For many in America, life expectancy is dependent not only on how you care for yourself, but upon your wealth and where you live.

A new study published by the Health Inequality Project has collected data showing that the rich live significantly longer than the poor in the US.

The gap between the two is growing, with the wealthy living longer and poor communities seeing no growth in average life spans since 2000.

However, there seems to be hope in some cities like New York and Los Angeles where the poor are levelling with their middle-class counterparts.

Video by Olivia Lace-Evans