Do Massachusetts or Rhode Island Natives Live Longer?

My wife's parents are 93 and 92 years old. They live in Rhode Island. My aunt and uncle are also 93 and 92 years old. They live in Massachusetts. Both couples live on their own and are in reasonably good health.

Many Americans are living longer than ever, thanks in part to medical advances, healthier eating habits and regular exercise.

Not all Americans are living longer, however. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "Life expectancy at birth for males in 2021 was 73.2 years, representing a decline of 1.0 years from 74.2 years in 2020."

The CDC says, "For females, life expectancy declined to 79.1 years, decreasing 0.8 years from 79.9 years in 2020."

According to the agency, the decline in life expectancy between 2020 and 2021 "was primarily due to increases in mortality due to COVID-19."

Unintentional injuries, heart disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and suicide also contributed to the shortened life expectancy.

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The CDC says where you were born could determine how long you live. For example, folks born in Hawaii have a life expectancy of 80.7 years, the longest, while those born in Mississippi have an average life expectancy of 71.9 years, the shortest.

So how do the New England states rank?

Massachusetts and New Hampshire natives have an average life expectancy of 79.0 years. In Connecticut, it is 78.4, Vermont 78.8, Rhode Island 78.2, and in Maine, the average resident has a life expectancy of 77.8 years.

It would seem that the average Massachusetts native outlives the average native Rhode Islander by about four months.

I suppose there are some bragging rights in there somewhere.