Counties with the shortest life expectancy in Mississippi
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 Mississippi, 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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#39. Yazoo County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.8 years
— 0.7 years lower than the state average
#39. Attala County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.8 years
— 0.7 years lower than the state average
#37. Simpson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.7 years
— 0.8 years lower than the state average
#37. Panola County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.7 years
— 0.8 years lower than the state average
#35. Lauderdale County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.6 years
— 0.9 years lower than the state average
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#35. Benton County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.6 years
— 0.9 years lower than the state average
#33. Stone County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.5 years
— 1.0 years lower than the state average
#33. Lincoln County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.5 years
— 1.0 years lower than the state average
#31. Lawrence County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.4 years
— 1.1 years lower than the state average
#31. Tallahatchie County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 71.4 years
— 1.1 years lower than the state average
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#30. Pearl River County
– Life expectancy: 71.3 years
— 1.2 years lower than the state average
#29. Calhoun County
– Life expectancy: 71.2 years
— 1.3 years lower than the state average
#28. Noxubee County
– Life expectancy: 71.1 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average
#27. Perry County
– Life expectancy: 71.0 years
— 1.5 years lower than the state average
#25. George County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.9 years
— 1.6 years lower than the state average
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#25. Jasper County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.9 years
— 1.6 years lower than the state average
#24. Tishomingo County
– Life expectancy: 70.8 years
— 1.7 years lower than the state average
#22. Marshall County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.5 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average
#22. Newton County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.5 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average
#21. Webster County
– Life expectancy: 70.4 years
— 2.1 years lower than the state average
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#19. Marion County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.3 years
— 2.2 years lower than the state average
#19. Pike County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.3 years
— 2.2 years lower than the state average
#17. Wilkinson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.0 years
— 2.5 years lower than the state average
#17. Jefferson Davis County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 70.0 years
— 2.5 years lower than the state average
#16. Yalobusha County
– Life expectancy: 69.9 years
— 2.6 years lower than the state average
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#15. Montgomery County
– Life expectancy: 69.8 years
— 2.7 years lower than the state average
#14. Claiborne County
– Life expectancy: 69.6 years
— 2.9 years lower than the state average
#12. Covington County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 69.5 years
— 3.0 years lower than the state average
#12. Grenada County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 69.5 years
— 3.0 years lower than the state average
#11. Sharkey County
– Life expectancy: 68.5 years
— 4.0 years lower than the state average
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#10. Bolivar County
– Life expectancy: 68.1 years
— 4.4 years lower than the state average
#9. Sunflower County
– Life expectancy: 67.7 years
— 4.8 years lower than the state average
#8. Washington County
– Life expectancy: 67.4 years
— 5.1 years lower than the state average
#6. Holmes County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 67.2 years
— 5.3 years lower than the state average
#6. Humphreys County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 67.2 years
— 5.3 years lower than the state average
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#5. Leflore County
– Life expectancy: 67.1 years
— 5.4 years lower than the state average
#4. Quitman County
– Life expectancy: 67.0 years
— 5.5 years lower than the state average
#3. Neshoba County
– Life expectancy: 66.9 years
— 5.6 years lower than the state average
#2. Coahoma County
– Life expectancy: 66.2 years
— 6.3 years lower than the state average
#1. Tunica County
– Life expectancy: 65.4 years
— 7.1 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.
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By Stacker
Is it just me, or does it feel like we need to dig deeper into why life expectancy is lower in some Mississippi counties? It’s about healthcare, lifestyle, and community support!
It’s wild how life expectancy can vary so much in Mississippi! I think digging into health programs and tackling education and job opportunities could really help improve these disparities. What do you think?
By focusing on community health programs, we can improve well-being and promote preventive care together!
Thinking of a Mississippi road trip? Check these charming towns, but don’t forget health insurance!
It’s pretty eye-opening to see how life expectancy varies so much in Mississippi. Digging into the reasons behind these numbers could really help improve health outcomes in those counties.