How Long Do People Live in Dallas, Hiram?

By Patch Staff

If you believe a recent study on quality of life, residents in Dallas, Hiram and the rest of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District don’t live as long on average as most communities in the U.S.

At 76.4 years, the district also is listed near the bottom in the state in life expectancy, according to the study published last week.

The study, called Geographies of Opportunity, was published by the Social Science Research Council, as part of its 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.

In Georgia, only three districts (7th, 4th and 11th) ranked above the national average.

The 14th, which includes all of Paulding County, was listed above the 12th (75.7) and 2nd (75.2) districts, according to the study.

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.

Image from Geographies of Opportunity, The Social Science Research Council, Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis.