Counties with the longest life expectancy in Texas
Canva
Counties with the longest life expectancy in Texas
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 Texas. 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: Best public high schools in Texas
Canva
#47. Oldham County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.2 years
— Same as state average
Canva
#47. Wilson County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.2 years
— Same as state average
Canva
#47. Parker County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.2 years
— Same as state average
Canva
#45. Dallas County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.3 years
— 0.1 years higher than the state average
Canva
#45. Cameron County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.3 years
— 0.1 years higher than the state average
You may also like: Best public colleges in Texas
xradiophotog // Shutterstock
#40. Erath County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.4 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average
Canva
#40. Fayette County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.4 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average
Canva
#40. Bastrop County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.4 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average
Canva
#40. Austin County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.4 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average
Canva
#40. Burnet County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.4 years
— 0.2 years higher than the state average
You may also like: Highest-rated breweries in Texas
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#35. Brazoria County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.5 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average
Canva
#35. Kinney County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.5 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average
Canva
#35. Washington County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.5 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average
Canva
#35. Bandera County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.5 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average
Canva
#35. Tarrant County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.5 years
— 0.3 years higher than the state average
You may also like: Healthy hotspots: The most physically active counties in Texas
Canva
#34. Live Oak County
– Life expectancy: 77.6 years
— 0.4 years higher than the state average
Canva
#31. Lavaca County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.7 years
— 0.5 years higher than the state average
Canva
#31. Schleicher County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.7 years
— 0.5 years higher than the state average
Canva
#31. Somervell County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.7 years
— 0.5 years higher than the state average
Canva
#29. Harris County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.9 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average
You may also like: Counties receiving the most SBA loans in Texas
Canva
#29. Hidalgo County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 77.9 years
— 0.7 years higher than the state average
Canva
#28. Archer County
– Life expectancy: 78.0 years
— 0.8 years higher than the state average
Canva
#27. Hansford County
– Life expectancy: 78.1 years
— 0.9 years higher than the state average
Canva
#26. Lipscomb County
– Life expectancy: 78.2 years
— 1.0 years higher than the state average
Canva
#25. Comal County
– Life expectancy: 78.3 years
— 1.1 years higher than the state average
You may also like: Best counties to raise a family in Texas
Canva
#23. Montgomery County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 78.4 years
— 1.2 years higher than the state average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#23. Guadalupe County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 78.4 years
— 1.2 years higher than the state average
Richard J Roberts // Shutterstock
#22. Hudspeth County
– Life expectancy: 78.5 years
— 1.3 years higher than the state average
Canva
#21. Blanco County
– Life expectancy: 78.7 years
— 1.5 years higher than the state average
Canva
#20. Brewster County
– Life expectancy: 78.8 years
— 1.6 years higher than the state average
You may also like: The number of registered hunters in Texas
Canva
#18. Goliad County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.0 years
— 1.8 years higher than the state average
Canva
#18. Shackelford County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.0 years
— 1.8 years higher than the state average
Canva
#17. Brazos County
– Life expectancy: 79.2 years
— 2.0 years higher than the state average
Canva
#16. Sherman County
– Life expectancy: 79.3 years
— 2.1 years higher than the state average
Canva
#15. Rockwall County
– Life expectancy: 79.6 years
— 2.4 years higher than the state average
You may also like: Counties with the most homes selling under list price in Texas
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#13. Hays County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.8 years
— 2.6 years higher than the state average
Canva
#13. Gillespie County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 79.8 years
— 2.6 years higher than the state average
Canva
#11. Hartley County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 80.1 years
— 2.9 years higher than the state average
Canva
#11. Jeff Davis County (tie)
– Life expectancy: 80.1 years
— 2.9 years higher than the state average
Canva
#10. Mason County
– Life expectancy: 80.5 years
— 3.3 years higher than the state average
You may also like: How syringe exchanges in Texas reduce the spread of disease
Canva
#9. Travis County
– Life expectancy: 80.6 years
— 3.4 years higher than the state average
Canva
#8. Kendall County
– Life expectancy: 80.7 years
— 3.5 years higher than the state average
Canva
#7. Denton County
– Life expectancy: 80.9 years
— 3.7 years higher than the state average
Canva
#6. Williamson County
– Life expectancy: 81.0 years
— 3.8 years higher than the state average
Canva
#5. Hemphill County
– Life expectancy: 81.1 years
— 3.9 years higher than the state average
You may also like: What Medicaid acceptance looks like at Texas substance use treatment centers
Canva
#4. Fort Bend County
– Life expectancy: 81.4 years
— 4.2 years higher than the state average
Canva
#3. Collin County
– Life expectancy: 81.6 years
— 4.4 years higher than the state average
Edward H. Campbell // Shutterstock
#2. Concho County
– Life expectancy: 81.7 years
— 4.5 years higher than the state average
Canva
#1. Presidio County
– Life expectancy: 83.1 years
— 5.9 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.
