Washington and Oregon among states with longest life expectancy, but pandemic hurt

Washington and Oregon rank in the top ten states for the longest life expectancy, according to new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The high rankings come with the caveat that the pandemic has thrown lengthening human lifespans into reverse across the U.S.

It is clear that if you want to live long and prosper, the Pacific Northwest is a fine place. Washingtonians have the second longest life expectancy of any state in the nation, behind only Hawaii. Oregonians are not far behind in eighth place and Idaho comes in eleventh.

According to the new data published by the Centers for Disease Control, a child born in Washington or Oregon in 2020 can expect to live around 79 years. That’s two years longer than the national average. The life expectancy for an Idaho child born in 2020 is closer to 78 years.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic though, life expectancy has declined in all 50 states.