How Long Will You Live, Wall Residents?

Everyone thinks about how long they might live. But how much do you think about how where you live affects your life expectancy?

If you live in Wall, your life expectancy is 80 years, according to a new study.

The study, called Geographies of Opportunity, was published last week by the Social Science Research Council, as part of their ongoing effort to track disparities in quality of life across America.

According to the study, the average life expectancy in the United States is now 79.1 years, an increase of almost four years over life expectancy in 1990. But according to the researchers, some Americans, especially African Americans and some Southerners, have seen far less of an increase. A few parts of the South have seen no increase at all.

The longest life expectancy in the U.S. is in California’s 19th Congressional district, which includes San Jose and part of Santa Clara County, where people live 83.9 years on average, or roughly as long as people in Japan.

The lowest life expectancy is in rural southeastern Kentucky, where people live just under 73 years, or about as long as residents of the Gaza Strip.

The study ranked New Jersey’s 4th district -- which encompasses much of Monmouth County, including Howell, Freehold and Wall -- 150th out of the country’s 436 congressional districts.

Within New Jersey, the 4th district ranked lower than most of the state’s 12 districts, finishing above the 1st (312), 2nd (337) and 10th (180) districts, as well as the 3rd district, with just the 1st and 2nd finishing in the bottom quarter nationally.

New Jersey’s 5th district, which covers the extreme northern and northwestern borders of the state, was the highest ranked district in the Garden State, coming in at 28th in the nation with a life expectancy of 82 years.

New Jersey’s 6th district, which covers the Bayshore area of Monmouth County, ranked 87th, with a life expectancy of 81 years.

The study’s authors say a variety of factors affect life expectancy, from access to health insurance to race and employment opportunities. But the study also lists four factors it dubs the “fatal four,” which can shorten lifespan dramatically: smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and alcohol abuse.

(Credit: Geographies of Opportunity, The Social Science Research Council, Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis.)