What Shapes Lifespans Across Ohio’s Counties

Ohioans face significant disparities in life expectancy, with some residents living more than a decade longer than others depending on where they call home.

Delaware County residents have the highest life expectancy in Ohio, averaging 81.3 years, according to a recent study by Miami University. It’s the only county in the state where life expectancy surpasses 80 years, a contrast to Vinton County’s 69.9 years, the lowest in Ohio. These numbers reveal significant gaps in health outcomes across the state, where the average life expectancy in 2020 was 75.3 years.

Ohio’s overall life expectancy has declined in recent years, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC. Tackling this issue isn’t simple, as what affects lifespan can look very different depending on where you live.

Delaware County’s distinction as the “gold standard” for geriatric care is no coincidence, Jared Stroud, MD, a geriatric and internal medicine physician at OhioHealth, told The Columbus Dispatch. The county benefits from a high concentration of healthcare resources, making routine and emergency care accessible to most residents.

In rural areas, hospitals and doctors are further away, and this can put care out of reach, Dr. Stroud said. Many of Dr. Stroud’s patients from rural parts of Ohio travel to Columbus for care. “A lot of them talk about how few resources there are. I think that inevitably plays a big role,” he said.

While healthcare access is critical, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Social determinants of health, such as housing, education, income, transportation and social connection, play a major role in shaping life expectancy.

If someone doesn’t own a car, they may not have reliable transportation to get to a doctor’s appointment, Nanette Lacuesta, MD, a family medicine physician at OhioHealth, shared as an example. There’s also new evidence that isolation is as bad for people as other unhealthy habits, such as smoking cigarettes or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, she said.

Loneliness, described as an emerging epidemic, is a significant concern. “I think that loneliness is going to be the new smoking,” Dr. Lacuesta said. Currently, one in two people experiences severe loneliness, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Ohio’s high rates of smoking, drug overdoses and excessive alcohol use continue to weigh heavily on life expectancy. Smoking rates have declined statewide, but among Ohioans with a household income under $15,000, 41 percent were smokers in 2022, up from 28 percent in 1995, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

Healthy eating is another area where improvement could make a difference. Jennifer Middleton, MD, a family medicine physician at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, advocates for diets rich in fiber, fresh fruits and minimally processed foods. Consistently eating healthy at every meal can be challenging, especially for those with limited resources, but it's essential for Ohioans to understand there are steps they can take to improve their health outcomes, no matter where they live, Dr. Middleton said.