For the First Time, Life Expectancy in LA County Exceeds 80 Years

LOS ANGELES - Overall life expectancy in Los Angeles County is increasing and, for the first time, has reached a high of 80.3 years. This advance, and its reasons, is described in the new Department of Public Health report, titled "Life Expectancy in Los Angeles County: How long do we live and why?"

"Average life expectancy is one of the most fundamental measures of the health of a population and community. We are pleased to see that there have been substantial gains over the past couple of decades," said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer.

The report examines both the reasons for this overall gain and why residents in some neighborhoods may not live as long as residents in others. At the extremes, there is a nearly 18-year difference in life expectancy between black males and Asian/Pacific Islander females (69.4 years of age versus 86.9 years, respectively), and a 12-year difference in life expectancy between the residents of Compton and La Cañada/Flintridge (75.7 years versus 87.8 years).

"To identify continuing wide gaps between wealthy and less wealthy communities and between different ethnic groups is sobering and disconcerting," said Dr. Fielding. "Why should an unincorporated community in South LA (Westmont) have an average life expectancy that is 10 years lower than a city (Culver City) only 10 miles away? It's important to examine these disparities and seek answers as to how to reduce these unacceptable differences." In 1991, the average life expectancy for LA County was 75.8 years. In 2006, the latest year for which information is available, the number rose to 80.3 years. Over a 15- year span, average longevity increased almost five years, an average of four months for every one of those years.

For the first time, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also has analyzed life expectancy at birth in 103 cities and communities across the county, and the report highlights the relationship between how long people live and the social and economic circumstances within their communities.

Among the report's findings:

In 2006, the estimated overall life expectancy of LA County residents was approximately 2.5 years higher than the national average (80.3 years versus 77.7 years, respectively).

Life expectancy in LA County has been steadily improving for all racial/ethnic groups, but the discrepancies are not declining. In general, neighborhoods with the lowest life expectancy had the highest levels of economic hardship.

Communities with the greatest life expectancy include: Agoura Hills (83.4), Arcadia (84.7), Beverly Hills (85.6), East San Gabriel (85.0), Rowland Heights (85.3), and Walnut (86.6).

Communities with the lowest life expectancy include: Florence-Graham (76.7), Inglewood (77.0), Lancaster (76.0), Lynwood (77.7), Westmont (72.4), and Willowbrook (75.6).

Men experienced higher rates of death due to homicide, suicide, motor vehicle crashes and drug overdose, which helped contribute to an overall lower life expectancy compared to women.

Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of premature death for all genders, geographic locations and racial/ethnic groups.

"There is a strong and consistent relationship between a person's health and what social and economic resources are available to that person," said Dr. Fielding. "People living in impoverished neighborhoods may have less opportunity to obtain a good education and be fully employed, have less social support, and have less opportunity to participate in activities that promote health. These things affect how long a person lives."

For example, some poorer neighborhoods and communities of color have fewer grocery stores which sell fresh fruits and vegetables, and many lack parks and safe places where children and families can gather and play together. This makes it more difficult for them to eat healthy foods and be physically active, which are two fundamental building blocks to preventing illness and living healthier and longer lives. Cities and communities play a vital role in promoting health.

The report lists several recommendations that communities can implement to create health-promoting environments:

Consider health impacts when making local planning and land use decisions; communities should be designed to encourage active lifestyles and healthy eating.

Increase public access to safe places where residents can walk, bike, play and exercise.

Create places where communities can gather and participate in social and civic activities.

Invest in education and job training programs.

Partner with local businesses to provide jobs and develop after-school programs.

Increase the availability and affordability of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables by using incentives to increase the availability of grocery stores and farmers' markets.

Tobacco use is still the number one cause of preventable death and disability; support smoke-free environments to protect children and non-smokers from second-hand smoke, and enforce smoking bans and restrict access to tobacco by minors.

For a full copy of the "Life Expectancy in Los Angeles County: How long do we live and why?" report, log onto the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/epi.

The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and has an annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do, please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov, visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/lapublichealth, or follow us on Twitter: LAPublicHealth.

View the report |

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