The map above shows the 102 US counties that had a lower life expectancy in 2019 compared to North Korea’s.
According to the WHO North Korea’s life expectancy at birth was 72.6 years.
In that same year the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that the following 102 counties had a lower life expectancy:
| location_name | Life Expectancy Years |
|---|---|
| Oglala Lakota County (South Dakota) | 64.50 |
| Todd County (South Dakota) | 66.83 |
| Sioux County (North Dakota) | 67.31 |
| Union County (Florida) | 67.74 |
| Martinsville City (Virginia) | 67.93 |
| Buffalo County (South Dakota) | 68.73 |
| Petersburg City (Virginia) | 68.90 |
| McDowell County (West Virginia) | 69.01 |
| Perry County (Kentucky) | 69.10 |
| Kusilvak Census Area (Alaska) | 69.20 |
| Dewey County (South Dakota) | 69.46 |
| Roosevelt County (Montana) | 69.51 |
| Corson County (South Dakota) | 69.70 |
| Galax City (Virginia) | 69.94 |
| Owsley County (Kentucky) | 70.07 |
| Mellette County (South Dakota) | 70.19 |
| Coahoma County (Mississippi) | 70.23 |
| Breathitt County (Kentucky) | 70.29 |
| Wolfe County (Kentucky) | 70.39 |
| Logan County (West Virginia) | 70.39 |
| Leslie County (Kentucky) | 70.41 |
| Quitman County (Mississippi) | 70.46 |
| Harlan County (Kentucky) | 70.56 |
| Mingo County (West Virginia) | 70.66 |
| Walker County (Alabama) | 70.68 |
| Powell County (Kentucky) | 70.72 |
| Washington County (Mississippi) | 70.84 |
| Tunica County (Mississippi) | 70.86 |
| Sunflower County (Mississippi) | 70.91 |
| Floyd County (Kentucky) | 70.99 |
| Holmes County (Mississippi) | 71.03 |
| Bolivar County (Mississippi) | 71.06 |
| Leflore County (Mississippi) | 71.10 |
| Neshoba County (Mississippi) | 71.11 |
| Clay County (Kentucky) | 71.13 |
| Lee County (Kentucky) | 71.24 |
| Grundy County (Tennessee) | 71.36 |
| Bell County (Kentucky) | 71.37 |
| Letcher County (Kentucky) | 71.39 |
| Covington City (Virginia) | 71.42 |
| Pemiscot County (Missouri) | 71.44 |
| East Carroll Parish (Louisiana) | 71.46 |
| Nome Census Area (Alaska) | 71.47 |
| Hopewell City (Virginia) | 71.53 |
| Okfuskee County (Oklahoma) | 71.56 |
| Grenada County (Mississippi) | 71.56 |
| Marion County (South Carolina) | 71.61 |
| Wyoming County (West Virginia) | 71.63 |
| Phillips County (Arkansas) | 71.66 |
| Marlboro County (South Carolina) | 71.67 |
| Whitley County (Kentucky) | 71.70 |
| Big Horn County (Montana) | 71.70 |
| Poinsett County (Arkansas) | 71.72 |
| Cocke County (Tennessee) | 71.74 |
| Morehouse Parish (Louisiana) | 71.82 |
| Rolette County (North Dakota) | 71.83 |
| Seminole County (Oklahoma) | 71.86 |
| Mississippi County (Arkansas) | 71.86 |
| Boone County (West Virginia) | 71.88 |
| Scott County (Indiana) | 71.91 |
| Wilcox County (Alabama) | 71.94 |
| McCreary County (Kentucky) | 71.95 |
| Wilkinson County (Mississippi) | 71.96 |
| Madison Parish (Louisiana) | 71.97 |
| Lee County (South Carolina) | 72.01 |
| Bennett County (South Dakota) | 72.03 |
| Sharkey County (Mississippi) | 72.03 |
| Washington Parish (Louisiana) | 72.05 |
| Hancock County (Tennessee) | 72.07 |
| Humphreys County (Mississippi) | 72.08 |
| Pike County (Mississippi) | 72.08 |
| Scott County (Tennessee) | 72.10 |
| Glacier County (Montana) | 72.11 |
| Magoffin County (Kentucky) | 72.12 |
| Campbell County (Tennessee) | 72.13 |
| Lowndes County (Alabama) | 72.14 |
| Nicholas County (Kentucky) | 72.17 |
| Lawrence County (Kentucky) | 72.21 |
| Estill County (Kentucky) | 72.21 |
| Dunklin County (Missouri) | 72.25 |
| McKinley County (New Mexico) | 72.29 |
| Allendale County (South Carolina) | 72.30 |
| Knott County (Kentucky) | 72.32 |
| Yalobusha County (Mississippi) | 72.34 |
| Marion County (Mississippi) | 72.34 |
| Lake County (Tennessee) | 72.35 |
| Dillon County (South Carolina) | 72.36 |
| Benton County (Tennessee) | 72.40 |
| Johnson County (Kentucky) | 72.42 |
| Meigs County (Tennessee) | 72.42 |
| Colleton County (South Carolina) | 72.43 |
| Apache County (Arizona) | 72.44 |
| Lincoln County (West Virginia) | 72.44 |
| Kiowa County (Oklahoma) | 72.46 |
| Carroll County (Kentucky) | 72.50 |
| Dallas County (Alabama) | 72.51 |
| George County (Mississippi) | 72.54 |
| Claiborne County (Mississippi) | 72.55 |
| Webster County (Mississippi) | 72.56 |
| Fulton County (Kentucky) | 72.57 |
| Martin County (Kentucky) | 72.58 |
| Jackson County (Ohio) | 72.60 |
For the flip side see: U.S. Counties With A Life Expectancy Above 80 Years
Why do you think the counties above have such low life expectancies?
qwer says
The red counties in South are as well as the black belt counties, near the Mississippi River
David Waller says
In the western part of the USA, these counties are Indian reservations. There are few private medical facilities there, mostly IHS covers the reservations.
Jim says
Why is Palm Beach County, FL highlighted? It’s not on the list.
Wayne Cointelpro says
First nation reservations and Appalachia account for most of the regions with low life expectancy. The common factor is poverty.