Do Your Income and Debt Levels Affect the Length of Your Life? This Map Suggests So.
Kate Scanlon /
Do your income and debt levels play a role in the length of your life?
Researchers at Debt.com were curious after seeing previous academic research that shows the negative impact of debt on both mental and physical health.
They analyzed the correlation between the crude mortality rate (deaths per 100,000 people) and the median annual income in each state. According to their methodology, there is a correlation between the two.
For example, West Virginia has the highest mortality rate and the second-lowest income rate. Vermont ranks twentieth in both median income and mortality rate. Alaska has the lowest mortality rate in the country and one of the highest median income levels.
See how your state ranks here:
| State | Mortality rank | Income rank | State | Mortality rank | Income rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 | 46 | Montana | 12 | 41 |
| Alaska | 50 | 5 | Nebraska | 27 | 27 |
| Arizona | 40 | 29 | Nevada | 38 | 24 |
| Arkansas | 3 | 48 | New Hampshire | 30 | 10 |
| California | 47 | 7 | New Jersey | 34 | 2 |
| Colorado | 48 | 11 | New Mexico | 32 | 43 |
| Connecticut | 29 | 1 | New York | 39 | 9 |
| Delaware | 25 | 15 | North Carolina | 26 | 35 |
| Florida | 18 | 31 | North Dakota | 24 | 17 |
| Georgia | 43 | 26 | Ohio | 9 | 34 |
| Hawaii | 44 | 8 | Oklahoma | 7 | 40 |
| Idaho | 36 | 45 | Oregon | 23 | 28 |
| Illinois | 33 | 14 | Pennsylvania | 6 | 20 |
| Indiana | 19 | 37 | Rhode Island | 17 | 16 |
| Iowa | 13 | 30 | South Carolina | 16 | 44 |
| Kansas | 21 | 23 | South Dakota | 28 | 33 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 47 | Tennessee | 10 | 42 |
| Louisiana | 14 | 39 | Texas | 46 | 19 |
| Maine | 5 | 38 | Utah | 49 | 18 |
| Maryland | 37 | 3 | Vermont | 20 | 21 |
| Massachusetts | 31 | 4 | Virginia | 41 | 6 |
| Michigan | 15 | 32 | Washington | 45 | 13 |
| Minnesota | 42 | 12 | West Virginia | 1 | 49 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 50 | Wisconsin | 22 | 25 |
| Missouri | 11 | 36 | Wyoming | 35 | 22 |
The researchers have also compiled this interactive map that shows the correlation:
The researchers used mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and median income data from the Census Bureau, both from 2013.
The researchers cite a recent Pew Charitable Trusts report which shows that less than half of American households have saved the equivalent of a month’s salary in the event that they lose their job. The Pew study also shows that many Americans aren’t living within their means – spending as much or more than their monthly income – and eight percent are “debt-challenged,” with debt payments totaling 41 percent of their income.
The researchers say that one doesn’t have to “get technical” to see that the stress brought on by debt inhibits one’s quality of life.
They note that the adage “correlation does not imply causation” is worth keeping in mind, but “we’re pretty sure that debt isn’t good for your health.”
Salim Furth, the senior policy analyst in Macroeconomics at The Heritage Foundation, said that the correlation between income and mortality points to the “benefits of prosperity.”
“A wealthier society is also a healthier and older one,” said Furth.
Curtis Dubay, a research fellow in the Institute for Economic Freedom and Opportunity at The Heritage Foundation, agreed.
“Being wealthier cures lots of ills,” said Dubay.