State rankings

Life expectancy for men in West Virginia

Life expectancy at birth for men in West Virginia was 68.1 years in 2021, according to the CDC. That is 50th among the 50 states and DC, and 5.4 years below the US figure of 73.5.

At birth, 202168.1
Rank of 5150th
vs US−5.4

The survival curve

West Virginia United States

Share of men still alive at each age, from birth: West Virginia and the United States. Half are still alive at 75 in West Virginia and at 80 nationally. 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 020406080100 75 80
Share of men still alive at each age, from birth. The orange dots mark the age half reach. This is our estimate, not a CDC table.

Half of men in West Virginia reach about 75, which is well above the 68.1 at the top of this page. Two things explain the difference. Deaths at young ages pull an average down further than they move the halfway mark. And the curve is built on the 2023 national table, while the published state figures are from 2021, a pandemic year when life expectancy was lower.

If you've already made it this far

Life expectancy at birth counts everyone, including those who die young. A man in West Virginia who has already reached one of these ages can expect more.

Age nowYears left, on averageHalf reach
25 47.1 75
35 38.4 76
45 30.0 77
55 22.0 78
65 15.0 80
75 9.1 84

Estimates for a man with average habits. The quiz adjusts them for yours.

Now do yours

These are averages for men in West Virginia. The quiz adjusts for your age, smoking, exercise, and build, and hands you a tombstone.

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Next on the list

  1. 48th Alabama 68.9
  2. 49th Louisiana 68.8
  3. 50th West Virginia 68.1
  4. 51st Mississippi 67.7

Women in West Virginia: 74.2 years at birth, 6.1 years more.

Women in West Virginia All 51 ranked

Where the numbers come from

Life expectancy at birth, the rank, and the gap are from the CDC's U.S. State Life Tables, 2021 (National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 73, No. 7). The curve and the table by age are this site's estimates: they apply West Virginia's 2021 gap from the national figure to the Social Security 2023 life table. How the math works.