(Photo by Marion Michele/Unsplash)
Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties rank 1, 2 and 3 among California counties with the fewest premature deaths, and residents of all nine Bay Area counties have higher chances of living longer than the statewide average.

A premature death is defined as one occurring before the age of 75, and researchers measure longevity by figuring the number of years that are lost when death occurs before that age, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, which estimates the rates in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

According to the estimates, Marin County had the fewest years lost with 3,100 per 100,000 people. That was followed by San Mateo County at 3,500 and Santa Clara County at 3,600.

Here’s how the counties rank by the Years of Potential Life Lost measure.

1. Marin County — 3,1002. San Mateo County — 3,5003. Santa Clara County — 3,6004. San Francisco — 4,4005. Alameda County — 4,5006. Napa County — 4,5007. Contra Costa County — 4,6008. Contra Costa County — 4,6009. Solano County — 6,100 Statewide, the average number of years lost is 5,300 per 100,000 residents. The region with the highest number of years lost is Lake County, with 11,600 per 100,000 residents.

In a statement, Marin County’s public health officer, Dr. Matt Willis, said, “We have great access to green space and opportunities for physical activity, nutritious local foods, and high-quality health care. All of these things contribute to health and longevity.”

Source: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Keith Burbank is currently a fulltime reporter covering Alameda County and Oakland news for Bay City News. He has also worked on the Data Points project for Local News Matters, finding trends and stories about the region through data. In 2019, he was a California Fellow at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, producing a series about homeless deaths in Santa Clara County. He worked as a swing shift editor for the newswire for several years as well. Outside of journalism, Keith enjoys computer programming, math, economics and music.