First of all, this is not news.
Second of all, Blacks don’t live as long, and the proportion density in those deep south states is high.
And if you want proof: From AI
In Placer County, California, 1.3% of the population is Black or African American.
In Lexington County, South Carolina, 14.96% of the total population is Black or African American.
What totally discredits the author's theory is that Placer County has been strongly conservative and only very recently has been trending toward purple due to the influx of left-wing retirees from the San Francisco Bay Area.
It’s because they won’t stop killing each other.
The Atlantic is probably using AI to find counties with similar populations that support their narrative without excluding confounding factors.
What would be the results if only whites were compared from both counties?
You also might want to control for things like obesity which might be more prevalent among whites in SC than CA.
This is all done to denigrate white Southerners who typically vote Republican.
I think if you want to live longer it would be smarter to lose weight, exercise and change your diet than the prescription implied by the Atlantic to vote Democrat.
Also, Asians live longer, and a higher population of asians in California.
Placer County, California is about 9% Asian.
In Lexington, County, SC, about 2% Asian.