Want to live a long life in Washington state? Head north to Bellingham.
A survey by 24/7 Wall Street finds the average life expectancy in Whatcom County's largest city is 80.9 years. That's the highest in the state and one of the highest in the country.
"As in many other cities with high life expectancies, Bellingham residents are more likely than most Americans to abstain from smoking and less likely to be obese. Just 13.8% of adults in Bellingham report a smoking habit, and only 25.1% are considered obese. By comparison, the national smoking and obesity rates are 20.0% and 27.0%, respectively," writes 24/7 Wall Street.
The Washington city with the shortest life expectancy is Longview, in Southwest Washington, at an average of 77.2 years.
"As in most cities with the lowest life expectancies, Longview metro area residents are more likely than most Americans to be obese, physically inactive, and smoke. The obesity rate in Longview is 34.6%, significantly higher than the 27.0% national obesity rate. Poverty, which often coincides with lower life expectancy, is widespread in Longview. While 13.2% of Washington residents live below the poverty line, 22.5% of Longview residents do — the highest poverty rate in the state," writes 24/7 Wall Street.
The American city with the shortest life expectancy is Gadsden, Alabama at 72.9 years. The longest life expectancy can be found in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara region of California at 82.7 years.
The national average is 78.5 years.
