Utah · Retirement Income · Longevity Planning
Utah Life Expectancy at 65: How Long to Plan For (2026)
What the CDC's newest Utah life tables say about how long a 65-year-old man, woman or couple is likely to live, how Utah compares with the nation and across counties, and what that means for Social Security timing and savings withdrawals.
The bottom line
- A 65-year-old in Utah could expect about 19.0 more years in 2022: 18.2 for men and 19.8 for women (CDC).
- That is an average. About 53% of 65-year-old Utah women and 46% of men reach 85, and 28% of women reach 90.
- For a 65-year-old Utah couple, there is about a 44% chance at least one reaches 90 and about 14% that one reaches 95 (our arithmetic from the CDC table).
- Utah men at 65 outlive the national average by about 0.7 years; Utah women at 65 are 0.4 years below it.
- On a hypothetical $2,000 Social Security benefit, waiting from 62 to 70 pays off in total dollars after about age 80, an age most 65-year-old Utahns reach.
The short answer: plan for longer than "about 19 years." Life expectancy at 65 tells you the average, but a retirement plan has to work for the people who beat the average, and in Utah that is roughly half of everyone. The figures below come from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics state life tables for 2022, published in December 2025 and still the most recent state tables, plus county figures from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Everything about couples, Social Security and savings is our arithmetic on those published numbers.
How long does a 65-year-old in Utah live, on average?
Life expectancy at a given age is the average number of years still ahead for people who have already reached that age. It rises the older you get, because you have already survived the years in between.
Source: CDC/NCHS, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022, National Vital Statistics Reports vol. 74 no. 12, Tables UT-1 to UT-3 — cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-12.pdf (data files at ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/74-12/).
By 75, a Utahn could expect 11.5 more years, and by 85, 5.8 more. Utah's figure at 65 rose from 18.8 years in 2021 as pandemic-era death rates eased. Nationally, life expectancy at 65 kept climbing to 19.7 years in 2024, so the 2022 Utah numbers are, if anything, on the conservative side.
One more caution: these are period life tables. They assume today's 65-year-old faces the death rates of 2022's older population for the rest of their life. If health keeps improving, as it has over most decades, actual lifespans run longer than the table shows.
What are the odds of reaching 85, 90 or 95 in Utah?
This is the more useful question for income planning. The life table counts how many people out of 100,000 are still alive at each age; dividing by the number alive at 65 gives the share of 65-year-olds who reach each later birthday.
| Reaches age | Utah man, 65 | Utah woman, 65 | At least one of a 65-year-old couple | Both of the couple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 92% | 95% | 100% | 87% |
| 75 | 82% | 87% | 98% | 71% |
| 80 | 66% | 73% | 91% | 49% |
| 85 | 46% | 53% | 74% | 24% |
| 90 | 23% | 28% | 44% | 6% |
| 95 | 6% | 9% | 14% | 1% |
| 100 | 1% | 1% | 2% | 0% |
Our arithmetic from CDC/NCHS U.S. State Life Tables, 2022, Tables UT-2 (males) and UT-3 (females), number surviving to age x divided by number surviving to 65 — cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-12.pdf. Couple columns assume a man and a woman both 65 whose lifetimes are independent, a simplifying assumption. Not a prediction for any individual.
Same source and assumptions as the table above.
Read the couple column carefully. Even when each spouse alone is less likely than not to reach 90, the chance that one of the two does is close to a coin flip. A couple's savings, and the survivor's income, usually have to last until the second death, not the first.
Do Utahns live longer than the national average?
At 65, a little, and only because of Utah men.
| Life expectancy at 65, 2022 | Utah | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 19.0 | 18.9 | +0.1 |
| Men | 18.2 | 17.5 | +0.7 |
| Women | 19.8 | 20.2 | −0.4 |
| Women reaching 90 (from 65) | 28% | 33% | |
| Men reaching 90 (from 65) | 23% | 22% |
Sources: CDC/NCHS, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022 (Utah) — cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-12.pdf; CDC/NCHS, United States Life Tables, 2022, Tables 1-3 — cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-02.pdf. Differences and survival shares are our arithmetic.
