When it comes to living a long and healthy life, Oklahoma is not a state with reason to boast.
Its issues with heart disease, lung cancer, infant mortality, obesity and diabetes are well-known. What they all add up to is one of the nation’s lowest life-expectancy rates.
In 2007, the latest year for which data is available from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which does health research, Oklahoma ranked fifth lowest among states and the District of Columbia in average life expectancy. People born in Oklahoma in 2007 are expected to live on average 75.6 years, compared with 78.6 nationally.
Oklahoma’s ranking is low across all major demographic categories. Among the 50 states and D.C., Oklahoma ranks 50th for women’s life expectancy and 47th for men’s. In race and ethnicity, the state ranks 50th out of 51 for Whites; 30th of 39 (states where sufficient data is available) for African-Americans; 37th of 41 for Hispanics; 11th of 12 for Native Americans; and 30th of 31 for Asians.
*Life expectancy at birth if born in 2007.
*Life expectancy at birth if born in 2007.
Source: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
