Mini-Post: This Says A Lot!

You know that there are certain traits in Republican and Democratic states... one is education levels are higher in Democratic states, life expectancy is also higher.

Study reveals stark differences in life expectancy across US states over the past century

Medical Express

by Colin Poitras, Yale University

May 5, 2025

A sweeping new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) reveals striking disparities in life expectancy across U.S. states and the District of Columbia over the past century.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, provides new insights into how public health policies, social conditions, and environmental factors appear to have fundamentally shaped Americans' longevity based on where they live.

Analyzing more than 179 million deaths between 1969 and 2020, the multi-institutional research team traced life expectancy trends by birth cohort—a more precise measure for following the life experience of a population than traditional year-by-year summaries of mortality, which represent a mix of many generations.

Okay you want to guess which states saw the largest growth in life expectancy? You know there is a big difference between Republican and Democratic states.

By contrast, states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky saw minimal gains, particularly among women, suggesting that systemic factors—including socioeconomic disadvantages, limited access to health care, and weaker public health initiatives—have left lasting imprints on mortality.

"These trends in mortality and life expectancy reflect not only each state's policy environment, but also their underlying demographics as well," said Dr. Jamie Tam, Ph.D., MPH, an assistant professor of health policy and management at YSPH and a study co-author. "It's not surprising that states with fewer improvements to life expectancy also have higher rates of poverty for example."

But those are the very same states that block anything to do with universal healthcare.