If there is one thing we know about life expectancy in the US is that wealthy communities have long life expectancies and poor communities have shorter life expectancies. That is true even down to the neighborhood level, where in some cities life expectancy can differ by as much as 30 years between neighborhoods just a few miles apart. The connection between wealthy communities and health is virtually ironclad but researchers have found much greater variability among poorer areas, where some communities far exceed their peers in terms of health outcomes and length of life. Experts will tell you that “place matters” but they can’t tell you exactly why.

 In Season 3 of Century Lives, we hit the road, traveling from West Texas to the Bronx, visiting poor and working-class communities that defy the trends when it comes to healthy aging and life expectancy. In some ways, the communities have little in common – they are urban and rural; Black, White, and Latino – but they share attributes that have produced longer life and better health. Join us to learn the stories and secrets of these communities and what it means for making the gift of longer life more equitable and more widely available.

Tune in to “Century Lives: Place Matters” to hear more!