Life Expectancy by State (2022)
Hawaii has the highest life expectancy of any US state, 80.0 years at birth, and West Virginia the lowest, 72.2 years, according to CDC’s 2022 state life tables. The national figure for the same year is 77.5 years (women 80.2, men 74.8).
Source: NCHS, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022 (National Vital Statistics Reports vol 74 no 12). Period life expectancy, in years.
Life expectancy by state, 2022: the full ranking
Ranked by life expectancy at birth for both sexes. “Gap” is women minus men. “At 65” is the average number of years left at age 65. “65 → 90” is the share of people alive at 65 who reach 90. The highlighted row is the United States. Click a column heading to sort. Each row has its own link, for example #CA for California. Download the data (CSV).
| Rank | State | Both sexes | Women | Men | Gap | At 65 | 65 → 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 80.0 | 83.0 | 77.1 | +5.9 | 20.5 | 34% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 79.8 | 82.2 | 77.4 | +4.8 | 19.7 | 30% |
| 3 | New Jersey | 79.6 | 82.0 | 77.1 | +4.9 | 19.6 | 29% |
| 4 | New York | 79.5 | 82.1 | 76.9 | +5.3 | 19.8 | 31% |
| 5 | Connecticut | 79.4 | 82.1 | 76.8 | +5.3 | 19.8 | 30% |
| 6 | California | 79.3 | 82.1 | 76.7 | +5.5 | 19.7 | 30% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 79.3 | 81.6 | 77.0 | +4.5 | 19.6 | 30% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 79.2 | 81.8 | 76.6 | +5.2 | 19.4 | 28% |
| 9 | Utah | 79.0 | 80.9 | 77.3 | +3.6 | 19.0 | 26% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 78.7 | 81.0 | 76.5 | +4.6 | 19.1 | 27% |
| 11 | Colorado | 78.5 | 81.0 | 76.1 | +4.9 | 19.4 | 28% |
| 12 | Idaho | 78.4 | 80.6 | 76.4 | +4.2 | 19.0 | 26% |
| 13 | Washington | 78.4 | 80.9 | 76.1 | +4.8 | 19.1 | 27% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 78.3 | 80.7 | 76.0 | +4.7 | 18.9 | 27% |
| 15 | Vermont | 78.3 | 80.8 | 75.8 | +5.0 | 19.5 | 29% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 78.1 | 80.7 | 75.7 | +5.0 | 19.1 | 27% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 77.9 | 80.8 | 75.4 | +5.4 | 19.5 | 30% |
| 18 | Iowa | 77.9 | 80.4 | 75.6 | +4.9 | 18.7 | 26% |
| 19 | Florida | 77.9 | 80.7 | 75.2 | +5.6 | 19.4 | 29% |
| 20 | Maryland | 77.8 | 80.5 | 75.1 | +5.4 | 19.0 | 27% |
| 21 | Oregon | 77.7 | 80.4 | 75.2 | +5.2 | 18.8 | 26% |
| 22 | Illinois | 77.5 | 80.3 | 74.9 | +5.4 | 18.7 | 26% |
| — | United States | 77.5 | 80.2 | 74.8 | +5.4 | 18.9 | 27% |
| 23 | Virginia | 77.5 | 79.9 | 75.0 | +4.9 | 18.5 | 25% |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 77.3 | 79.9 | 74.7 | +5.2 | 18.7 | 26% |
| 25 | South Dakota | 77.3 | 79.5 | 75.2 | +4.3 | 19.4 | 29% |
| 26 | Montana | 77.3 | 80.0 | 74.9 | +5.1 | 19.1 | 27% |
| 27 | Texas | 77.1 | 79.8 | 74.6 | +5.2 | 18.3 | 24% |
| 28 | Wyoming | 76.8 | 79.3 | 74.6 | +4.7 | 18.5 | 25% |
| 29 | Michigan | 76.8 | 79.3 | 74.3 | +5.0 | 18.4 | 25% |
| 30 | Arizona | 76.7 | 79.9 | 73.7 | +6.1 | 18.8 | 26% |
| 31 | Maine | 76.6 | 79.6 | 73.9 | +5.7 | 18.7 | 25% |
| 32 | District of Columbia | 76.6 | 79.6 | 73.3 | +6.3 | 18.7 | 29% |
| 33 | Delaware | 76.5 | 79.5 | 73.6 | +5.9 | 18.8 | 26% |
| 34 | Kansas | 76.5 | 78.9 | 74.1 | +4.8 | 18.1 | 24% |
| 35 | Nevada | 76.4 | 79.1 | 74.0 | +5.1 | 17.9 | 23% |
| 36 | Georgia | 75.9 | 78.6 | 73.1 | +5.6 | 17.9 | 22% |
| 37 | North Carolina | 75.9 | 78.7 | 73.0 | +5.7 | 18.1 | 23% |
| 38 | Alaska | 75.8 | 78.3 | 73.7 | +4.6 | 18.6 | 25% |
| 39 | Ohio | 75.6 | 78.3 | 73.0 | +5.3 | 17.8 | 23% |
| 40 | Indiana | 75.4 | 78.2 | 72.7 | +5.5 | 17.7 | 23% |
| 41 | Missouri | 75.2 | 78.1 | 72.5 | +5.6 | 17.8 | 23% |
| 42 | South Carolina | 75.1 | 78.1 | 72.2 | +5.9 | 18.0 | 23% |
| 43 | New Mexico | 74.5 | 78.1 | 71.2 | +6.9 | 18.7 | 26% |
| 44 | Arkansas | 73.9 | 76.6 | 71.3 | +5.3 | 17.0 | 20% |
| 45 | Oklahoma | 73.8 | 76.5 | 71.3 | +5.2 | 16.8 | 19% |
| 46 | Tennessee | 73.8 | 76.9 | 70.9 | +6.0 | 17.2 | 20% |
| 47 | Alabama | 73.8 | 77.0 | 70.8 | +6.2 | 17.1 | 20% |
| 48 | Louisiana | 73.8 | 77.2 | 70.6 | +6.6 | 17.5 | 22% |
| 49 | Kentucky | 73.6 | 76.2 | 71.1 | +5.1 | 16.8 | 19% |
| 50 | Mississippi | 72.6 | 75.7 | 69.5 | +6.2 | 16.7 | 19% |
| 51 | West Virginia | 72.2 | 75.1 | 69.5 | +5.6 | 16.6 | 18% |
Key findings
- A 7.8-year gap between the top and the bottom. A baby born in Hawaii in 2022 could expect 80.0 years at that year’s death rates, against 72.2 in West Virginia. The top five are Hawaii (80.0), Massachusetts (79.8), New Jersey (79.6), New York (79.5) and Connecticut (79.4); the bottom five are West Virginia (72.2), Mississippi (72.6), Kentucky (73.6), Louisiana (73.8) and Alabama (73.8).
