Counties with the shortest life expectancy in Arkansas
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 Arkansas, 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.
#38. Lafayette County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.4 years
--- 0.9 years lower than the state average
#37. Sevier County
- Life expectancy: 73.3 years
--- 1.0 years lower than the state average
#36. Lincoln County
- Life expectancy: 73.2 years
--- 1.1 years lower than the state average
#34. Howard County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.1 years
--- 1.2 years lower than the state average
#34. Nevada County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.1 years
--- 1.2 years lower than the state average
#31. Woodruff County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.0 years
--- 1.3 years lower than the state average
#31. Hot Spring County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.0 years
--- 1.3 years lower than the state average
#31. Garland County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.0 years
--- 1.3 years lower than the state average
#29. Franklin County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.8 years
--- 1.5 years lower than the state average
#29. Fulton County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.8 years
--- 1.5 years lower than the state average
#27. Montgomery County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.7 years
--- 1.6 years lower than the state average
#27. Polk County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.7 years
--- 1.6 years lower than the state average
#25. St. Francis County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.5 years
--- 1.8 years lower than the state average
#25. Clay County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.5 years
--- 1.8 years lower than the state average
#23. Columbia County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.3 years
--- 2.0 years lower than the state average
#23. Logan County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.3 years
--- 2.0 years lower than the state average
#21. Little River County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.1 years
--- 2.2 years lower than the state average
#21. Lawrence County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.1 years
--- 2.2 years lower than the state average
#20. Miller County
- Life expectancy: 72.0 years
--- 2.3 years lower than the state average
#18. Ashley County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.9 years
--- 2.4 years lower than the state average
#18. Cross County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.9 years
--- 2.4 years lower than the state average
#17. Jackson County
- Life expectancy: 71.8 years
--- 2.5 years lower than the state average
#14. Ouachita County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.5 years
--- 2.8 years lower than the state average
#14. Desha County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.5 years
--- 2.8 years lower than the state average
#14. Scott County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.5 years
--- 2.8 years lower than the state average
#13. Bradley County
- Life expectancy: 71.3 years
--- 3.0 years lower than the state average
#12. Dallas County
- Life expectancy: 71.2 years
--- 3.1 years lower than the state average
#10. Chicot County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.0 years
--- 3.3 years lower than the state average
#10. Jefferson County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.0 years
--- 3.3 years lower than the state average
#8. Calhoun County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 70.8 years
--- 3.5 years lower than the state average
#8. Union County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 70.8 years
--- 3.5 years lower than the state average
#7. Crittenden County
- Life expectancy: 70.4 years
--- 3.9 years lower than the state average
#6. Arkansas County
- Life expectancy: 70.2 years
--- 4.1 years lower than the state average
#3. Lee County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 69.3 years
--- 5.0 years lower than the state average
#3. Monroe County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 69.3 years
--- 5.0 years lower than the state average
#3. Poinsett County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 69.3 years
--- 5.0 years lower than the state average
#2. Mississippi County
- Life expectancy: 68.3 years
--- 6.0 years lower than the state average
#1. Phillips County
- Life expectancy: 67.7 years
--- 6.6 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.
