Counties with the shortest life expectancy in Alabama

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 Alabama, 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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#34. Chambers County

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

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#31. Franklin County (tie)

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

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#31. Marion County (tie)

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

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#31. Barbour County (tie)

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

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#30. Bibb County

– Life expectancy: 72.3 years
— 1.4 years lower than the state average

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#29. Pickens County

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

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#27. Bullock County (tie)

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

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#27. Pike County (tie)

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

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#25. Macon County (tie)

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

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#25. Cleburne County (tie)

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

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#24. Clay County

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

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#22. Calhoun County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 71.7 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average

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#22. Greene County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 71.7 years
— 2.0 years lower than the state average

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#21. Lawrence County

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

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#18. Russell County (tie)

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

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#18. Monroe County (tie)

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

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#18. Jackson County (tie)

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

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#15. Sumter County (tie)

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

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#15. Covington County (tie)

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

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#15. Fayette County (tie)

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

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#14. Etowah County

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

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#12. Geneva County (tie)

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

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#12. Talladega County (tie)

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

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#11. Clarke County

– Life expectancy: 71.0 years
— 2.7 years lower than the state average

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#10. Crenshaw County

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

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#9. Escambia County

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

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#8. Marengo County

– Life expectancy: 70.7 years
— 3.0 years lower than the state average

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#7. Hale County

– Life expectancy: 70.2 years
— 3.5 years lower than the state average

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#6. Conecuh County

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

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#5. Dallas County

– Life expectancy: 69.3 years
— 4.4 years lower than the state average

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#4. Perry County

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

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#3. Wilcox County

– Life expectancy: 68.9 years
— 4.8 years lower than the state average

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#1. Walker County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 68.4 years
— 5.3 years lower than the state average

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#1. Lowndes County (tie)

– Life expectancy: 68.4 years
— 5.3 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.