DENVER (KDVR) — Coloradans have longevity in their corner, depending on the county.
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s County Health Rankings and Roadmaps has published a nationwide list of county-level life expectancies since 2010. This year’s release shows eight of Colorado’s counties among the top 25 nationwide in terms of life span.
Eagle, Grand, Lake, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, San Miguel and Summit counties rank among those, with Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties each having life expectancies over 90 years old, each of them in the top five for lifespan. In Summit County, the lifespan is 93.5 years.
| County | Lifespan |
| Eagle County | 91.4 |
| Grand County | 86.6 |
| Lake County | 86.5 |
| Ouray County | 85.7 |
| Park County | 85.6 |
| Pitkin County | 92.5 |
| San Miguel County | 93.6 |
| Summit County | 93.5 |
These counties also have high-income levels, both relative to the rest of Colorado’s counties and the rest of the nation’s. Typically, higher income levels correspond to better health outcomes as borne out by the other counties on the top 25 list such as Wyoming’s billionaire enclave Teton County.
In two counties – Mono County in California and the Aleutians East Bureau in Alaska – the life expectancy is 100 or more years.
Each of the counties with the longest lifespans is characterized by rural or rural-adjacent lifestyles. Most are in mountain or Great Plains states.