Life expectancy is impacted by many factors, including an individual’s race or ethnicity, and where they live in the state.  All but one of the 75 counties in Arkansas had life expectancies lower than the national average. Benton County in northwest Arkansas had the longest life expectancy, which was 78.2 years. Phillips County had the shortest life expectancy of 67.2 years. This is a 11-year difference in life expectancy compared to Benton County. Most of the counties with the lowest life expectancies are in eastern and southwest areas of the state.

Life expectancy in Arkansas by county in 2021

Data Source: Arkansas Department of Health, Health Statistics Branch

Life expectancy is a general way of measuring the overall health of a population. It is defined as the average number of years a person is predicted to live, based on the death rates for the year being studied.  In 2021 the average life expectancy in Arkansas was 73.6 years. This was about two and a half years shorter than the U.S. life expectancy, which was 76.1 years.

Another important mortality indicator measures premature mortality which focuses attention on deaths that could have been prevented.  This measure - Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) - is used to measure the rate and distribution of premature Mortality and to, thereby, address issues of the impact of disease and death and their costs to society.