Length of Life
In the model
Use County Health Rankings’ model of health to explore the measures that influence how long and how well we live.
About
Measuring how long people in a community live tells us whether people are dying too early, and it prompts us to look at what’s driving premature deaths.
By exploring a county’s data related to Length of Life, we can answer a critical question: Are people living long, healthy lives? The answer to that question can highlight important indicators about a community’s health. It also reveals if people in one community are dying earlier than those in other communities.
At a community level, we can influence how long people live by focusing on the many factors that influence health, from access to nutritious foods and quality medical care to good jobs and a clean environment. Length of life can vary greatly by place, income, and race and ethnicity. By digging into the Rankings data, we can identify where these differences exist and what health factors to be explore to make a difference.
The County Health Rankings uses a number of measures for Length of Life, including deaths of those younger than 75, how long someone can expect to live, and statistics for child and infant deaths. Select the Measures tab above to learn more about these measures and explore see what’s happening in your county.
Measures
Our Rankings show how healthy a community is as well as indicators for future health. This provides a starting point for action on improving health for all. Dig deeper into the measures below to learn more about our approaches to measuring health.