Your ZIP code affects how long you live?

NCHS, National Vital Statistics Systems, Mortality. Census tracts from Maine and Wisconsin were excluded due to lack of sufficient data.

On why health equity and social determinants of health are quite under-discussed as we think about our aging population and life expectancy gaps. I came across this map and some research, started reading about these topics and I’m curious to hear other takes.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation put out this interesting calculator on life expectancy and if you play around with Zip codes you realize how much of a difference it can make where you live. Dr. Israel Cross, a public health gerontologist and President of NAIPC, gave an interview with CareYaya Foundation where he discussed the impact of where you live on aging and longevity, and the public health impacts from access to food, healthcare and other factors. And, I have been browsing the USDA Food Access Research Atlas to see the discrepancies in different cities across the country, especially in the South which is glaring.

Why do you think this isn’t a topic of broader discussion with our aging population and differences in life expectancy outcomes? And more importantly, what modifiable factors can we hope to improve the most through public health and policy?