Hamilton County leads state in life expectancy

High incomes, community amenities & access to healthcare contribute to longer lives

From Riverview Health in partnership with Parkview Health

When it comes to living longer lives, no county in Indiana does it better than Hamilton County.

And it’s not just the best in the state, but also one of the best-performing counties in the U.S.

As a state leader in household income and public safety and with broad access to fitness opportunities, healthy food and high-quality healthcare, Hamilton County’s population is perennially the best at living to 75 years old and beyond.

“Doctors look at a tool called a survival curve, where if an individual makes numerous positive lifestyle choices, it’s amazing to watch them add up,” said Dr. Eric Marcotte, chief medical officer for Riverview Health. “But on the other end, if you’re not making healthy choices, you can see a 30-year drop in life expectancy.”

Best in state

Hamilton County ranks No. 1 in Indiana when looking at a life expectancy of 81.2 years, according to the national long-running County Health Rankings and Roadmaps database run by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Hamilton County is also the statewide leader in preventing “premature death,” defined as deaths occurring before age 75.

Hamilton County has a two-year lead over No. 2 Hendricks County, which has a life expectancy of 79.2 years and is significantly better than the statewide average of 75.6 years. Indy-metro neighbors Boone County (78.6 years), Hancock County (77.3), and Johnson County (76.9) are also within the highest third of the state.

Marion County, the state’s biggest county by population, is worse than the overall state average at 73.7 years of life expectancy, while Morgan County sits right near the statewide average at 75.5 years.

When thinking about life expectancy and premature death, Dr. Ashley Reinert, primary care physician with Riverview Health, said to think of the life arc in a couple of critical age periods.

The first major hurdle to get over is birth and early childhood. Infant mortality and infectious disease are the major threats in this age range, but Hamilton County has among the state’s highest childhood vaccination rates and good access to numerous primary care providers and quality hospitals.

Once a child hits 5 years old, the greatest risks of death through about age 40 are accidents, overdoses, suicide, and violence. Hamilton County excels in this age range as a very safe county. Public safety goes beyond police and fire but also includes community investments such as roundabouts, which help reduce traffic accidents.

After 40 years of age, potential life-threatening medical conditions start to come into play, and regular medical care and preventative screenings are key to extending life expectancy. As one example, Hamilton County is tied for best in the state for mammogram screening rate, according to County Health Rankings.

Socio-economic factors and healthy habits make impact

Looking at the arc of life expectancy, Marcotte pointed out that disease isn’t the biggest threat to individuals for a long period of their life.

“It’s interesting to note how little of this has to do with actual healthcare,” Marcotte said.

Living a long and healthy life takes a multi-faceted approach, a balancing act between positive health choices and risk factors. Eating well and exercising regularly doesn’t guarantee that any one person will live longer than someone who is overweight or someone who smokes regularly, but making more good choices than bad choices, on average, is likely to lead to better health for longer.

“The younger you start making healthy habits and the more you do, the higher chance you have of living to 85 to 95,” Reinart said. “The entire body is changed by those good habits, and the opposite is true as well.”

The socio-economic status of Hamilton County plays a role here, too. Hamilton County has long been No. 1 in Indiana in household income and educational attainment, and the greater financial firepower allows more families to invest in activities beneficial to their health such as eating healthier food; engaging in fitness, whether that’s joining and attending a gym or taking exercise classes; and keeping up with routine healthcare such as annual physicals, cancer screenings, or managing chronic conditions.

Public amenities like copious parks and walking trails promote physical activity and mental wellbeing, while bigger household incomes support a robust commercial sector with grocery stores, fitness centers, and entertainment options that are good for physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

Access to healthcare is also a boon for Hamilton County residents, Marcotte said. Riverview Health has invested in a large primary care network so that patients can find and see a doctor when they need one, as well as its high-quality county hospital located in Noblesville. But even for Hamilton County residents who don’t choose Riverview, most people live within about 10 miles of a hospital at one of five different health systems, which is important for emergencies like heart attack or stroke where time to treatment is a major factor leading to better outcomes, Marcotte said.

Good health is a marathon, not a sprint, Marcotte noted, and it’s never too late to make some changes that can have a long-range, compounding impact.

“Any improvement you make now matters, no matter how small,” Marcotte said. “One less cigarette every day makes an impact on your blood count and lung function. Changing from sugary soda to diet reduces your risk of diabetes. That five pounds you lose may make your knee feel so much better and then inspire you to be even more active.”

For a full report of health information and outcomes on Hamilton County, any other county or Indiana as a whole, visit countyhealthrankings.org.