Counties with the longest life expectancy in Kentucky

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 Kentucky. 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.

You may also like: How many people are receiving mental health treatment in Kentucky

Canva

#37. Ballard County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.0 years
— Same as state average

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#37. Mercer County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.0 years
— Same as state average

Canva

#34. Bourbon County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.1 years
— 0.1 years higher than the state average

Canva

#34. Green County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.1 years
— 0.1 years higher than the state average

f11photo // Shutterstock

#34. Jefferson County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.1 years
— 0.1 years higher than the state average

You may also like: Counties in Kentucky with more precipitation over the past year than average

Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#31. Franklin County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.2 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average

Canva

#31. Barren County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.2 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average

Canva

#31. Logan County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.2 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average

Canva

#29. Madison County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average

The American Explorer // Shutterstock

#29. Henderson County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.3 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average

You may also like: Metros in Kentucky that are best for nurses

Canva

#26. Hancock County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.6 years
— 0.6 years higher than the state average

Canva

#26. Hardin County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.6 years
— 0.6 years higher than the state average

Canva

#26. Marshall County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.6 years
— 0.6 years higher than the state average

Ryan_hoel // Shutterstock

#24. Nelson County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.7 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average

Canva

#24. Garrard County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.7 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average

You may also like: The biggest health care data breaches you should know about in Kentucky

Canva

#22. McCracken County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.8 years
— 0.8 years higher than the state average

woodsnorthphoto // Shutterstock

#22. Meade County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 74.8 years
— 0.8 years higher than the state average

Canva

#21. McLean County

– Life expectancy: 74.9 years
— 0.9 years higher than the state average

Canva

#20. Anderson County

– Life expectancy: 75.0 years
— 1.0 years higher than the state average

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#19. Boyle County

– Life expectancy: 75.1 years
— 1.1 years higher than the state average

You may also like: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in Kentucky

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#18. Edmonson County

– Life expectancy: 75.3 years
— 1.3 years higher than the state average

Canva

#17. Washington County

– Life expectancy: 75.4 years
— 1.4 years higher than the state average

Canva

#15. Calloway County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 75.5 years
— 1.5 years higher than the state average

Canva

#15. Daviess County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 75.5 years
— 1.5 years higher than the state average

Canva

#14. Lyon County

– Life expectancy: 75.6 years
— 1.6 years higher than the state average

You may also like: How compensation compares between Kentucky staff and travel nurses

Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#12. Warren County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 75.8 years
— 1.8 years higher than the state average

Canva

#12. Elliott County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 75.8 years
— 1.8 years higher than the state average

Canva

#10. Kenton County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 76.1 years
— 2.1 years higher than the state average

Alexey Stiop // Shutterstock

#10. Scott County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 76.1 years
— 2.1 years higher than the state average

Canva

#9. Jessamine County

– Life expectancy: 76.3 years
— 2.3 years higher than the state average

You may also like: States sending the most people to Kentucky

Ivelin Denev // Shutterstock

#8. Woodford County

– Life expectancy: 76.5 years
— 2.5 years higher than the state average

Michele Korfhage // Shutterstock

#7. Spencer County

– Life expectancy: 76.7 years
— 2.7 years higher than the state average

Canva

#6. Bullitt County

– Life expectancy: 76.9 years
— 2.9 years higher than the state average

Canva

#5. Campbell County

– Life expectancy: 77.1 years
— 3.1 years higher than the state average

Canva

#4. Shelby County

– Life expectancy: 77.2 years
— 3.2 years higher than the state average

You may also like: Counties with the worst droughts in Kentucky

Canva

#3. Fayette County

– Life expectancy: 77.4 years
— 3.4 years higher than the state average

Canva

#2. Boone County

– Life expectancy: 78.3 years
— 4.3 years higher than the state average

Stephen Bailey // Shutterstock

#1. Oldham County

– Life expectancy: 79.6 years
— 5.6 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.