Parishes with the shortest life expectancy in Louisiana
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 Louisiana, Stacker used 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute to identify the parishes 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. Parishes 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 parish is on the list.
#32. West Carroll Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 73.1 years
--- 0.9 years lower than the state average
#31. Tangipahoa Parish
- Life expectancy: 73.0 years
--- 1.0 years lower than the state average
#29. St. Mary Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.9 years
--- 1.1 years lower than the state average
#29. Iberville Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.9 years
--- 1.1 years lower than the state average
#27. Catahoula Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.6 years
--- 1.4 years lower than the state average
#27. Iberia Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.6 years
--- 1.4 years lower than the state average
#23. Richland Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.5 years
--- 1.5 years lower than the state average
#23. Union Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.5 years
--- 1.5 years lower than the state average
#23. Winn Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.5 years
--- 1.5 years lower than the state average
#23. Ouachita Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.5 years
--- 1.5 years lower than the state average
#22. Franklin Parish
- Life expectancy: 72.4 years
--- 1.6 years lower than the state average
#20. Caddo Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.2 years
--- 1.8 years lower than the state average
#20. Red River Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 72.2 years
--- 1.8 years lower than the state average
#19. Caldwell Parish
- Life expectancy: 72.1 years
--- 1.9 years lower than the state average
#18. Jefferson Davis Parish
- Life expectancy: 72.0 years
--- 2.0 years lower than the state average
#16. Natchitoches Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.9 years
--- 2.1 years lower than the state average
#16. Allen Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.9 years
--- 2.1 years lower than the state average
#15. Avoyelles Parish
- Life expectancy: 71.6 years
--- 2.4 years lower than the state average
#14. Acadia Parish
- Life expectancy: 71.5 years
--- 2.5 years lower than the state average
#13. East Feliciana Parish
- Life expectancy: 71.4 years
--- 2.6 years lower than the state average
#12. East Carroll Parish
- Life expectancy: 71.3 years
--- 2.7 years lower than the state average
#11. Rapides Parish
- Life expectancy: 71.2 years
--- 2.8 years lower than the state average
#8. Evangeline Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.1 years
--- 2.9 years lower than the state average
#8. Concordia Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.1 years
--- 2.9 years lower than the state average
#8. Tensas Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 71.1 years
--- 2.9 years lower than the state average
#6. Webster Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 70.9 years
--- 3.1 years lower than the state average
#6. St. Helena Parish (tie)
- Life expectancy: 70.9 years
--- 3.1 years lower than the state average
#5. Madison Parish
- Life expectancy: 70.2 years
--- 3.8 years lower than the state average
#4. St. Landry Parish
- Life expectancy: 70.0 years
--- 4.0 years lower than the state average
#3. Washington Parish
- Life expectancy: 69.5 years
--- 4.5 years lower than the state average
#2. Morehouse Parish
- Life expectancy: 68.7 years
--- 5.3 years lower than the state average
#1. Bienville Parish
- Life expectancy: 68.6 years
--- 5.4 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.
