Counties with the longest life expectancy in Kentucky
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 Kentucky. 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.
#37. Ballard County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.0 years
--- Same as state average
#37. Mercer County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.0 years
--- Same as state average
#34. Bourbon County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.1 years
--- 0.1 years higher than the state average
#34. Green County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.1 years
--- 0.1 years higher than the state average
#34. Jefferson County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.1 years
--- 0.1 years higher than the state average
#31. Franklin County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.2 years
--- 0.2 years higher than the state average
#31. Barren County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.2 years
--- 0.2 years higher than the state average
#31. Logan County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.2 years
--- 0.2 years higher than the state average
#29. Madison County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.3 years
--- 0.3 years higher than the state average
#29. Henderson County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.3 years
--- 0.3 years higher than the state average
#26. Hancock County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.6 years
--- 0.6 years higher than the state average
#26. Hardin County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.6 years
--- 0.6 years higher than the state average
#26. Marshall County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.6 years
--- 0.6 years higher than the state average
#24. Nelson County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.7 years
--- 0.7 years higher than the state average
#24. Garrard County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.7 years
--- 0.7 years higher than the state average
#22. McCracken County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.8 years
--- 0.8 years higher than the state average
#22. Meade County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 74.8 years
--- 0.8 years higher than the state average
#21. McLean County
- Life expectancy: 74.9 years
--- 0.9 years higher than the state average
#20. Anderson County
- Life expectancy: 75.0 years
--- 1.0 years higher than the state average
#19. Boyle County
- Life expectancy: 75.1 years
--- 1.1 years higher than the state average
#18. Edmonson County
- Life expectancy: 75.3 years
--- 1.3 years higher than the state average
#17. Washington County
- Life expectancy: 75.4 years
--- 1.4 years higher than the state average
#15. Calloway County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 75.5 years
--- 1.5 years higher than the state average
#15. Daviess County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 75.5 years
--- 1.5 years higher than the state average
#14. Lyon County
- Life expectancy: 75.6 years
--- 1.6 years higher than the state average
#12. Warren County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 75.8 years
--- 1.8 years higher than the state average
#12. Elliott County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 75.8 years
--- 1.8 years higher than the state average
#10. Kenton County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.1 years
--- 2.1 years higher than the state average
#10. Scott County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 76.1 years
--- 2.1 years higher than the state average
#9. Jessamine County
- Life expectancy: 76.3 years
--- 2.3 years higher than the state average
#8. Woodford County
- Life expectancy: 76.5 years
--- 2.5 years higher than the state average
#7. Spencer County
- Life expectancy: 76.7 years
--- 2.7 years higher than the state average
#6. Bullitt County
- Life expectancy: 76.9 years
--- 2.9 years higher than the state average
#5. Campbell County
- Life expectancy: 77.1 years
--- 3.1 years higher than the state average
#4. Shelby County
- Life expectancy: 77.2 years
--- 3.2 years higher than the state average
#3. Fayette County
- Life expectancy: 77.4 years
--- 3.4 years higher than the state average
#2. Boone County
- Life expectancy: 78.3 years
--- 4.3 years higher than the state average
#1. Oldham County
- Life expectancy: 79.6 years
--- 5.6 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.
