New data released from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed that Marin County -- a famous bastion of Bay Area liberalism -- had the longest life expectancy of any U.S. county for men, at 81.6 years, and the second-longest for women, at 85.1 years.
"The people in Marin decided to live healthier, and they are getting their reward for their lifestyle," Dr. Ali Mokdad, whose team prepared the report, told the San Jose Mercury News.
In parts of the southeastern U.S., however, the odds of living to a ripe old age aren't quite so bright. Two counties in Mississippi -- Quitman and Tunica -- are among the five shortest life expectancies for both genders, as is West Virginia's McDowell County.
In Quitman and Tunica counties in Mississippi, the life expectancy of men is just 66.1 years.
Across the nation, life expectancy in 2009 ranged from 66.1 to 81.6 years for men and 73.5 to 85.8 years for women, according to the study.
Women live longest in Collier County in Florida: 85.8 years on average.
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