So a Utah woman should not assume the state's healthy reputation buys her extra years beyond the national pattern. She still outlives a Utah man by about 1.6 years on average at 65, which is why survivor income is mostly a women's planning issue.
Does it matter where in Utah you live?
Yes. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services publishes life expectancy at birth by county, pooling five years of deaths. Life expectancy at birth is not the same as at 65, since it includes deaths at young ages, but it shows how much health differs across the state.
Source: Utah DHHS, IBIS-PH Health Indicator Report, Life expectancy at birth by county, Utah, 2019-2023 and U.S., 2022 — ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/view/LifeExpect.Cnty.html. Statewide: 79.4 years; U.S. 2022: 77.5. Selected counties shown; bars start at 70 years.
Summit County's 84.7 years and San Juan County's 73.3 years are more than a decade apart. Washington County, where many Utahns and newcomers retire, sits above the state at 81. Your own health history, smoking and family history matter far more than your ZIP code, but these numbers are a reminder that a single statewide average can be off for you.
What does life expectancy mean for claiming Social Security?
Social Security is the one income source most Utahns have that pays for life and rises with inflation, so the age you claim works like a longevity bet. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. Claiming at 62 cuts the monthly benefit 30%; waiting past 67 adds delayed retirement credits of 8% a year up to 70, according to SSA.
| Compare | Monthly benefit | Later claim catches up at about age | Utah 65-year-olds who reach 80 / 85 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 vs. 67 | $1,400 vs. $2,000 | 78.7 | Men 66% / 46% Women 73% / 53% |
| 62 vs. 70 | $1,400 vs. $2,480 | 80.4 | |
| 67 vs. 70 | $2,000 vs. $2,480 | 82.5 |
Illustrative only: a hypothetical $2,000 benefit at full retirement age 67. Reduction and credit rules from SSA — ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/1960-delay.html and ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/early_late.html. Catch-up ages are our arithmetic on total dollars received, ignoring taxes, investment returns and cost-of-living raises (which raise every claiming age by the same percentage). Survival shares from the CDC 2022 Utah life table.
The catch-up age for waiting from 62 to 70 is about 80, and roughly two-thirds or more of 65-year-old Utahns live past it. That does not make 70 right for everyone. Claiming earlier can make sense with serious health problems, no other income to bridge the gap, or a spouse whose own benefit is larger. For married couples, though, the higher earner's claiming age also sets the survivor benefit the other spouse keeps for life, and the couple table above shows how often that lasts into the 90s. Our Social Security claiming guide and survivor benefits guide go deeper.
How long should Utah retirees plan their savings to last?
Withdrawal rules of thumb, such as the 4% rule, were built around a 30-year retirement. From 65, that runs to 95, and the table above puts the chance that one member of a Utah couple gets there at about 14%. Planning to 95 may feel long for any one person, but it is a reasonable stress test for a couple. Here is a five-step way to use these numbers:
- Pick a planning age, not an average. Use at least 90 for a single person and 95 for a couple, then adjust for your own health and family history.
- Count your lifetime income first. Social Security, a URS or other pension, and any income annuity keep paying however long you live. Add them up against your basic budget. Our Utah retiree budget guide has the spending side.
- Check the survivor's income. When one spouse dies, the household loses the smaller Social Security check and may lose part of a pension, while many costs stay the same.
- Size withdrawals for the long case. A withdrawal rate that works to 85 can fail at 95. Our 4% rule guide explains the trade-offs.
- Consider insuring the tail. Delaying Social Security, a guaranteed income annuity, or a deferred income annuity bought inside an IRA (a QLAC) are three ways to move longevity risk off your savings. Each has costs and trade-offs; annuity guarantees depend on the insurer's claims-paying ability.
Bring your Social Security estimate, pension or annuity statements and a rough budget. We'll lay out which income lasts for life, what changes when one spouse dies, and how big the gap is in the long case, in plain English and with no pressure. Education, not financial advice. We do not offer every plan available in your area. By calling or texting, you agree we may contact you at the number you provide; reply STOP to opt out.
