Life expectancy rates have been on the rise in the United States, with an increase of nearly seven years over the past half-century. (The average lifespan was 70.8 in 1970 and was documented as 77.5 in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) There are many factors that can contribute to how long you’ll live—from genetics to how much you drink or smoke, your diet and weight, and how physically active you are. But then there’s the matter of where you live.
In some areas of the globe, dubbed “blue zones,” there is a disproportionately high number of residents who live to at least 100 years old. These five particular pockets of the world—Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica, Okinawa, Japan; and Sardinia, Italy—are heavily researched, as scientists try to determine what it is about these residents’ diets, lifestyles, and environments that can promote such longevity. While it may not be as obvious of a contributing factor, where you live can play a significant role in your overall lifespan, which is why some states and even counties in the U.S. tend to see longer life expectancy rates compared to others.
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By delving into 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Stacker identified the counties with the longest life expectancy in Michigan. 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 made the list.
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#39. Gogebic County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.6 years
--- Same as state average
#39. Shiawassee County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.6 years
--- Same as state average
#39. Otsego County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.6 years
--- Same as state average
#39. Monroe County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.6 years
--- Same as state average
#38. Lenawee County
- Life expectancy: 76.7 years
--- 0.1 years higher than the state average
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#37. Cass County
- Life expectancy: 76.8 years
--- 0.2 years higher than the state average
#35. Berrien County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.9 years
--- 0.3 years higher than the state average
#35. Huron County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.9 years
--- 0.3 years higher than the state average
#33. Keweenaw County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.0 years
--- 0.4 years higher than the state average
#33. Mecosta County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.0 years
--- 0.4 years higher than the state average
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#31. Oceana County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.1 years
--- 0.5 years higher than the state average
#31. Mason County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.1 years
--- 0.5 years higher than the state average
#29. Alpena County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.2 years
--- 0.6 years higher than the state average
#29. Dickinson County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.2 years
--- 0.6 years higher than the state average
#27. Missaukee County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.3 years
--- 0.7 years higher than the state average
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#27. Schoolcraft County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.3 years
--- 0.7 years higher than the state average
#23. Eaton County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.6 years
--- 1.0 years higher than the state average
#23. Benzie County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.6 years
--- 1.0 years higher than the state average
#23. Osceola County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.6 years
--- 1.0 years higher than the state average
#23. Allegan County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.6 years
--- 1.0 years higher than the state average
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#21. Kalamazoo County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.7 years
--- 1.1 years higher than the state average
#21. Mackinac County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.7 years
--- 1.1 years higher than the state average
#20. Ionia County
- Life expectancy: 77.8 years
--- 1.2 years higher than the state average
#18. Chippewa County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.9 years
--- 1.3 years higher than the state average
#18. Marquette County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.9 years
--- 1.3 years higher than the state average
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#17. Houghton County
- Life expectancy: 78.0 years
--- 1.4 years higher than the state average
#15. Menominee County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 78.1 years
--- 1.5 years higher than the state average
#15. Barry County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 78.1 years
--- 1.5 years higher than the state average
#14. Presque Isle County
- Life expectancy: 78.2 years
--- 1.6 years higher than the state average
#13. Charlevoix County
- Life expectancy: 78.4 years
--- 1.8 years higher than the state average
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#12. Kent County
- Life expectancy: 78.7 years
--- 2.1 years higher than the state average
#10. Emmet County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 79.1 years
--- 2.5 years higher than the state average
#10. Grand Traverse County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 79.1 years
--- 2.5 years higher than the state average
#9. Oakland County
- Life expectancy: 79.4 years
--- 2.8 years higher than the state average
#6. Antrim County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 79.5 years
--- 2.9 years higher than the state average
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#6. Midland County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 79.5 years
--- 2.9 years higher than the state average
#6. Alger County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 79.5 years
--- 2.9 years higher than the state average
#5. Livingston County
- Life expectancy: 80.0 years
--- 3.4 years higher than the state average
#4. Clinton County
- Life expectancy: 80.1 years
--- 3.5 years higher than the state average
#3. Washtenaw County
- Life expectancy: 80.4 years
--- 3.8 years higher than the state average
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#2. Ottawa County
- Life expectancy: 80.5 years
--- 3.9 years higher than the state average
#1. Leelanau County
- Life expectancy: 81.7 years
--- 5.1 years higher 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 50 states.