- 22 of 51 are above the national figure of 77.5 years. Among the largest states, California ranks #6 (79.3), Texas ranks #27 (77.1), Florida ranks #19 (77.9), New York ranks #4 (79.5) and Pennsylvania ranks #24 (77.3).
- Women live longer in every state and in DC. The gap is widest in New Mexico (6.9 years) and Louisiana (6.6 years) and narrowest in Utah (3.6 years) and Idaho (4.2 years). Nationally it is 5.4 years (women 80.2, men 74.8).
- At 65 the spread narrows but does not close. Remaining life expectancy at 65 runs from 20.5 years in Hawaii to 16.6 in West Virginia. In Hawaii, 34% of people who reach 65 live to 90; in West Virginia, 18%.
How to read these numbers
Period life expectancy. Each figure is the average number of years a person would live if the death rates of 2022 in that state applied for the rest of their life. It summarises current mortality; it is not a forecast for anyone born or living there.
Small differences may not be real. NCHS publishes a standard error for every figure. At birth they are at most 0.19 years (in the smallest states), so states less than about half a year apart should be seen as roughly equal.
Why 2022? State life tables take longer to produce than national ones. CDC’s national table for 2024 already shows 79.0 years for the whole country, up from 77.5 in 2022, so most states are likely somewhat higher today. Sites that show other numbers usually use an older year, a projection or a different source; always compare figures from the same source and year.
For other countries, see our life expectancy by country ranking, and for US figures by age see the life expectancy by age table.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the highest life expectancy?
Hawaii, at 80.0 years at birth in 2022, according to CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. It is followed by Massachusetts (79.8) and New Jersey (79.6).
Which state has the lowest life expectancy?
West Virginia, at 72.2 years in 2022, followed by Mississippi (72.6) and Kentucky (73.6). That is 7.8 years below Hawaii.
What is the average life expectancy in the United States?
77.5 years at birth in 2022 (women 80.2, men 74.8), the same year as the state tables. CDC’s newer national table for 2024 puts it at 79.0 years; state tables are published about two years later than the national ones.
Why does life expectancy differ so much between states?
Because death rates from heart disease, cancer, drug overdoses, injuries and other causes differ between states, and those are linked to differences in income, education, smoking, obesity and access to health care. A state’s figure is an average over very different communities, so differences within a state can be as large as those between states. Our life expectancy by income page shows how strongly income alone is linked to lifespan in the US.
What is life expectancy at 65 by state?
It ranges from 20.5 more years in Hawaii to 16.6 in West Virginia; the national figure is 18.9. The table above lists every state.
Does my state’s life expectancy tell me how long I will live?
No. It is a period measure for the whole population of the state in one year. Your own outlook depends on your age, sex, health and habits. For a personal estimate, use our life expectancy calculator.
Sources, method and how to cite
- Arias E, Xu J, Tejada-Vera B, Bastian B. U.S. State Life Tables, 2022. National Vital Statistics Reports vol 74 no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2025. doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174620 · data files: ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/74-12/
- NCHS. United States Life Tables, 2022. National Vital Statistics Reports vol 74 no 2. NCHS. 2025. ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/74-02/
- NCHS. United States Life Tables, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Reports vol 75 no 5). ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/75-05/
Values are copied from the NCHS Excel tables (downloaded 2026-10-29) and rounded to one decimal for display; ranks and gaps use the unrounded values. “65 → 90” is l(90) ÷ l(65) from each state’s life table. NCHS data are a US government work in the public domain; our ranking, CSV and text are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Suggested citation: Lifespan Check (2026). Life expectancy by US state, 2022. Compiled from NCHS U.S. State Life Tables, 2022. https://lifespancheck.com/en/life-expectancy/united-states.html. NCHS has not reviewed or endorsed this page.
Educational information, not medical advice. These figures are population averages for each state. They describe groups, not individuals, and do not account for your health, habits or family history. See our medical disclaimer.