Reader Discovers Your Zip Code's Life Expentancy

We at Anthem Opinions...love to get emails, and once in a while, we find them so interesting, we want to share them with the community.

Here's one we got one from a valued reader, Shep Rose..

...and to Shep....thanks for sharing !

What's in a Zip Code...You'd be Surprised!

by

 Shep Rose

(former Federal Judge...and current Sun City Anthem Resident)

Sun City Anthem,Henderson is a senior community lying in two zip codes:

89052...which abuts zip code 89183, and zip code 89044 which lies south of both zip codes.

Zip code 89183 is northwest of Henderson Executive Airport and St.Rose Parkway.

It has the highest life expectancy of any  Clark County zip code studied. 

... 87 years!!

However, the article in Thursday’s Las Vegas Review Journal, March 5, 2015, Nevada section,”B”, on pages 1B and 6B, by Steven Moore, entitled “Strip life is a blast-as long as it lasts”, got my attention, and I in turn made an attempt to contact him regarding his findings.

I got his voicemail,and asked: The article  does not mention Zip Codes 89052 or 89044. 

Was life expectancy studied for these zip codes?

The article cites a map released Wednesday by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Healthy,and cites this Center’s associate director for research ,Derek Chapman.

I searched online:

This Center has published extensive prior research in Alameda County,California, comparing

..affluent high income communities with most families having: jobs, medical insurance and primary provider doctors...

.. as compared with:

"skid row”zip codes where the majority of residents have no well-paying jobs, no primary providers, no health insurance.....I might add: no jobs,are heavy smokers, alcoholics.

These have lower life expectancy !

SURPRISE?? 

I found online contact information for:

Derek Chapman phone:804-628-4033, DAChapman@VCU.EDU

I got his voice mail,and I asked if zip codes 89044 and 89052 life expectancy had been researched?

BUT...in reviewing the zip codes researched in the article, a senior 55+ community, Sun City Summerlin, which lies in zip code 89134, is listed!

Zip code 89134 has a life expectancy of 83 years !

All of zip codes 89052, 89044,(Sun City Anthem), and 89134 (Summerlin) and 89183 have not only school age children populations and public schools...

...both elements lacking in 55+ senior communities.

To expand the thought: According to

http://www.55places.com/

...there are twelve (12) senior 55+ communities in Clark County,Nevada.

I have found life expectancies not only for zip code 89134 in which zip code lies Sun City Summerlin,

life expectancy: 83 years...

but also:

Siena,LV,  89135 life expectancy: 81 years

Solera at Stallion Mountain, 89122 life expectancy: 77 years

Promenade at the Meadows, 89107 life expectancy: 77 years

Rancho Las Brisas, 89147 life expectancy: 82 years
.

The other  senior 55+ communities in Clark County lie in zip codes not mentioned in the article.

They are:

Sun City MacDonald Ranch, zip code 89012

Sun City Aliante, zip code 89084

Solera at Anthem, zip code 89044

Los Prados, zip code: 89130

Ardiente, zip code: 89081

The Club at Madiera Canyon, zip code 89044.

Comments and feedbacks welcomed on my tentative conclusion:

Senior 55+communities have higher median age than the communities surrounding them in the same zip code.

Furthermore, as stated in the article, senior community residents have: steady income, health insurance, primary providers, etc.

Higher median age brings with it morbidity and mortality associated with advanced age.

________________________

It was just learned that Mr. Rose just received a response from the above referenced Dr. Derek Chapman.  We'll print that tomorrow.

Stay tuned !