The Life Expectancy of the Poor in Southwest Florida

The poor in Collier County tend to live longer on average compared to elsewhere

The New York Times on Monday released an interesting interactive graphic online detailing the life expectancy of the poor (individuals making less than $28,000 in household income), broken down by county.

Quick breakdown: The working poor in Collier County live to about 81.8 years—one of the best rates in the entire country. Lee County was about average—79.8 years.

The Times’ graphic, based on a study in JAMA, shows just how geography affects life expectancy. Research showed a rather large gap (four years) in life expectancy between the poor living in New York City and Gary, Indiana, for example. By comparison, location didn’t matter so much for the wealthy. For more details, click here.

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