Counties with the shortest life expectancy in Kentucky

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 Kentucky, Stacker used 2024 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute to identify the counties 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. 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 is on the list.

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#50. Trimble County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.7 years
— 1.3 years lower than the state average

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#44. Christian County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.6 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#44. Greenup County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.6 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#44. Monroe County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.6 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#44. Montgomery County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.6 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#44. Taylor County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.6 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#44. Pulaski County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.6 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#42. Russell County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.5 years
— 1.5 years lower than the state average

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#42. Boyd County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.5 years
— 1.5 years lower than the state average

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#41. Butler County

– Life expectancy: 72.4 years
— 1.6 years lower than the state average

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#40. Grayson County

– Life expectancy: 72.2 years
— 1.8 years lower than the state average

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#37. Menifee County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.1 years
— 1.9 years lower than the state average

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#37. Gallatin County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.1 years
— 1.9 years lower than the state average

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#37. Pendleton County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 72.1 years
— 1.9 years lower than the state average

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#36. Mason County

– Life expectancy: 72.0 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average

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#34. Webster County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 71.9 years
— 2.1 years lower than the state average

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#34. Crittenden County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 71.9 years
— 2.1 years lower than the state average

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#33. Carter County

– Life expectancy: 71.8 years
— 2.2 years lower than the state average

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#32. Martin County

– Life expectancy: 71.6 years
— 2.4 years lower than the state average

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#31. Bracken County

– Life expectancy: 71.5 years
— 2.5 years lower than the state average

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#29. Carlisle County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 71.3 years
— 2.7 years lower than the state average

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#29. Robertson County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 71.3 years
— 2.7 years lower than the state average

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#28. Lincoln County

– Life expectancy: 71.2 years
— 2.8 years lower than the state average

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#27. Lawrence County

– Life expectancy: 71.1 years
— 2.9 years lower than the state average

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#25. Jackson County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.9 years
— 3.1 years lower than the state average

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#25. Lewis County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.9 years
— 3.1 years lower than the state average

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#22. McCreary County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.8 years
— 3.2 years lower than the state average

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#22. Carroll County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.8 years
— 3.2 years lower than the state average

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#22. Rockcastle County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.8 years
— 3.2 years lower than the state average

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#19. Estill County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.6 years
— 3.4 years lower than the state average

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#19. Bath County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.6 years
— 3.4 years lower than the state average

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#19. Knox County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 70.6 years
— 3.4 years lower than the state average

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#18. Johnson County

– Life expectancy: 70.5 years
— 3.5 years lower than the state average

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#17. Pike County

– Life expectancy: 70.3 years
— 3.7 years lower than the state average

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#16. Whitley County

– Life expectancy: 70.0 years
— 4.0 years lower than the state average

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#15. Knott County

– Life expectancy: 69.5 years
— 4.5 years lower than the state average

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#14. Magoffin County

– Life expectancy: 69.4 years
— 4.6 years lower than the state average

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#13. Clay County

– Life expectancy: 69.1 years
— 4.9 years lower than the state average

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#12. Powell County

– Life expectancy: 69.0 years
— 5.0 years lower than the state average

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#9. Letcher County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 68.8 years
— 5.2 years lower than the state average

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#9. Leslie County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 68.8 years
— 5.2 years lower than the state average

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#9. Floyd County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 68.8 years
— 5.2 years lower than the state average

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#8. Lee County

– Life expectancy: 68.1 years
— 5.9 years lower than the state average

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#7. Bell County

– Life expectancy: 67.7 years
— 6.3 years lower than the state average

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#5. Fulton County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 67.5 years
— 6.5 years lower than the state average

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#5. Breathitt County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 67.5 years
— 6.5 years lower than the state average

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#4. Harlan County

– Life expectancy: 67.0 years
— 7.0 years lower than the state average

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#2. Owsley County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 65.8 years
— 8.2 years lower than the state average

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#2. Wolfe County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 65.8 years
— 8.2 years lower than the state average

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#1. Perry County

– Life expectancy: 65.4 years
— 8.6 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.

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