The CDC's state-by-state map reveals an almost eight-year difference in male life expectancy between the highest- and lowest-ranked states: Massachusetts (77.4 years) versus Mississippi (69.5 years). The lowest life expectancies cluster in the South, while several Northeastern and Western states rank highest. Nationally, men lived 76.5 years in 2024 compared with 81.4 years for women. Multiple factors — from health-care access and socioeconomic conditions to smoking and chronic disease — contribute, and many key risks are modifiable through lifestyle and health care.
CDC Map: Nearly 8-Year Gap In Male Life Expectancy Between U.S. States
CDC Map Shows States Where Men Have Nearly 8 Years Less Life Expectancy
A new state-by-state map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a striking difference in male life expectancy across the United States: nearly eight years separate the highest- and lowest-ranked states.
Key Findings
The CDC calculates life expectancy separately for men and women using state mortality records. According to the agency's state life expectancy report (state tables use 2022 data), Massachusetts has the highest male life expectancy at birth (77.4 years), while Mississippi ranks lowest (69.5 years). That gap — about 7.9 years — is large enough to be measured in years rather than months.
Top and Bottom States
The lowest-ranked states are concentrated in the South. The ten states with the lowest male life expectancy in the CDC data are:
- Mississippi — 69.5 years
- West Virginia — 69.5 years (CDC places it slightly above Mississippi on unrounded values)
- Louisiana — 70.6 years
- Alabama — 70.8 years
- Tennessee — 70.9 years
- Kentucky — 71.1 years
- New Mexico — 71.2 years
- Oklahoma — 71.3 years
- Arkansas — 71.3 years
- South Carolina — 72.2 years
At the opposite end, the five highest-ranked states for men are Massachusetts, Utah, Hawaii, New Jersey and Minnesota.
Note: The CDC's state figures use 2022 data because detailed life tables are released later than national mortality estimates. Life expectancy is a population-level measure and should not be read as a precise prediction of any one person's lifespan.
Broader Context
The state gaps sit within a larger national pattern: men in the United States still live shorter lives than women. CDC national estimates show male life expectancy of 76.5 years in 2024 versus 81.4 years for women — nearly a five-year difference.
What Drives These Differences?
The map does not prove a single cause. Instead, population life expectancy reflects many interacting factors: access to health care, socioeconomic conditions, demographic patterns, smoking rates, chronic disease prevalence and other environmental and social determinants of health.
Still, several major, modifiable risk factors tie directly to lifestyle and fitness. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men in the U.S., and the CDC lists high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking among the top risk factors, along with diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use.
Practical Takeaways
Longevity is less about discovering a single miracle habit and more about consistently managing risk factors over time. Federal physical activity guidelines recommend adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity), plus muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days per week.
While no single change guarantees additional years, reducing smoking, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, staying active and ensuring access to quality health care can help narrow these state-level gaps in male life expectancy.
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