In Los Angeles County, your ZIP code is still a pretty good predictor of how long you are likely to live. A new countywide portrait finds a gap of more than 16 years in life expectancy between some neighborhoods, a stark divide that tracks closely with long-standing differences in wealth, education, and access to opportunity.
The report pegs countywide life expectancy at about 80.5 years, a drop of roughly 1.6 years since the prior portrait. At the top end, residents of Westwood average roughly 88.1 years. At the other extreme, people living in Sun Village in the Antelope Valley average about 71.8 years. Taken together, the numbers trace a county split between well-resourced coastal neighborhoods and inland communities facing concentrated health, education, and economic shortfalls.
How the report measures well-being
The portrait relies on the American Human Development Index, which combines three core measures into a single score from 0 to 10: life expectancy, educational attainment, and median personal earnings. That composite score makes it possible to compare neighborhoods on a level playing field and see where residents are faring better or worse overall.
Measure of America says this framework helps highlight where investments and services can have the greatest impact on well-being. Its county page and data tools provide Human Development Index scores for 106 cities and unincorporated areas, 35 City of Los Angeles community plan areas, and major demographic groups, according to Measure of America.
Big gaps, little progress
While the county’s overall Human Development Index inched up to 5.64, the life expectancy picture moved in the opposite direction. Countywide life expectancy slipped to about 80.5 years, and the gap between the longest and shortest living communities now tops 16 years, with Westwood at roughly 88.1 years and Sun Village at about 71.8.
Latino Angelenos experienced the steepest decline, with life expectancy dropping roughly 3.7 years, as reported by LAist. “The main reason for this anemic progress is COVID and the disproportionate impacts it had on different groups of Angelenos,” Kristen Lewis, director of Measure of America, said in coverage of the portrait.
Housing, wages, and health
Researchers point to the basic math of daily life as a major force behind these health disparities. The portrait estimates that in every L.A. County neighborhood, a resident earning the median personal income would need to work more than 40 hours a week to afford the median housing. In 31 neighborhoods, that calculation jumps to more than 80 hours a week.
The analysis also flags drug overdoses and cardiovascular disease as key contributors to recent declines in life expectancy. The report was produced in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health and supported by philanthropic funders including the James Irvine Foundation, Cedars-Sinai, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, according to Measure of America.
How local agencies might use the data
Measure of America researchers say they hope local officials and community organizations will use neighborhood Human Development Index scores to decide where to place programs and target public investment. Kalene Gilbert, a coordinator at the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, told LAist that the department used the 2017 portrait to decide where to pilot community school programs, a concrete example of the data shaping on-the-ground planning.
The portrait’s interactive portal lets residents and advocates explore Human Development Index and life expectancy estimates for specific neighborhoods, giving community groups a data-backed tool to press for targeted resources where the gaps are largest.
