Does an electric water heater generally last longer ?
 

I was just cleaning up our laundry room, and wiped down the hot water heater .
It was here when I moved in 25 years ago, and sure was nowhere new back then.
I had to put an element in it one time, and had to clean out all the deposits at that time .
Our water is hard on stuff too ! Same deal at my parents house, I just replaced the water heater this summer. It was there when I bought the place 22 years ago . Never touched it once
Seems like we are getting 5-8 years out of the gas ones in the rentals

From my own experience, yes.
I moved into a house in 1991, the electric water heater was old but still working. I sold that house in 2015, same water heater, same elements. I tried to flush it once but the drain valve wouldn't budge.

The electric water heater in this house is now 9 years old. I flushed it once when I moved in, got a fair amount of stuff. The second time nothing, so I haven't flushed it since. Maybe I should do that again. I'm on a well but the water is excellent.

My mother moved into a condo in 1987 or 88, gas water heater, She had at least 4 between then and 2013. I found the last one when I checked on the house while she was in the nursing home.

The gas fired heaters back in the day lasted forever too. I think tank walls are just thin anymore. Planned obsolescence?

Elec. water heaters aren't popular out here and are seldom found in residential. Most homes have gas piped into them.

I make it a mission to have water heater changed out every 14 (if they go that long?)years no matter if its needed at all my rentals. ALmost all new heaters last 12-15 years I discovered. This is done to eliminate the dreaded phone call if I am out on vacation or something because it needs to be done asap. I do the same at my parents home as well. Iam not sure how much longer elec. heaters last. I reckon about the same?

Fred the gas water heaters you are replacing every 5-8 years what is wrong with them ? Are they leaking ? Is it the gas burner going bad ? I have considered replacing my electric with LP when it goes bad so am curious of the failure modes .

The 40 gallon gas heater in my house lasted 23 years.

If you replace the magnesium anode in the water heater every 5-7 years one can easily double the life of the heater. That along with a good flush. 40 bucks for a anode is money well spent.

My parents had a gas water heater last over 35 years.

When I was buying my first house the inspector found the water heater had just started leaking the day of final inspection, so I got a brand "free" new water heater for my house. It lasted the 26 years I owned the property. It started leaking the day of the inspection. The inspector said it was clear it had just started leaking. So it lasted 26 years. I think the water heaters just hated inspection.

It was right over the floor drain in the garage, so it would just flow down the drain if it leaked.

The AO Smith 40 gallon gas unit in our house is original, 20 years. Neighbors just replaced theirs at 21 years.

Depends on minerals in the water.....Expensive one in my new house only lasted 7 years.....My cabin is 20 miles away and been there since I built in 1987.......the difference: Every time I leave in the winter, I drain the one at the cabin...........Minerals promote rust is my theory.....

Don't think Electric or gas plays a part....

My gas WH is a least 30 yrs old. It ain't pretty but still working fine.

+100

Water heaters have become much more efficient, but also are built cheaper than in years past.

While I don't think this means they inherently have shorter lifespan, it means they will if they are maintained in the same manner, which is typically not at all.

Replacing the anode and flushing the tank 1-2x a year will add years if not decades to the lifespan and both are typically very easy.