Mortality is a concept all living beings must grapple with. It’s elusive, though. During times of good health and vitality, it’s easy to forget that you’re stepping closer to your demise with every passing second. But the reality of it hits you at some point, whether death touches a loved one or you experience the fragility of your own body. Even a seasonal flu can humble you. A good scare puts you on the right track to better your eating and exercise habits. Although there is very little you can control in the world, the good news is that you have agency when it comes to your health.
Knowing your family history helps you understand what diseases you may be more susceptible to. Armed with helpful information, you can alter your lifestyle choices to more closely align with the type of life you want to enjoy. No one is promised old age, but if you’re one of the lucky ones, you can relish your senior years instead of suffering through them. There’s no denying genetics are strong, but lifestyle habits are powerful enough to keep you from falling victim to some of the more severe and incapacitating conditions that plague humans in the modern world.
The formula for good health is rather simple. Eat well, exercise, stay hydrated, and sleep well. You’d think with such a simple formula, we’d all have it figured out. But temptations, vices, and stressors cause deviation. Good health and bad health require commitment — but only one of these commitments is fruitful. No matter your age, you can implement changes to extend your life expectancy. This is especially important if you reside in one of the cities listed below with the shortest life expectancy. Lifestyle changes for better health are challenging at first. But you can follow through and completely alter the course of your life.
To determine the cities in every state with the shortest life expectancy, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on life expectancy in U.S. metropolitan areas from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Additional data on smoking rate, physical inactivity, and insufficient sleep also came from the 2023 CHR. (Also See The 50 US Cities With the Worst Life Expectancy)
Alabama: Gadsden
- Life expectancy: 72.54 years (Alabama: 74.84 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 29.3% (Alabama: 27.8%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 39.8% (Alabama: 39.2%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.6% (Alabama: 19.5%)
- Adult obesity rate: 41.1% (Alabama: 39.3%)
Alaska: Anchorage
- Life expectancy: 78.77 years (Alaska: 78.62 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 20.3% (Alaska: 21.1%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 31.3% (Alaska: 31.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 16.4% (Alaska: 18.0%)
- Adult obesity rate: 30.0% (Alaska: 31.8%)
Arizona: Lake Havasu City-Kingman
- Life expectancy: 75.47 years (Arizona: 79.06 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 28.7% (Arizona: 21.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 37.6% (Arizona: 33.6%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 21.0% (Arizona: 13.7%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.7% (Arizona: 31.5%)
Arkansas: Pine Bluff
- Life expectancy: 72.87 years (Arkansas: 75.49 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 33.7% (Arkansas: 28.8%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 39.9% (Arkansas: 35.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 23.1% (Arkansas: 21.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 42.9% (Arkansas: 37.2%)
California: Redding
- Life expectancy: 75.79 years (California: 81.01 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 19.6% (California: 21.1%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.6% (California: 31.1%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 15.4% (California: 9.0%)
- Adult obesity rate: 31.1% (California: 30.2%)
Colorado: Pueblo
- Life expectancy: 75.12 years (Colorado: 79.98 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 24.4% (Colorado: 16.5%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.9% (Colorado: 27.0%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 17.6% (Colorado: 12.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 29.6% (Colorado: 24.2%)
Connecticut: New Haven-Milford
- Life expectancy: 79.19 years (Connecticut: 80.11 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 21.8% (Connecticut: 20.2%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 36.4% (Connecticut: 33.0%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 15.4% (Connecticut: 12.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 33.3% (Connecticut: 29.5%)
Delaware: Dover
- Life expectancy: 77.11 years (Delaware: 78.01 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 27.6% (Delaware: 23.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 38.1% (Delaware: 33.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.0% (Delaware: 15.8%)
- Adult obesity rate: 39.1% (Delaware: 36.2%)
Florida: Homosassa Springs
- Life expectancy: 74.52 years (Florida: 79.69 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 27.1% (Florida: 25.8%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 38.0% (Florida: 34.3%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 23.4% (Florida: 15.5%)
- Adult obesity rate: 31.6% (Florida: 28.3%)
Georgia: Albany
- Life expectancy: 73.6 years (Georgia: 77.31 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 29.6% (Georgia: 24.5%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 40.7% (Georgia: 35.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 21.1% (Georgia: 16.3%)
- Adult obesity rate: 41.4% (Georgia: 34.3%)
Hawaii: Urban Honolulu
- Life expectancy: 82.38 years (Hawaii: 82.26 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 19.8% (Hawaii: 18.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 42.3% (Hawaii: 39.4%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 12.0% (Hawaii: 12.2%)
- Adult obesity rate: 24.3% (Hawaii: 25.0%)
Idaho: Pocatello
- Life expectancy: 77.04 years (Idaho: 79.19 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 21.7% (Idaho: 19.7%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.3% (Idaho: 29.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.2% (Idaho: 14.2%)
- Adult obesity rate: 36.3% (Idaho: 31.3%)
Illinois: Danville
- Life expectancy: 74.55 years (Illinois: 78.62 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 28.1% (Illinois: 24.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.1% (Illinois: 31.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 22.1% (Illinois: 12.8%)
- Adult obesity rate: 38.2% (Illinois: 32.5%)
Indiana: Kokomo
- Life expectancy: 74.07 years (Indiana: 76.51 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 26.8% (Indiana: 25.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.2% (Indiana: 35.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 21.8% (Indiana: 20.2%)
- Adult obesity rate: 41.2% (Indiana: 37.2%)
Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota: Sioux City
- Life expectancy: 77.02 years (Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota: 78.74 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 26.7% (Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota: 22.7%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 32.1% (Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota: 31.6%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 17.5% (Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota: 16.8%)
- Adult obesity rate: 38.3% (Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota: 37.2%)
Kansas: Wichita
- Life expectancy: 76.56 years (Kansas: 77.81 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 22.2% (Kansas: 21.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 34.7% (Kansas: 33.0%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.9% (Kansas: 17.2%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.3% (Kansas: 35.8%)
Kentucky-Indiana: Louisville/Jefferson County
- Life expectancy: 75.79 years (Kentucky-Indiana: 75.08 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 26.4% (Kentucky-Indiana: 29.3%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 36.2% (Kentucky-Indiana: 39.1%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.8% (Kentucky-Indiana: 22.2%)
- Adult obesity rate: 36.9% (Kentucky-Indiana: 37.0%)
Louisiana: Monroe
- Life expectancy: 73.31 years (Louisiana: 75.22 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 33.0% (Louisiana: 28.2%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 38.5% (Louisiana: 36.6%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 21.2% (Louisiana: 18.9%)
- Adult obesity rate: 42.4% (Louisiana: 38.3%)
Maine: Lewiston-Auburn
- Life expectancy: 76.81 years (Maine: 78.56 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 24.3% (Maine: 19.7%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.0% (Maine: 31.2%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 19.5% (Maine: 18.0%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.0% (Maine: 31.3%)
Maryland-West Virginia: Hagerstown-Martinsburg
- Life expectancy: 75.45 years (Maryland-West Virginia: 78.58 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 27.0% (Maryland-West Virginia: 20.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 38.0% (Maryland-West Virginia: 34.1%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.4% (Maryland-West Virginia: 11.1%)
- Adult obesity rate: 37.7% (Maryland-West Virginia: 30.9%)
Massachusetts: Pittsfield
- Life expectancy: 78.02 years (Massachusetts: 80.19 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 19.6% (Massachusetts: 19.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 31.3% (Massachusetts: 31.6%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 15.1% (Massachusetts: 11.4%)
- Adult obesity rate: 24.7% (Massachusetts: 24.5%)
Michigan: Flint
- Life expectancy: 74.82 years (Michigan: 77.48 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 24.7% (Michigan: 20.2%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 40.1% (Michigan: 35.5%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 22.2% (Michigan: 19.3%)
