A groundhog usually lives only a few years, but can sometimes make it to six years or more in the right conditions.

Quick Scoop

  • In the wild, most groundhogs live about 2–3 years.
  • Under good conditions outside captivity, many reach 4–5 years , and the upper limit is around 6 years.
  • In captivity (zoos, rehab centers, research facilities), they can live 10–14 years , thanks to steady food, no predators, and vet care.

Why their lifespan is short in the wild

  • Predators (foxes, coyotes, hawks, dogs) mainly threaten young groundhogs, which keeps average lifespans low.
  • Cars, pest control, and habitat changes also cut lives short around farms and suburbs.
  • Harsh winters and food scarcity matter less because groundhogs hibernate, but a poor summer can leave them too weak to make it through.

A quick real‑world example

  • Many famous “weather” groundhogs used for Groundhog Day live much longer than wild ones, because they are essentially captive animals with protection and care.

Bottom line: if you see a wild groundhog in your yard today, odds are it’s only a few years old and unlikely to live much beyond 5–6 years, while a well‑cared‑for captive groundhog can make it past 10.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.