This Is The Worst County To Live In Pennsylvania

Harrisburg PA

29 July, 2021

3:23 PM

Description

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. Harrisburg 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. Fayette County, located near the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, ranks as the worst county to live in in the state. An estimated 17.3% of the local population live below the poverty line, one of the top five highest poverty rates of all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. A lack of employment opportunities likely partially explains the widespread financial hardship as the local monthly unemployment rate stands at 7.0%, the second highest of any county in the state. Life expectancy in the county also lags considerably behind much of the rest of the state. At birth, life expectancy in Fayette County is only 75.2 years, compared to the 78.4 year average across Pennsylvania. 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.