- Adult obesity rate: 42.1% (Michigan: 35.3%)
Minnesota-Wisconsin: Duluth
- Life expectancy: 78.37 years (Minnesota-Wisconsin: 80.4 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 19.9% (Minnesota-Wisconsin: 18.7%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 31.7% (Minnesota-Wisconsin: 27.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.5% (Minnesota-Wisconsin: 14.3%)
- Adult obesity rate: 33.0% (Minnesota-Wisconsin: 30.6%)
Mississippi: Gulfport-Biloxi
- Life expectancy: 74.9 years (Mississippi: 73.89 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 26.5% (Mississippi: 28.9%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.0% (Mississippi: 35.3%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 19.0% (Mississippi: 20.7%)
- Adult obesity rate: 36.5% (Mississippi: 39.9%)
Missouri: Joplin
- Life expectancy: 75.66 years (Missouri: 76.64 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 27.1% (Missouri: 24.9%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 34.7% (Missouri: 34.2%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 22.2% (Missouri: 18.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 36.5% (Missouri: 34.2%)
Montana: Great Falls
- Life expectancy: 77.09 years (Montana: 78.37 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 21.3% (Montana: 18.0%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 31.0% (Montana: 29.7%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.6% (Montana: 17.5%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.0% (Montana: 28.9%)
Nebraska: Grand Island
- Life expectancy: 77.91 years (Nebraska: 79.02 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 25.7% (Nebraska: 21.0%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 29.9% (Nebraska: 28.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 17.3% (Nebraska: 14.5%)
- Adult obesity rate: 39.0% (Nebraska: 34.0%)
Nevada: Carson City
- Life expectancy: 74.41 years (Nevada: 78.11 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 23.1% (Nevada: 24.9%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.4% (Nevada: 35.3%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.4% (Nevada: 14.1%)
- Adult obesity rate: 34.4% (Nevada: 28.1%)
New Hampshire: Manchester-Nashua
- Life expectancy: 79.42 years (New Hampshire: 79.59 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 19.9% (New Hampshire: 18.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.2% (New Hampshire: 31.0%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 14.1% (New Hampshire: 14.7%)
- Adult obesity rate: 29.2% (New Hampshire: 30.5%)
New Jersey: Vineland-Bridgeton
- Life expectancy: 74.6 years (New Jersey: 79.49 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 30.8% (New Jersey: 20.2%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 39.6% (New Jersey: 32.3%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 19.1% (New Jersey: 11.1%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.7% (New Jersey: 27.7%)
New Mexico: Farmington
- Life expectancy: 74.04 years (New Mexico: 76.88 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 23.9% (New Mexico: 22.5%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 36.3% (New Mexico: 30.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 22.6% (New Mexico: 16.9%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.0% (New Mexico: 31.7%)
New York: Elmira
- Life expectancy: 76.35 years (New York: 80.26 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 25.2% (New York: 25.2%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.1% (New York: 33.1%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 19.1% (New York: 12.3%)
- Adult obesity rate: 33.0% (New York: 26.5%)
North Carolina: Rocky Mount
- Life expectancy: 74.03 years (North Carolina: 77.68 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 26.7% (North Carolina: 21.9%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.8% (North Carolina: 31.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.9% (North Carolina: 17.0%)
- Adult obesity rate: 39.0% (North Carolina: 33.6%)
North Dakota-Minnesota: Grand Forks
- Life expectancy: 78.47 years (North Dakota-Minnesota: 78.77 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 23.4% (North Dakota-Minnesota: 24.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 31.9% (North Dakota-Minnesota: 30.5%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 17.8% (North Dakota-Minnesota: 17.9%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.9% (North Dakota-Minnesota: 33.6%)
Ohio: Springfield
- Life expectancy: 73.9 years (Ohio: 76.52 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 29.0% (Ohio: 23.5%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 40.6% (Ohio: 36.5%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 23.9% (Ohio: 20.2%)
- Adult obesity rate: 36.7% (Ohio: 35.8%)
Oklahoma: Enid
- Life expectancy: 74.99 years (Oklahoma: 75.54 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 29.6% (Oklahoma: 27.9%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.0% (Oklahoma: 33.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 19.8% (Oklahoma: 19.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 37.9% (Oklahoma: 37.1%)
