New Study Ranks Evansville Life Expectancy Near National Average

Good news if you live in Evansville! Based on a new study published Monday by the Journal of American Medical Association, and shared by the Washington Post, you shouldn't die too soon, statistically speaking. The bad news? I wouldn't go making 85th birthday plans.

Nobody likes to think about death, but it is an inevitably. We will all die at some point. That's just, well, life, ironically. While we can't stop it from happening, the way we live during the years we have can have an effect on how many we get (in theory). Heading out for lunch? How about a side salad instead of fries? Or go for a walk around the neighborhood a couple of times a week instead of plopping down on the couch after dinner playing on your phone while also trying to pay attention to what's on television like I do every single night.

When it came to compiling their results, researchers looked at a variety of data including geographic location, socioeconomic factors, health habits, and a county's access to quality health care. A look at the full map shows higher life expectancy in more populated areas like the upper east coast (New York City, etc.) and the lower west coast (Los Angeles, San Diego, and so on). People living in those areas should live to be somewhere between 80-85 years based on the data.

Here in Evansville, and the surrounding area, if you make it to 80, you'll be on the upper end of the scale. Based on the findings, those of us who call the Tri-State home will likely meet our maker somewhere between the ages of 75-80.

(Color Code: White: 70-75 years; Light Green: 75-80; Dark Green: 80-85 years)

Of course, this is all based on averages. There will be those who live well into their 90's, and others whose days end in their 50's or 60's. But again, and at the risk of sounding a bit morbid, your day will come just like mine will. Let's enjoy it while we have it.

[Source: The Washington Post / JAMA Internal Medicine]