Life expectancy rates have been on the rise in the United States, with an increase of nearly seven years over the past half-century. (The average lifespan was 70.8 in 1970 and was documented as 77.5 in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) There are many factors that can contribute to how long you’ll live—from genetics to how much you drink or smoke, your diet and weight, and how physically active you are. But then there’s the matter of where you live.
In some areas of the globe, dubbed “blue zones,” there is a disproportionately high number of residents who live to at least 100 years old. These five particular pockets of the world—Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica, Okinawa, Japan; and Sardinia, Italy—are heavily researched, as scientists try to determine what it is about these residents’ diets, lifestyles, and environments that can promote such longevity. While it may not be as obvious of a contributing factor, where you live can play a significant role in your overall lifespan, which is why some states and even counties in the U.S. tend to see longer life expectancy rates compared to others.
By delving into 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Stacker identified the counties with the longest life expectancy in Oregon. Life expectancy measures the average number of years from birth a person can expect to live and is calculated based on the number of deaths in a given time period and the average number of people at risk of dying during that period. Counties with unreliable or insufficient data were excluded from the analysis. Mortality data came from the National Vital Statistics System.
Read on to see if your county made the list.
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#12. Crook County
– Life expectancy: 78.7 years
— Same as state average
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#11. Yamhill County
– Life expectancy: 78.8 years
— 0.1 years higher than the state average
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#8. Grant County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.4 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average
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#8. Sherman County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.4 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average
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#8. Wallowa County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.4 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average
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#7. Polk County
– Life expectancy: 79.6 years
— 0.9 years higher than the state average
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#6. Gilliam County
– Life expectancy: 79.7 years
— 1.0 years higher than the state average
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#5. Clackamas County
– Life expectancy: 80.2 years
— 1.5 years higher than the state average
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#4. Hood River County
– Life expectancy: 81.0 years
— 2.3 years higher than the state average
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#3. Deschutes County
– Life expectancy: 81.2 years
— 2.5 years higher than the state average
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#2. Washington County
– Life expectancy: 81.8 years
— 3.1 years higher than the state average
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#1. Benton County
– Life expectancy: 82.2 years
— 3.5 years higher than the state average
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kiersten Hickman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
Stacker
Stacker is a news organization that produces and distributes data journalism to the world’s news organizations. Founded in 2017, Stacker combines data analysis with rich editorial context, drawing on authoritative sources and subject matter experts to drive storytelling. This article has been republished pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.