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JAMA: Life expectancy in Hall County is nearly 79 years

By AccessWDUN staff

Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. increased between 1980 and 2014 to 79.1 years for men and women combined, and Hall County nearly mirrors that number.  But life expectancy differed by as much as two decades between U.S. counties with the lowest and highest life expectancies, according to a new article published by JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study also included mortality rates and shows that in northeast Georgia, Stephens County had the highest ratio (1,154 deaths per 100,000 population), while Forsyth had the lowest (688/100,000).  Hall County's was 825, Georgia's 885, and nationwide there were 786 deaths per 100,000 population.

As for life expectancy, Forsyth County again led the way with a combined life expectancy for men and women of 81 years, while in Stephens County, it is 75 years.   In Hall County, 78.57; Georgia 77; and nationwide 79.1 years. 

In a population-based analysis, Christopher J.L. Murray, M.D., D.Phil., of the University of Washington, Seattle, and coauthors created annual estimates of life expectancy and age-specific risk of death for each county from 1980 to 2014; they quantified geographic inequalities for these measures to examine trends; and they looked at the extent to which variation in life expectancy can be explained by socioeconomic and race/ethnicity factors, as well as behavioral and metabolic risk factors.

Between 1980 and 2014, life expectancy increased for men and women combined 5.3 years from 73.8 years to 79.1 years. For men, life expectancy increased from 70 to 76.7 years and for women from 77.5 to 81.5 years.

There was a gap of 20.1 years between counties with the lowest and highest life expectancies.

Several counties in South and North Dakota (typically those with Native American reservations) had the lowest life expectancy (67 years); counties in central Colorado had the highest life expectancy (85 years).

“This study found large – and increasing – geographic disparities among counties in life expectancy over the past 35 years. The magnitude of these disparities demands action, all the more urgently because inequalities will only increase further if recent trends are allowed to continue uncontested,” the article concludes.  Click here to read more about the report.

An interactive map included in the report details life expectancy in every county in the country.

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