Life Expectancy by Socioeconomic Status and Race

The racial disparity in life expectancy not only persists across the socioeconomic spectrum, but is largest in areas with highest SES.  The chart is highlighting the gap in life expectancy between the Black and White populations living in ZIP codes with low, medium, and high SES. For White non-Latinos, life expectancy in the high SES ZIP codes is 8 years longer than in the low SES ZIP codes (81 vs. 73 years).   For  Black non-Latinos, that longer life expectancy is only 3 years (72 vs. 69 years). The gap in life expectancy in low SES ZIP codes is 4 years, compared to 9 years in high SES ZIP codes. The protective factors offered by higher socioeconomic status that lead to longer lives for White non-Latinos do not seem to offer as much of a benefit for Black non-Latinos.