Life expectancy in California is 81.3 years at birth. This is the second highest life expectancy in the US after Hawaii with 82.0 years. Life expectancy in San Luis Obispo County varies depending on the census tract from 70.4 to 84.5 years. See how to look up your census tract below.
Why is life expectancy important for financial and estate planning?
Life expectancy is crucial in financial and estate planning as it influences various decisions, including retirement savings, investment strategies, and the timing of Social Security and pension benefits. It impacts healthcare and long-term care planning, ensuring sufficient funds for increased healthcare needs over a longer lifespan.
For estate planning, life expectancy affects asset transfer strategies, trust arrangements, and gifting strategies to minimize taxes and provide for beneficiaries. Additionally, it plays a key role in tax planning and the selection of annuities and insurance products, ensuring they align with an individual’s financial goals and lifespan.
Understanding life expectancy helps create comprehensive plans that offer financial security and peace of mind throughout one’s lifetime and beyond.
Life expectancy is not uniform in the United States
Of the 50 states, only Hawaii has a higher life expectancy than California (source: Life Expectancy at Birth for U.S. States)
Life expectancy in California
While California has the second highest life expectancy relative to other US states, the map shows that life expectancy is far from uniform across the counties in California. The arrow indicates San Luis Obispo County. Source.
Life expectancy in San Luis Obispo County
Here is the map showing life expectancies determined for specific census tracts in San Luis Obispo County. The map only shows groupings of similar ranges. See the legend under the first map above. The actual data are even more granular, and the range for individual census tracts is from 70.4 to 84.5 years (see below).Source.
Look up your community’s average life expectancy
It would be quite amazing if you knew your census tract number, but you can look it up here: Census Tract Lookup. You can also refer to the San Luis Obispo County Census Tract Reference Map [Direct Link] [PermaLink].
Once you have the census tract number, use the table below to find your location’s average life expectancy at birth. Extracted from Source.
| SLO County Census Tract |
Life Expectancy |
Standard Error |
| 100.02 | 82.3 | 1.8116 |
| 100.16 | 78.2 | 1.3671 |
| 101.01 | 81.4 | 1.9466 |
| 101.02 | 75.8 | 1.2777 |
| 102.01 | 80.4 | 1.4788 |
| 102.02 | 80.7 | 1.4081 |
| 102.04 | 81 | 1.4914 |
| 102.05 | 77.2 | 1.2603 |
| 103 | 80.6 | 1.3951 |
| 104.03 | 81.9 | 1.5371 |
| 104.04 | 80.7 | 2.0147 |
| 105.03 | 78.4 | 1.2006 |
| 105.04 | 83.1 | 2.7901 |
| 106.02 | 80.1 | 1.0883 |
| 106.03 | 70.4 | 3.2689 |
| 107.01 | 83.3 | 1.8481 |
| 107.03 | 76.2 | 1.1127 |
| 107.07 | 82.4 | 1.262 |
| 110.01 | 78.3 | 1.082 |
| 111.02 | 81.4 | 1.6227 |
| 111.03 | 74.8 | 2.0472 |
| 115.01 | 77.3 | 1.8161 |
| 115.03 | 83.8 | 1.9334 |
| 116 | 82.2 | 1.9807 |
| 117.01 | 81.4 | 1.3666 |
| 117.04 | 82.1 | 2.2077 |
| 118 | 84.5 | 1.7508 |
| 119.01 | 79.7 | 1.2768 |
| 119.02 | 79.1 | 0.9195 |
| 120 | 79.2 | 1.2971 |
| 121.02 | 79.5 | 1.4068 |
| 122 | 80 | 1.9985 |
| 123.02 | 81.1 | 1.5288 |
| 123.04 | 81.6 | 1.6373 |
| 124.01 | 82.5 | 2.9568 |
| 124.02 | 79.4 | 1.0431 |
| 125.02 | 82.3 | 2.4518 |
| 125.03 | 77.2 | 1.5153 |
| 125.05 | 80.8 | 1.4661 |
| 126 | 81.6 | 1.4157 |
| 127.02 | 82.6 | 1.8161 |
| 127.04 | 83.9 | 1.4728 |
| 129 | 80.6 | 1.6234 |
San Luis Obispo County is in the highest quintile of the Socioeconomic Index
The Society of Actuaries offers an intriguing webpage featuring data visualizations of mortality rates by socioeconomic category in the United States. I created a visualization highlighting that few counties in the U.S. match San Luis Obispo County’s high socioeconomic status. The data pertains to the year 2017. High socioeconomic status may be an important factor in explaining the high life expectancy in San Luis Obispo County.
Individual results may vary
Just because you live in a blue zone doesn’t magically increase your life expectancy, although it may have some influence. After all, living in a beautiful area with access to outdoor pursuits, clean air, and low stress may add years to your life.
Longevity is influenced by a combination of sex assigned at birth, genetics, lifestyle choices, healthcare access, socioeconomic status (see above), environmental factors, social connections, mental health, and public health policies. Genetic predisposition can determine susceptibility to certain diseases, while lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol use significantly impact health and lifespan.
Access to quality healthcare allows for early detection and treatment of illnesses, contributing to longer life. Socioeconomic factors, including income and education, provide resources for healthier living. Environmental quality, such as clean air and water, supports overall health. Strong social ties and mental well-being are crucial for a long, healthy life, and effective public health policies enhance population health outcomes.
Read also: The Economy Of San Luis Obispo County
