Residents in a section of West Salem can expect to live 10 years longer than residents just five miles away in an area of Northeast Salem, according to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The study is the first-ever look at life expectancy broken down by census tract, which are typically "small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county" that contain an average of 4,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report released this month is based on Oregon death records and census bureau population estimates.

Highest life expectancy in West Salem, lowest in Northeast Salem

"It's less about what's happening with individuals, and more about saying which are the neighborhoods in which people are dying earlier than would be expected," said Dr. Katrina Hedberg, state epidemiologist and state health officer with the Oregon Health Authority.

"It really is a way to shine the light on the significant health disparity even in the United States," said Hedberg. "It's the idea that even within a state, even within a county, you can have census tracts that are that disparate."

Salem's highest average life expectancy can be found in West Salem, west of Brush College Road, where residents on average live to be nearly 83 years old.

This is above the average life expectancy for all Oregonians and across the U.S.: Oregonians live an average of 79.6 years, while the national average is 78.8 years.

Residents living in the area west of Interstate 5, between Silverton and Portland roads NE, live an average of just 72.4 years, for the lowest average life expectancy rate not only in Salem, but Marion County.

Life expectancy is strongly related to socioeconomic status.

The study states health determinants including income inequality, education, food insecurity, housing and transportation can all influence lifespan.

Hedberg said these types of issues affect residents at a higher rate in certain neighborhoods than they do in others.

Differences between Northeast, West Salem

According to the website Census Reporter, which uses census bureau data from 2016, around 44 percent of people in the Northeast Salem census tract are living below the poverty line, compared to 7 percent in the West Salem tract. West Salem residents also bring in a median household income of about $58,000.

West Salem is home to a predominantly white community followed by about a 15 percent Hispanic population.

About 94 percent of the West Salem tract residents have high school diplomas and about 40 percent have completed higher education.

There is a relatively even percentage of white and Hispanic backgrounds in the Northeast Salem census tract. The median household income is about $29,000, and although 68 percent of residents have a high school diploma, only about 5 percent pursued higher education.

Hedberg said there are health contributors that Salem should work to improve such as reducing opioid-related deaths, HIV infections, teen pregnancy and smoking rates.

"How can we support people, for example, to not smoke?" Hedberg said, noting that tobacco continues to be the primary risk behavior that leads to premature death in Oregon, followed by obesity and substance abuse. "Smoke-free rental housing would be one, so that people are supported in not smoking so they won't die of tobacco-related diseases."

Tobacco use is highly correlated with lung cancer and heart disease, regardless of socioeconomic status, Hedberg said.

Joyce Millen, associate professor of anthropology at Willamette University, said she's not surprised these gaps within neighborhoods exist, adding that disparities also can be linked to the criminal justice system.

"There are so many barriers to accessing employment with a criminal record," Millen said. "My understanding when it comes to penitentiaries is when people leave, because of our criminal justice system, it becomes extremely difficult to gain employment after."

Salem is home to four of the state's prisons, with room for about 3,500 inmates.

Anyone who doesn't have legal papers may also be hesitant to visit health centers.

"First and second generation migrant farm workers are trying to integrate and sometimes it's extremely difficult," Millen said. "It takes a few generations to establish themselves economically ... and it's next to impossible if you don't have a green card."

Oregon life expectancy trends

Marion County has a 79.5 year life expectancy, while Polk County is 80 years.

Women, on average, in Marion County are expected to live 81.7 years, while men are expected to live 77.2 years. In Polk County, women are expected to live an average of 81.8 years, and men live 78.2 years.

Marion County Highest: Tract 101, the Champoeg/French Prairie region, which has an average life expectancy of 86.8 years. Lowest: Tract 5.02, the area west of I-5 between Silverton Road and Portland Road NE, which has an average life expectancy of 72.4 years. Difference of nearly 15 years.

Polk County Highest: Tract 53, which includes Eola Hills, Spring Valley and Bald Hills, has a life expectancy of 84.3 years. Lowest: Tract 51, the area between Senate Street NW and Wallace Road NW in West Salem has a life expectancy of 72.1 years. Difference of over 10 years



In Oregon, the highest life expectancy is 89.1 years, in an area northwest of Portland that borders the southern section of Forest Park. The lowest life expectancy is in Medford at 66.2 years.

Hedberg said she was not surprised that life expectancy varied within the state of Oregon, but how much it varies.

"We tend to think that, 'Oh, everyone here has clean water, there's plenty of food, we've got the outdoors, the air is pretty clean,' and in fact, you see these pretty stark differences," she said.

The 23-year difference between the highest and the lowest life expectancy in the state is "huge," Hedberg said.

The study comes from a national report called the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project, a joint effort by the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The study shows estimated life expectancy at birth between 2010-2015. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality rates at the time of birth remain the same, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

The study is meant to be a wake-up call for local government and is meant to strike up a conversation so more people have the opportunity to live longer, according to Hedberg.

"There are bright, motivated people in this town," Millen said. "We can do better."