Life expectancy for women in Iowa

Life expectancy at birth for women in Iowa was 80.4 years in 2021, according to the CDC. That is 15th among the 50 states and DC, and 1.1 years above the US figure of 79.3.

At birth, 202180.4

Rank of 5115th

vs US+1.1

The survival curve

Iowa 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 Iowa reach about 86, which is well above the 80.4 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 Iowa who has already reached one of these ages can expect more.

Age now	Years left, on average	Half reach
25	57.9	86
35	48.3	86
45	39.0	86
55	29.9	87
65	21.4	87
75	13.7	89

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

Now do yours

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

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Next on the list

13th North Dakota 80.5
13th Wisconsin 80.5
15th Iowa 80.4
16th Nebraska 80.3
17th Oregon 80.2

Men in Iowa: 75.2 years at birth, 5.2 years fewer.

Men in Iowa 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 Iowa's 2021 gap from the national figure to the Social Security 2023 life table. How the math works.