Oregon: Grants Pass
- Life expectancy: 76.42 years (Oregon: 79.7 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 21.2% (Oregon: 17.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.7% (Oregon: 29.0%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 19.1% (Oregon: 13.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 30.4% (Oregon: 28.3%)
Pennsylvania: Johnstown
- Life expectancy: 75.81 years (Pennsylvania: 78.02 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 23.9% (Pennsylvania: 23.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 37.3% (Pennsylvania: 37.0%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.8% (Pennsylvania: 16.7%)
- Adult obesity rate: 33.2% (Pennsylvania: 31.6%)
Rhode Island-Massachusetts: Providence-Warwick
- Life expectancy: 78.98 years (Rhode Island-Massachusetts: 79.37 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 22.6% (Rhode Island-Massachusetts: 22.9%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.2% (Rhode Island-Massachusetts: 32.8%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 15.6% (Rhode Island-Massachusetts: 14.1%)
- Adult obesity rate: 29.6% (Rhode Island-Massachusetts: 30.6%)
South Carolina: Florence
- Life expectancy: 72.6 years (South Carolina: 76.44 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 30.8% (South Carolina: 25.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 38.4% (South Carolina: 34.7%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.8% (South Carolina: 19.1%)
- Adult obesity rate: 41.7% (South Carolina: 36.7%)
South Dakota: Rapid City
- Life expectancy: 78.43 years (South Dakota: 78.19 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 21.3% (South Dakota: 21.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 28.6% (South Dakota: 29.5%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.0% (South Dakota: 19.0%)
- Adult obesity rate: 32.8% (South Dakota: 33.4%)
Tennessee: Jackson
- Life expectancy: 74.27 years (Tennessee: 75.33 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 27.1% (Tennessee: 23.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 35.4% (Tennessee: 34.4%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 23.2% (Tennessee: 19.7%)
- Adult obesity rate: 40.7% (Tennessee: 35.8%)
Texas: Odessa
- Life expectancy: 73.8 years (Texas: 78.39 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 31.1% (Texas: 25.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 36.3% (Texas: 33.4%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 17.3% (Texas: 13.3%)
- Adult obesity rate: 39.6% (Texas: 35.8%)
Utah: Salt Lake City
- Life expectancy: 79.26 years (Utah: 79.72 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 17.6% (Utah: 16.3%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 30.2% (Utah: 30.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 9.2% (Utah: 8.3%)
- Adult obesity rate: 30.2% (Utah: 29.3%)
Vermont: Burlington-South Burlington
- Life expectancy: 81.03 years (Vermont: 79.67 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 15.2% (Vermont: 17.1%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 27.0% (Vermont: 28.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 13.0% (Vermont: 14.4%)
- Adult obesity rate: 24.4% (Vermont: 26.3%)
Virginia: Roanoke
- Life expectancy: 76.5 years (Virginia: 79.07 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 23.0% (Virginia: 20.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.9% (Virginia: 34.5%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.6% (Virginia: 13.9%)
- Adult obesity rate: 35.0% (Virginia: 32.4%)
Washington: Yakima
- Life expectancy: 76.95 years (Washington: 80.21 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 25.3% (Washington: 17.5%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 31.7% (Washington: 29.9%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 17.5% (Washington: 11.6%)
- Adult obesity rate: 37.1% (Washington: 28.0%)
West Virginia: Beckley
- Life expectancy: 71.93 years (West Virginia: 74.26 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 30.5% (West Virginia: 27.4%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 43.2% (West Virginia: 40.5%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 25.8% (West Virginia: 24.0%)
- Adult obesity rate: 41.8% (West Virginia: 39.6%)
Wisconsin: Racine
- Life expectancy: 77.46 years (Wisconsin: 78.87 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 21.3% (Wisconsin: 19.8%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.3% (Wisconsin: 31.2%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 18.3% (Wisconsin: 16.1%)
- Adult obesity rate: 36.1% (Wisconsin: 32.7%)
Wyoming: Casper
- Life expectancy: 76.57 years (Wyoming: 78.08 years)
- People who don’t exercise regularly: 25.0% (Wyoming: 21.6%)
- Adults who get fewer than 7 hrs of sleep: 33.5% (Wyoming: 33.1%)
- Adults who smoke regularly: 20.3% (Wyoming: 19.4%)
- Adult obesity rate: 34.0% (Wyoming: 30.6%)