Life expectancy for women in the District of Columbia

Life expectancy at birth for women in the District of Columbia was 78.5 years in 2021, according to the CDC. That is 31st among the 50 states and DC, and 0.8 years below the US figure of 79.3.

At birth, 202178.5

Rank of 5131st

vs US−0.8

The survival curve

District of Columbia United States

Share of women still alive at each age, from birth. The orange dots mark the age half reach. This is our estimate, not a CDC table.

Half of women in the District of Columbia reach about 84, which is well above the 78.5 at the top of this page. Two things explain the difference. Deaths at young ages pull an average down further than they move the halfway mark. And the curve is built on the 2023 national table, while the published state figures are from 2021, a pandemic year when life expectancy was lower.

If you've already made it this far

Life expectancy at birth counts everyone, including those who die young. A woman in the District of Columbia who has already reached one of these ages can expect more.

Age now	Years left, on average	Half reach
25	56.1	84
35	46.6	84
45	37.3	85
55	28.4	85
65	20.1	86
75	12.6	88

Estimates for a woman with average habits. The quiz adjusts them for yours.

Now do yours

These are averages for women in the District of Columbia. The quiz adjusts for your age, smoking, exercise, and build, and hands you a tombstone.

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Next on the list

29th Kansas 78.7
30th Michigan 78.6
31st District of Columbia 78.5
32nd Arizona 78.3
32nd Texas 78.3

Men in the District of Columbia: 71.9 years at birth, 6.6 years fewer.

Men in District of Columbia All 51 ranked

Where the numbers come from

Life expectancy at birth, the rank, and the gap are from the CDC's U.S. State Life Tables, 2021 (National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 73, No. 7). The curve and the table by age are this site's estimates: they apply the District's 2021 gap from the national figure to the Social Security 2023 life table. How the math works.