Question 23 of 24
How dangerous is your neighbourhood?
Pick one to continue — the dead don't get to skip homework.
Your ZIP code is doing math on you
💀 A grim little fact
Where you live can be worth decades. Within a single city, life expectancy can swing 20 to 30 years between neighbourhoods a short drive apart. Chicago is the poster child: a baby born in the Loop can expect around 88 years, but a 15-minute drive to West Garfield Park drops that to about 70. Washington, D.C. and New York City each have gaps of more than 27 years.
It isn't the air itself — it's what clusters by postcode: access to healthy food, steady jobs, medical care, safe housing, and how much everyday danger is around.
Up to a ~30-year life-expectancy gap between neighbourhoods in one city.
🔮 Myth vs. Morty
Myth: "It's just where I sleep — it doesn't affect my health." Geography turns out to be destiny's very efficient assistant. Your address quietly shapes your stress, your diet, your commute, how fast an ambulance reaches you, and your odds of an unlucky encounter. Morty, for the record, logs a lot of overtime in certain postcodes.
Sources: NYU Langone City Health Dashboard; RWJF; Time (ZIP-code life expectancy) · Entertainment only — not medical advice.