Minnesota ranks among top in nation for life expectancy

Minnesota is once again ranks near the top of the nation when it comes to life expectancy.

Why it matters: Longevity can be a sign of good health and quality of life.

What to expect: Minnesotans born in 2019 have an average life expectancy of about 80.4 years, according to state-by-state data released today by the CDC National Center for Health Statistics.

• While that's down slightly from 2018, when babies could expect to live to 80.5 years, it's good enough to rank us fourth nationwide.

Zoom out: Overall, life expectancy in the U.S. increased by 0.1 year from 2018 to 2019, Axios Vitals' Tina Reed reports.

• Hawaii (80.9 years) again secured the top spot, while Mississippi (74.4) was the bottom.

Yes, but: This data is from before the pandemic began. Unfortunately, the overall U.S. life expectancy at birth decreased from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020.

Zoom in: Following national trends, Minnesota women are projected to outlive their male counterparts by more than four years, making it to 82.6 years.

• But at 78.6 years, the lifespan for local men is the second highest in the nation. Women rank sixth.

Of note: While this report didn't get so granular, life expectancy here also tends to vary by race and ethnicity, with Black and Native American Minnesotans facing shorter lifespans than whites, Asians and Latinos.