Average age of death
Average age of death is a measure of the quality of health and life in a community. A number of factors contribute to average age of death including economic status and educational attainment, access to quality health care, individual health behaviors, exposure to violence and crime, traffic safety conditions, and general rates of disease. Overall health and age of death may also be impacted by characteristics of the built environment such as exposure to environmental hazards, lack of access to healthy food, and few opportunities for safe physical activity.
In 2018-2019, there were 12,565 deaths in Mecklenburg County and the average age of death was 72. In general, average age of death is increasing, though at a neighborhood scale, average age of death may vary greatly over short periods of time.
As of 2019, the estimated life expectancy in Mecklenburg County is 80.4 years, compared to 78.3 years in North Carolina and 78.8 years in the United States. Chronic diseases- such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, COPD and Alzheimer's disease are the leading causes of death in Mecklenburg County and across the nation. Unintentional injury is the third leading cause of death nationally and in Mecklenburg County.
Sum of age at time of death for all deaths divided by total number of deaths.
These data are cumulative for the previous 24 months. Areas with fewer than 5 deaths are suppressed and shown as N/A.
Source: Mecklenburg County Health Department
| Resource | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|
| Health Statistics and Epidemiology | A comprehensive look at key indicators of public health and how our community is working to promote health for all. |
| County Health Rankings: Premature Death | Compare years of potential life lost in Mecklenburg County to other counties in the nation, along with a variety of other health indicators. |
| Mortality in the U.S. | Stats on causes of death for the nation. |