Counties with the longest life expectancy in Colorado
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.
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 Colorado. 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.
#27. Yuma County
- Life expectancy: 79.0 years
--- Same as state average
#26. Weld County
- Life expectancy: 79.3 years
--- 0.3 years higher than the state average
#25. Teller County
- Life expectancy: 79.4 years
--- 0.4 years higher than the state average
#24. Jefferson County
- Life expectancy: 79.5 years
--- 0.5 years higher than the state average
#23. Arapahoe County
- Life expectancy: 79.7 years
--- 0.7 years higher than the state average
#22. Garfield County
- Life expectancy: 80.2 years
--- 1.2 years higher than the state average
#21. Gilpin County
- Life expectancy: 80.8 years
--- 1.8 years higher than the state average
#19. Archuleta County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 80.9 years
--- 1.9 years higher than the state average
#19. Custer County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 80.9 years
--- 1.9 years higher than the state average
#18. Larimer County
- Life expectancy: 81.0 years
--- 2.0 years higher than the state average
#17. La Plata County
- Life expectancy: 81.1 years
--- 2.1 years higher than the state average
#16. Elbert County
- Life expectancy: 81.6 years
--- 2.6 years higher than the state average
#15. Chaffee County
- Life expectancy: 81.8 years
--- 2.8 years higher than the state average
#14. Broomfield
- Life expectancy: 82.0 years
--- 3.0 years higher than the state average
#12. Lake County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 82.2 years
--- 3.2 years higher than the state average
#12. Boulder County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 82.2 years
--- 3.2 years higher than the state average
#10. Douglas County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 82.8 years
--- 3.8 years higher than the state average
#10. Clear Creek County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 82.8 years
--- 3.8 years higher than the state average
#9. Gunnison County
- Life expectancy: 82.9 years
--- 3.9 years higher than the state average
#8. Routt County
- Life expectancy: 84.0 years
--- 5.0 years higher than the state average
#7. Grand County
- Life expectancy: 84.8 years
--- 5.8 years higher than the state average
#6. Park County
- Life expectancy: 85.4 years
--- 6.4 years higher than the state average
#5. Ouray County
- Life expectancy: 87.5 years
--- 8.5 years higher than the state average
#4. San Miguel County
- Life expectancy: 88.3 years
--- 9.3 years higher than the state average
#3. Eagle County
- Life expectancy: 88.9 years
--- 9.9 years higher than the state average
#2. Pitkin County
- Life expectancy: 92.7 years
--- 13.7 years higher than the state average
#1. Summit County
- Life expectancy: 93.0 years
--- 14.0 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.
