out drug use disorders, high BMI and alcohol as concerning issues in some states. The authors of the study wrote that the findings called for more research at the state level.

"Differences in health outcomes and drivers of morbidity and mortality at the state level indicate the need for greater investment in preventive and medical care across the life course," they wrote.
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The study determined, though, that overall health went up over the 26-year period. The average life expectancy at birth went up from 75.5 in 1990 to 78.9 in 2016.



Here's a look at each state's estimated life expectancy at birth in 2016:

Hawaii 81.3
California 80.9
Connecticut 80.8
Minnesota 80.8
New York 80.5
Massachusetts 80.4
Colorado 80.2
New Jersey 80.2
Washington 80.2
Vermont 79.9
New Hampshire 79.9
North Dakota 79.8
Rhode Island 79.6
Utah 79.6
Florida 79.6
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Oregon 79.5
Iowa 79.5
Wisconsin 79.5
Arizona 79.5
Nebraska 79.4
Maryland 79.2
Virginia 79.2
Idaho 79.1
Illinois 79.1
South Dakota 79.1
Maine 79.0
Montana 78.9
Delaware 78.6
Pennsylvania 78.5
Kansas 78.5
Texas 78.5
Wyoming 78.4
Nevada 78.1
Alaska 78.1
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Michigan 78.0
Washington, D.C. 78.0
North Carolina 77.9
New Mexico 77.8
Ohio 77.5
Missouri 77.4
Georgia 77.4
Indiana 77.2
South Carolina 76.8
Tennessee 76.1
Arkansas 75.8
Kentucky 75.8
Oklahoma 75.7
Louisiana 75.6
Alabama 75.4
West Virginia 75.3
Mississippi 74.7
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