In the News
January 24, 2023
Hawaii’s rich natural beauty and year-round warm weather are not the only perks of the Aloha State. Research shows Hawaii residents, on average, live the longest out of anyone else in the United States.
In 2021, the average life span in the U.S. followed a now yearslong trend by dropping to 76.1 years, the shortest it has been since 1996.
That decline stems mostly from COVID-19 and overdose deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But while every state’s life expectancy has decreased since 2019, Hawaii is the only state to have not fallen below the 80-year mark.
The Hill spoke to experts to try to understand why life expectancy in Hawaii is longer than the national average. Experts agreed on a few things but wanted to stress that not everyone on the archipelago is living a longer life. Disparities concerning life expectancy exist along race, education, income and gender lines.