Counties with the longest life expectancy in Montana
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 Montana. 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.
#24. Toole County
- Life expectancy: 77.2 years
--- Same as state average
#23. Sheridan County
- Life expectancy: 77.3 years
--- 0.1 years higher than the state average
#21. Flathead County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.7 years
--- 0.5 years higher than the state average
#21. Chouteau County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 77.7 years
--- 0.5 years higher than the state average
#20. Fallon County
- Life expectancy: 77.8 years
--- 0.6 years higher than the state average
#19. Stillwater County
- Life expectancy: 78.1 years
--- 0.9 years higher than the state average
#18. Pondera County
- Life expectancy: 78.2 years
--- 1.0 years higher than the state average
#16. Lewis and Clark County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 78.4 years
--- 1.2 years higher than the state average
#16. Powder River County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 78.4 years
--- 1.2 years higher than the state average
#14. Park County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 78.6 years
--- 1.4 years higher than the state average
#14. Ravalli County (tie)
- Life expectancy: 78.6 years
--- 1.4 years higher than the state average
#13. Missoula County
- Life expectancy: 78.9 years
--- 1.7 years higher than the state average
#12. Broadwater County
- Life expectancy: 80.3 years
--- 3.1 years higher than the state average
#11. Madison County
- Life expectancy: 80.5 years
--- 3.3 years higher than the state average
#10. Beaverhead County
- Life expectancy: 80.6 years
--- 3.4 years higher than the state average
#9. Judith Basin County
- Life expectancy: 80.8 years
--- 3.6 years higher than the state average
#8. McCone County
- Life expectancy: 81.0 years
--- 3.8 years higher than the state average
#7. Carbon County
- Life expectancy: 81.3 years
--- 4.1 years higher than the state average
#6. Gallatin County
- Life expectancy: 82.0 years
--- 4.8 years higher than the state average
#5. Sweet Grass County
- Life expectancy: 82.6 years
--- 5.4 years higher than the state average
#4. Daniels County
- Life expectancy: 82.9 years
--- 5.7 years higher than the state average
#3. Granite County
- Life expectancy: 83.2 years
--- 6.0 years higher than the state average
#2. Meagher County
- Life expectancy: 83.3 years
--- 6.1 years higher than the state average
#1. Liberty County
- Life expectancy: 89.4 years
--- 12.2 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.
