Counties with the shortest life expectancy in Pennsylvania
Life expectancy can be affected by a variety of factors. About 25% of your lifespan is determined by genetics, according to the National Library of Medicine. Health and wellness habits—like following a balanced, nutrient-rich diet; not smoking; drinking minimal alcohol; maintaining a healthy weight; and staying physically active—can add more than a decade to your life, research from the National Institutes of Health shows. While these factors are significant, another important element that you might not have considered is your environment and community.
While life expectancy generally increases annually in the United States—jumping from about 70.8 years old to 77.5 between 1970 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—this particular metric can vary from state to state or even county to county. In some parts of the country, the average lifespan is getting shorter based on a variety of risk factors on top of health, including socioeconomic factors like poverty, unemployment, income, and education.
According to a 2020 study from researchers at Penn State, West Virginia, and Michigan State Universities, communities with a higher population density, more fast food restaurants, and a high number of extraction industry-based jobs tend to have shorter life expectancies.
To find out how life expectancy varies within Pennsylvania, Stacker used 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute to identify the counties with the shortest life expectancy. 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 is on the list.
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#34. Wayne County
– Life expectancy: 76.8 years
— 0.5 years lower than the state average
#33. Perry County
– Life expectancy: 76.7 years
— 0.6 years lower than the state average
#32. Erie County
– Life expectancy: 76.6 years
— 0.7 years lower than the state average
#29. Bedford County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.5 years
— 0.8 years lower than the state average
#29. Jefferson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.5 years
— 0.8 years lower than the state average
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#29. Lycoming County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.5 years
— 0.8 years lower than the state average
#28. Warren County
– Life expectancy: 76.4 years
— 0.9 years lower than the state average
#27. Lackawanna County
– Life expectancy: 76.3 years
— 1.0 years lower than the state average
#25. Fulton County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.2 years
— 1.1 years lower than the state average
#25. Clearfield County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.2 years
— 1.1 years lower than the state average
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#21. Washington County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.1 years
— 1.2 years lower than the state average
#21. Sullivan County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.1 years
— 1.2 years lower than the state average
#21. Somerset County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.1 years
— 1.2 years lower than the state average
#21. Indiana County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 76.1 years
— 1.2 years lower than the state average
#20. Mifflin County
– Life expectancy: 76.0 years
— 1.3 years lower than the state average
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#18. Beaver County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.9 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average
#18. Clarion County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.9 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average
#17. Crawford County
– Life expectancy: 75.8 years
— 1.5 years lower than the state average
#16. McKean County
– Life expectancy: 75.7 years
— 1.6 years lower than the state average
#15. Wyoming County
– Life expectancy: 75.6 years
— 1.7 years lower than the state average
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#14. Northumberland County
– Life expectancy: 75.5 years
— 1.8 years lower than the state average
#13. Blair County
– Life expectancy: 75.4 years
— 1.9 years lower than the state average
#11. Armstrong County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.3 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average
#11. Carbon County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.3 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average
#8. Mercer County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.0 years
— 2.3 years lower than the state average
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#8. Venango County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.0 years
— 2.3 years lower than the state average
#8. Luzerne County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 75.0 years
— 2.3 years lower than the state average
#7. Cambria County
– Life expectancy: 74.9 years
— 2.4 years lower than the state average
#6. Lawrence County
– Life expectancy: 74.7 years
— 2.6 years lower than the state average
#5. Schuylkill County
– Life expectancy: 74.6 years
— 2.7 years lower than the state average
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#4. Philadelphia County
– Life expectancy: 74.5 years
— 2.8 years lower than the state average
#3. Greene County
– Life expectancy: 74.4 years
— 2.9 years lower than the state average
#2. Forest County
– Life expectancy: 73.6 years
— 3.7 years lower than the state average
#1. Fayette County
– Life expectancy: 73.4 years
— 3.9 years lower 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 49 states.
By Stacker
It’s eye-opening to see how life expectancy varies across Pennsylvania. I really think we should dig into the reasons behind these numbers and focus on community health efforts to make a difference.
Community health initiatives can really shift these trends. I remember when my town started a wellness program, and it made such a positive difference in everyone’s lives.