County of Orange, Health Care Agency
Press Release
LIFE EXPECTANCY IN ORANGE COUNTY REACHES A NEW HIGH
(Santa Ana) – A new report from the Orange County Health Care Agency finds that over the last 20 years the average life expectancy in Orange County has increased by five years, from 76.9 in 1990 to 81.9 years in 2010. Orange County residents live almost four years longer than the national average.
“We are very pleased that life expectancy in Orange County is at a new high,” said Mark Refowitz, Health Care Agency Director. “But there is still more to do in reducing health disparities within our community.”
While life expectancy has improved in Orange County, notable demographic differences in specific populations persist. Asian/Pacific Islanders have the highest average life expectancy of 85.0 years and Hispanics have the second highest at 83.1 years and non-Hispanic whites are third at 80.9 years. African Americans have the lowest life expectancy in the county at about 78.2 years. Females in Orange County have a life expectancy of 83.9 years, compared to males at 79.8 years.
Marked geographic differences were also found. Cities with the highest average life expectancies, 82 or more years, are primarily clustered in the southern half of Orange County. Cities with the shortest life expectancies, less than 81 years, tend to be in the northern and central parts of the county. The results show that average life expectancy is strongly related to where you live and to socio-economic factors such as education level, income, poverty, and health insurance. On average, residents from more affluent cities live longer than residents who live in less affluent communities.
The data used in this study were gathered from the death certificate information reported to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The full report entitled “Life Expectancy in Orange County” is available online at http://media.ocgov.com/gov/health/about/admin/pubs/life.asp
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