Pennsylvania Cities Named Worst for Life Expectancy
It’s always interesting to see new life expectancy rates. I’m always curious if I live in an area with a high or low expectancy, because that’s obviously an indicator of an overall healthy environment. Well, as it turns out, some Pennsylvania cities have been named the worst for life expectancy in the United States.
A new report is out via Finance.yahoo.com. It looks at 40 cities with the lowest expectancy rates in the United States. According to the study, “Average lifespan in the US climbed from just 47 years in 1900 to nearly 79 in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic struck. After that, it saw a decline for two consecutive years, driven by increased cases of drug overdose and effects of Covid-19 according to a report by Harvard University.” They add that life expectancy in the United States went way down to 77 years in 2020. Then, it went down to 76 years in 2021. The good news, though, is that in 2022, expectancy rebounded to 77.5 years. Those numbers are via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The worst city in America for life expectancy is Jackson, Mississippi. So, what about our state? Coming in at No. 12 on the list of 40 cities is Scranton–Wilkes-Barre with an expectancy of 76.1. “Residents born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on average live 1.4 years less than their compatriots in the United States,” the article states. “It is among cities with the shortest life expectancy in the US.” Wow. Also, landing at No. 31 on the list is Pittsburgh with an expectancy of 77.2. “Life expectancy in Pittsburgh is slightly higher than the state average of 76.8 years in Pennsylvania,” the article states. “Despite that, with an average span of 77 years, it ranks below other large cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Bridgeport where residents are expected to live for about 83 years on average.” Find the full list here.
