This Is The Worst County To Live In North Carolina

Charlotte NC

29 July, 2021

11:47 AM

Description

24/7 Wall St. Charlotte 2021-07-28 Life expectancy fell by 1.5 years in the United States in 2020. The decline, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis, represents the most pronounced regression in public health in the United States since World War II. While the most recent dip in life expectancy in the U.S. is alarming, there are many parts of the country where poor health outcomes and other socioeconomic hardships have long been the norm. Using an index of three measures — life expectancy at birth, bachelor's degree attainment, and poverty rate — 24/7 Wall St. identified the worst counties to live in in every state. Robeson County, North Carolina, which sits along the South Carolina border, ranks as the worst county to live in in the state. At just 72.8 years, life expectancy at birth in the county is over half a decade below the statewide average. Americans with a college education are statistically more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those with lower educational attainment. In Robeson County, only 13.7% of the 25 and older population have a bachelor's degree, compared to 31.3% of adults in North Carolina. Like many U.S. counties lagging in key socioeconomic indicators, Robeson County's population is shrinking. Over the last five years, the number of people living there fell by 1.7%, even as North Carolina's population expanded by 5.3%. Data on bachelor's degree attainment and poverty are from the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. Data on average life expectancy at birth came from the 2021 County Health Rankings, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, and are based on mortality data from the years 2017 to 2019. Supplemental data on population and income are from the ACS, and unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted for May 2021 and are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the worst county to live in every state. Can't see the article's infographic? Click here to view the original story.This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.