Aug 24, 2022 - News
Utah ranks in the top 10 for life expectancy in the U.S.
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Utah has the ninth-highest life expectancy in the U.S., according to a CDC national vital statistics report released Tuesday.
- The life expectancy for Utahns was 78.6 years — higher than the national rate of 77 years.
Yes, but: Utah's rate declined by about a year between 2019 and 2020 amid the COVID health crisis.
- According to the CDC, heart disease was the leading cause of death among Utahns in 2020, followed by cancer, accidents and COVID-19.
The big picture: Nationwide, life expectancy among Americans declined by 1.8 years due to the pandemic and the increase in unintentional injuries, such as overdoses.
By the numbers: There was a nearly four-year gap among Utah women (80.6) and men (76.7).
- Even though women tend to outlive men on average, Utah women were ranked 15th in the nation.
Zoom out: Hawaii had the highest rate in the U.S., with a life expectancy of 80.7 years. That's compared to Mississippi which ranked last at 71.9 years.
- Western states like California (79 years), Washington (79.2) and Oregon (78.8) outranked Utah.