clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Data Reveals Huge Life Expectancy Gap Among Philly Neighborhoods

How does your zip code fare?

Babies born in neighborhoods just five miles apart in Philly face up to a 20-year difference in life expectancy.

That's according to data released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Virginia Commonwealth University, which compared various life expectancies in different neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

The widest discrepancy was between North Philly (19132) and Society Hill (19106), where folks tend to live the longest. The average life expectancy in the 19132 zip code is 68 years. Over in 19106? 88 years.

The 20-year gap is one of the most dramatic that the researchers have seen in their ongoing project.

The report cites various reasons for the stark difference, some of which may seem obvious: Unsafe or unhealthy housing, lack of access to recreational activities, and education and income.

In total, the researchers looked at the life expectancies of 62 zip codes in Philly using U.S. Census Bureau data from 2003 to 2012. Chestnut Hill came in second, with 84 as its average life expectancy. In general, most Center City zip codes had higher rates, while North and West Philly neighborhoods fell somewhere in the middle and lower ranges.

Want to know how your zip code fared? You can read the whole list here.