Average life expectancy in Brooklyn is about 81 years, with neighborhood averages ranging from roughly 75 years to the late 80s. Brownsville, East New York, Coney Island, Bed-Stuy, South Williamsburg and Red Hook have lower life expectancies near 75 years. Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Downtown Brooklyn and Borough Park show residents living into their late 80s. Differences of up to 20 years can occur even between nearby blocks. Four main drivers of the gap are healthcare availability; individual habits such as diet and drug use; socioeconomic factors including poverty and racial disparities; and the built environment, including parks, food access and housing.
On average, Brooklynites clock in at about 81 years, but the spread between neighborhoods is staggering. At the bottom of the chart are Brownsville, East New York, Coney Island, Bed-Stuy, South Williamsburg and Red Hook, where life expectancy dips to around 75 years-nearly a decade below the borough average. By contrast, neighborhoods with higher access to healthcare, safer streets, and stronger community resources-think Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Downtown Brooklyn -tend to see residents living well into their late 80s.
So, what's behind the gap? It's less about artisanal coffee and more about access. The plan highlights four main drivers: healthcare availability, individual habits (diet and drug use), socioeconomic factors (poverty, racial disparities) and the built environment (parks, food access, housing). To put it simply, where you live can dictate whether you spend your golden years power-walking Prospect Park or stuck in the waiting room at Kings County.
The report doesn't pull punches: It calls the disparities "tragic and unacceptable" and points out that life expectancy can vary more than 20 years from block to block. "What neighborhood you call home shouldn't influence the opportunities you have access to, your safety or your health," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
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