The 5 States with the Shortest Life Expectancies

LOWEST: 5. Kentucky©4kclips/Shutterstock

Life expectancy: 72.3 years

Kentucky has the fifth-shortest life expectancy in the US. More than a quarter of adults in the “Bluegrass State” reported being diagnosed with a depressive disorder and 17.4% of adults reported smoking cigarettes.

4. Louisiana

Life expectancy: 72.2 years

The “Pelican State” has the fourth-shortest life expectancy in the country, at 72.2 years. WalletHub found that residents in the state reported one of the lowest adequate sleep rates and some of the longest work hours. The American Lung Association also reported that 16.7% of adults in the state smoked cigarettes in 2022.

3. Alabama

Life expectancy: 72.0 years

Alabama has the third-shortest life expectancy. The Census Bureau estimated that 8.5% of people didn’t have health insurance. Meanwhile, 15.6% of adults reported smoking cigarettes in 2022. WalletHub also reported that Alabama had one of the lowest sports participation rates and one of the lowest adequate sleep rates.

2. West Virginia

Life expectancy: 71.0 years

West Virginia has the second-shortest life expectancy. Twenty-one percent of adults reported smoking cigarettes in 2022, the highest percentage in the country. The “Mountain State” also has one of the highest rates of adults who reported having depressive disorders, at 26.9%.

1. Mississippi

Mississippi has the shortest life expectancy in the US, at 70.9 years.

WalletHub, which ranked Mississippi the sixth-worst state to live in, reported that nearly one in five of the state’s residents lived in poverty. Mississippi also has high infant mortality rates, with Black infants disproportionately affected. It also has the lowest sports participation rate in the country and high rates of obesity. Employees also often work longer hours than the national average.

Among its residents, 10.3% are estimated to be without health insurance, while 20.5% of adults reported being diagnosed with depressive disorders, and 17.4% reported smoking cigarettes.

Source: INSIDER©