The Neighborhood Lottery of Longevity

Where you live can add or subtract years from your life — and that gap is widening. In this episode, Lucas and Luna look at the growing disparity in life expectancy across U.S. neighborhoods, from a 20-year gap between two census tracts in Chicago to the broader economic consequences. They discuss how longevity inequality affects everything from Social Security solvency to insurance pricing, and why zip code now matters more than genetic code. Drawing on a 2024 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, they break down the mechanisms: healthcare access, environmental exposure, chronic stress, and the feedback loop of poverty and shorter lives. The episode explores how policymakers and employers are starting to respond, with place-based health interventions and adjusted retirement age proposals. A specific, data-driven look at one of the most consequential — and overlooked — economic divides in America. #LongevityInequality #LifeExpectancyGap #ZipCodeHealth #EconomicDivide #SocialSecurity #InsurancePricing #HealthcareAccess #EnvironmentalHealth #ChronicStress #NeighborhoodEffects #NBER #PublicHealth #Demographics #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #TheDemographicsPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo