MS has the shortest life expectancy of any US state, study shows. Here’s how short and why
Mississippi is ranked among the least healthy states in the country and has the lowest life expectancy, according to a recent analysis.
The state has an average life expectancy of 70.9 years, according to a study by Nursa, a healthcare staffing company. This falls about eight years below the national life expectancy of 78.4 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the study, about 81% of states and Washington, D.C. have a life expectancy rate beneath the national average.
Researchers at Nursa also ranked each state’s overall health by scoring states based on the following factors:
- Pollution
- Adults who smoke cigarettes
- Hospital readmission rate
- Number of parks
- Gyms
- Walking routes
- Pools
- Healthy and unhealthy stores
Here’s how Mississippi scored and what factors play into the Magnolia State’s low life expectancy, according to the analysis.
MS among least healthiest states in U.S.
These are the least healthiest states in the country and how they scored based on Nursa’s analysis:
#1 Louisiana, Score: 4.97/10
#2 Tennessee, Score: 5.46/10
#3 West Virginia, Score: 5.47/10
#4 Nevada, Score: 5.48/10
#5 Alabama, Score: 5.76/10
#6 Kentucky, Score: 5.8/10
#7 Georgia, Score: 5.8/10
#8 Mississippi, Score: 5.87/10
#9 Texas, Score: 5.88/10
#10 Ohio, Score: 5.93/10
What are the healthiest states in the U.S.?
These are the top five healthiest states in the country and their scores, according to Nursa:
#1 Vermont, Score: 8.69
#2 New Hampshire, Score: 8.43
#3 Washington, Score: 8.35
#4 Maine, Score: 8.33
#5 Utah, Score: 8.28
Why is Mississippi’s life expectancy so low?
Mississippi has the lowest average life expectancy, followed by West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky, according to Nursa.
These are some of the factors that contributed to the state ranking among the least healthiest in the country and could explain why the life expectancy is so low too, according to researchers:
- Smoking rate: Mississippi has one of the highest smoking rates, with more than 19% of adults saying they smoke.
- Lack of places to work out: Mississippi has about 3 gyms per every 100,000 people, the second-lowest in the country after Louisiana.
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
