Life expectancy for women in West Virginia

Life expectancy at birth for women in West Virginia was 74.2 years in 2021, according to the CDC. That is 51st among the 50 states and DC, and 5.1 years below the US figure of 79.3.

At birth, 202174.2

Rank of 5151st

vs US−5.1

The survival curve

West Virginia United States

Share of women 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 women in West Virginia reach about 80, which is well above the 74.2 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 woman in West Virginia who has already reached one of these ages can expect more.

Age now	Years left, on average	Half reach
25	52.2	80
35	42.8	81
45	33.7	81
55	25.1	82
65	17.3	83
75	10.4	85

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

Now do yours

These are averages for women 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

48th Kentucky 75.3
50th Mississippi 74.3
51st West Virginia 74.2

Men in West Virginia: 68.1 years at birth, 6.1 years fewer.

Men 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.