Chicago life expectancy rose again, but racial gaps persist
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Chicago's average life expectancy rose for the third straight year to 78.7 years, with most racial groups nearing pre-pandemic levels and white residents surpassing that benchmark, according to recently released 2023 data from the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Why it matters: The data suggests an emergence from many health problems associated with the pandemic, but underscores persistently uneven outcomes among races.
Catch up quick: While life expectancy within racial groups remained fairly steady from 2010 to 2019, Chicagoans saw a steep decline of up to 5 years at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Between the lines: Black Chicagoans still face the steepest life expectancy challenges.
- They live, on average, 15 fewer years than Asian Chicagoans.
- Residents of largely Black West Garfield Park have an average life expectancy of 66.6 years, while that number rises to 87.3 years for those who live in the majority-white Loop — the neighborhood with the highest life expectancy.
Yes, but: White residents' life expectancy, on average, trails behind that of Chicago's Asians and Latinos.
Zoom in: The five community areas with the highest life expectancy after the Loop include:
- Near North Side: 84.8
- North Center: 84.7
- O'Hare: 83.8
- Lincoln Park: 83.3
- Lakeview: 83
Surprising stat: While the South and West sides generally see lower life expectancy, majority-Latino Gage Park on the South Side has the seventh-longest life span in the city, at 82.9 years, just a whisker short of Lakeview.
What they're saying: The gains are "the result of years of coordinated efforts across the city," CDPH commissioner Olusimbo "Simbo" Ige said in a statement. "Nearly eliminating COVID-19 deaths — once the largest driver of the racial life expectancy gap — has been key. We're also seeing progress in reducing deaths from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and homicide, particularly among Black Chicagoans."
What's next: Ige's office continues to work on closing the racial life expectancy gap with programs addressing chronic disease, homicides and opioid overdoses.
- CDPH has also targeted programs to address health in communities with life expectancy under 70 years: Garfield Park, Englewood, West Englewood and North Lawndale.