US state life expectancy shows correlation with 2024 voting margins

A statistical analysis examining the relationship between state-level life expectancy and the political climate during the 2024 US presidential election shows a moderate negative correlation. Using the popular vote margin—calculated as the difference between Trump and Harris votes divided by the total votes—the study found that states with higher Republican vote margins tend to have lower life expectancies, while states with higher Democratic margins tend to have higher life expectancies.

The correlation coefficient is reported at r = -0.50, which is considered a moderate negative relationship. The study notes that this does not imply causality, as various factors such as average income, medical care availability, and occupational hazards contribute to differences in life expectancy. The data used for the analysis included 2024 presidential popular vote results from the Federal Election Commission and life expectancy tables from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).