Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
In 2014, the United States ranked 41st in the world in life expectancy, with an average American expected to live to age 78. But, like most averages, that doesn't paint the whole picture. Life expectancy is more like Norway's in some parts of the country and more like Kazakhstan's in others.
That's why it's more useful to look at it county by county. Here's how life expectancy in U.S. counties compare to averages around the world.
Data: World Bank, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; Chart: Lazaro Gamio and Naema Ahmed / Axios
The big takeaways:
- Broadly, counties in the South have lower average life expectancies, while the coasts and the upper Midwest score higher.
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota has the lowest life expectancy in the country at 66 years. Summit County, Colorado has the highest at 86 years.
- Japan, Spain, Switzerland and Italy have the highest average life expectancy in the world at 83 years.
- Only four U.S. counties surpass 83 — three of them are in Colorado and the other is in North Dakota.
The data: Global life expectancy stats were published by The World Bank. The U.S. county level stats are from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Keep in mind: We're comparing life expectancy of U.S. counties to the averages of whole countries — which have their own regional differences, too.