Money Can Buy a Longer Life—to a Point

December 30, 2024

a fruit bowl and oatmeal

(Wall Street Journal) – The rich get richer—and older. People with high salaries and net worth tend to live longer lives, research shows.

Once Americans make it to their late 50s, the wealthiest 10% live to a median age of around 86 years, roughly 14 years longer than the least wealthy 10%, according to a study published earlier this year in JAMA Internal Medicine.

People with more money can afford healthier food, more healthcare and homes in safer, less-polluted neighborhoods, says Kathryn Himmelstein, a co-author of the study and a medical director at the Boston Public Health Commission. (Read More)