Talk to a planner →Frequently asked questions
What is the life expectancy of a 65-year-old in Utah?
About 19.0 more years, to roughly age 84, according to the CDC's 2022 life tables for Utah, the latest state tables published. It is 18.2 years for a 65-year-old man and 19.8 years for a 65-year-old woman. Life expectancy is an average, so about half of people live longer than it, and some live much longer.
What are the chances a 65-year-old Utahn lives to 90?
Using the CDC's 2022 Utah life table, about 23% of 65-year-old Utah men and 28% of 65-year-old Utah women live to 90. For a married couple who are both 65, the chance that at least one of them reaches 90 is about 44%, if you treat their lifetimes as independent. That is our arithmetic from the published table, not a prediction for any one person.
Do Utahns live longer than other Americans?
At 65, slightly. Utah's life expectancy at 65 was 19.0 years in 2022 against 18.9 nationally. The gap comes from men: Utah men at 65 could expect 18.2 more years against 17.5 nationally, while Utah women at 65 could expect 19.8 years, a little below the national 20.2. Life expectancy at birth also varies a lot by county, from 73.3 years in San Juan County to 84.7 in Summit County for 2019-2023 (Utah DHHS).
How should life expectancy affect when I claim Social Security?
For a worker with a full retirement age of 67, SSA cuts the benefit 30% at 62 and adds 8% a year in delayed credits up to 70. On a hypothetical $2,000 full-retirement benefit, the bigger checks from waiting until 70 catch up with claiming at 62 around age 80, before taxes, COLAs or investment returns. About 66% of 65-year-old Utah men and 73% of Utah women reach 80, so many people live past that crossover. Health, other income and a spouse's survivor benefit matter too.
How long should I plan for my retirement savings to last?
Many planners use a horizon well past average life expectancy, because running out of money at 92 is a bigger problem than having some left. For a 65-year-old Utah couple, the 2022 tables give about a 44% chance that at least one reaches 90 and about 14% that one reaches 95. Lifetime income such as Social Security, a pension or an annuity keeps paying however long you live, which is why it matters more the longer your plan has to run.
Sources
- CDC, National Center for Health Statistics — U.S. State Life Tables, 2022 (NVSR vol. 74 no. 12, December 4, 2025): cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-12.pdf
- CDC, NCHS — Utah life table data files, 2022 (UT1-UT3) and 2021: ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/74-12/; ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/73-07/
- CDC, NCHS — United States Life Tables, 2022 (NVSR vol. 74 no. 2): cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-02.pdf
- CDC, NCHS — United States Life Tables, 2024, Table 1 data file: ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/NVSR/75-05/Table01.xlsx
- Utah Department of Health and Human Services — IBIS-PH, Life expectancy at birth by county, 2019-2023: ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/view/LifeExpect.Cnty.html
- Social Security Administration — Delayed retirement credits (born 1960 or later): ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/1960-delay.html
- Social Security Administration — Early or late retirement calculator: ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/early_late.html
About this article. Written by the Utah Retirement Income Data Desk and reviewed by Brian Penner, Retirement income & long-term care planner. Educational only — not financial, tax, investment, medical or legal advice. Life expectancy figures are population averages from CDC and Utah DHHS tables and do not predict any individual's lifespan. Couple and Social Security figures are our own arithmetic on published data using simplifying assumptions; examples are hypothetical and are not quotes, projections or typical results. For your personal Social Security estimate, use a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Utah Retirement Income is a licensed independent insurance agency (NPN 16493717) and is not a government agency; we are not connected with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration, the CDC, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or any government program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area; please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program — in Utah, the Utah SHIP — to get information on all of your options. A $0-premium plan is not free; you still pay Part B premiums and cost-sharing. Annuities are insurance contracts, not bank deposits; they are not FDIC-insured, and guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. There are no guaranteed investment returns. If you call or text us, you consent to be contacted at the number you provide about your options; message and data rates may apply, and you can opt out at any time by replying STOP.