Fact-check · Sep 9, 2026 · Donald Trump
“Life expectancy that's almost three years shorter than Americans living in urban areas”
TRUE
What the record shows
Recent CDC/NCHS data shows rural-urban life expectancy gap of approximately 2.0 years for men ages 59-60 (2014-2020) and 0.6 years for women; overall gap varies by age, gender, and region.
Sources
- Decomposing Age-Adjusted Mortality Disparities in Urban and Rural US Counties
- RACIAL DISPARITIES IN RURAL-URBAN MORTALITY GAP IN THE UNITED STATES: A 24-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY
- The Urban-Rural Gap in Older Americans’ Healthy Life Expectancy - PMC
- Widening Rural–Urban Disparities in Life Expectancy, U.S., 1969–2009
- The Nature of the Rural-Urban Mortality Gap - ERS.USDA.gov
- Leading Causes of Death in Rural America | Rural Health | CDC
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