Your ZIP Code and You

How long do you think you’ll live? If you eat a balanced diet, prioritize your mental health, avoid alcohol and tobacco products, and exercise regularly, you might expect to live a healthy 75-85 years. Unfortunately, though, the length of your lifespan has less to do with your habits and genes, and more to do with your address. Your ZIP code and/or census tract can predict your life expectancy.

The average life expectancy in the United States is about 77.5 years. Ohio’s average is 76.5, and Lucas County’s average is 74.6. Visit https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-visualization/life-expectancy/index.html to see a visualization of Lucas County’s range of life expectancies based on census tracts. This visualization shows us that a resident of census tract code 29 might live until 63, but a few blocks away in tract code 45, one might live until 78. How is it possible that a few miles can add or subtract 15 years from our lifespans?

Image received from cdc.gov

Our ZIP codes can reveal a lot about our lifestyles. Is there a grocery store with healthy food within walking distance of your house? If not, do you have dependable public transportation available? What are the crime rates like in your area? Would you say the air is clean? What is your annual income? These geographical and social factors all have a play in your relative health and life expectancy.

Each of these factors have at least one thing in common: housing. Broadly, our homes establish our physical and mental health, education and income level, and susceptibility to perpetrate or be victims of crime. These behaviors and outcomes are products of more than just a pinpoint on a map; they are ramifications of long-term divestment, segregation, and redlining.

The trauma inherited from this inequity is generational, even if an individual that grew up in a redlined neighborhood relocates to a neighborhood with greater resources and diversity. For example, many communities of color are exposed to dangerous levels of lead in their upbringing which often causes significant health issues later in life, regardless of relocation. Additionally, stress about financial insecurity, mental health issues, and substance abuse can weigh on victims of redlining.

There are a few steps we can take to remedy the lasting effects of redlining and its influence on life expectancy. First, rehabilitating historical or blighted homes in dis-invested neighborhoods can increase fire safety and assist in lowering instances of lead and radon poisoning. Home restoration projects can also improve air quality, energy efficiency, and ventilation. Investment in the construction of safe, affordable homes in or around dis-invested communities can stimulate economic support and growth. To supplement this, ensuring access to reliable public transportation, healthy foods, and quality education empowers dis-invested neighborhoods to gain greater control over their health. Proper representation of historically marginalized communities in local organizations and coalitions ensures their concerns are heard and considered. An outcome in which life expectancy is at its maximum no matter the ZIP code can only be possible through direct investment in all communities.