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Cause of death · ICD-10 C00-C97 · 2017

Cancer - Death Rates by State

599,108 deaths in 2017 across 51 US states, with age-adjusted rates spanning 120.3-185.7 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

599,108
Deaths, 2017
155.0
Avg age-adj /100K
154.2
Median /100K
51
States + DC

Archive split · states

How 599,108 2017 deaths split by state

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Every state ranked by age-adjusted rate for Cancer.

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Rising long-run death count

What this means: National cancer deaths rose +9% from 1999 to 2017. The state ladder below shows where the burden concentrates.

Kentucky leads at 185.7/100K; Utah is lowest at 120.3/100K (1.5x gap).

Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS), 2017. Age-adjusted rates allow fair comparison across states.

Cancer in the higher-rate third

In 2017, CDC WONDER attributed 599,108 deaths to cancer (ICD-10 C00-C97). Mean state age-adjusted rate 155.0/100K places this cause in the higher-rate third of the leading-cause set.

The 65.4-point spread across 51 jurisdictions is age-adjusted to the year 2000 US standard population, so the gap between Kentucky and Utah is not an artifact of older populations alone. Chronic-disease gaps usually track upstream risk, preventive care access, and specialist reach rather than one shared treatment story.

National cancer deaths rose +9% from 1999 to 2017. Long-run national deaths are up 9% from 1999 to 2017; read that against the average state rate line below before treating count growth as worsening risk. These figures describe population-level mortality under ICD-10 C00-C97 and are not individual risk advice.

Mortality guides · Rank every state on cancer · Methodology

Top 5 States by Cancer Rate Horizontal bar chart of the top 5 items by value (per 100K). Top 5 States by Cancer Rate 1. Kentucky 185.7/100K 2. Mississippi 183.1/100K 3. West Virginia 179.4/100K 4. Oklahoma 177.3/100K 5. Louisiana 174.9/100K Source: CDC WONDER, 2017

States with Lowest Cancer Rates

Bottom 5

The five states with the lowest age-adjusted death rates for cancer in 2017.

1. Utah 120.3/100K (-22% vs avg)
2. Hawaii 128.6/100K (-17% vs avg)
3. Colorado 131.0/100K (-15% vs avg)
4. Arizona 135.8/100K (-12% vs avg)
5. Wyoming 136.1/100K (-12% vs avg)

These 5 states average 130.4/100K, 16% below the 155.0/100K national average. Source: CDC WONDER, 2017

How cancer mortality changed, 1999-2017

Between 1999 and 2017, US cancer deaths rose +9% from 549,838 to 599,108, while the average state age-adjusted rate fell −23% (201.5→155.0/100K).

140160180200220 1999200220052008201120142017 155
Average of all 51 state age-adjusted rates per year. Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS), 1999-2017.

The line tracks the average state age-adjusted rate (unweighted across states), not a single national rate. Count and rate moved in opposite directions: total deaths climbed (+9%) while the age-adjusted rate fell (−23%) - a sign that population growth and aging, not worsening risk, drove the rising toll.

Do more deaths mean a higher rate? Cancer, 2017

30 states plotted by total cancer deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate are only weakly related here (r=0.07) -- a state's raw death count is driven largely by its size, not necessarily by an elevated per-capita risk, and vice versa.

Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate are only weakly related here (r=0.07) -- a state's raw death count is driven largely by its size, not necessarily by an elevated per-capita risk, and vice versa. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Total deaths (X) and Age-adjusted rate (per 100,000) (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High count, high rateLow count, high rateHigh count, low rateLow count, low rate 010,00020,00030,000 150160170180190 Total deaths Age-adjusted rate (per 100,000)
Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate are only weakly related here (r=0.07) -- a state's raw death count is driven largely by its size, not necessarily by an elevated per-capita risk, and vice versa.

States by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Kentucky, 10145 deaths, 185.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Mississippi, 6526 deaths, 183.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. West Virginia, 4654 deaths, 179.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Oklahoma, 8203 deaths, 177.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Louisiana, 9513 deaths, 174.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Arkansas, 6517 deaths, 173.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Tennessee, 14302 deaths, 173.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Ohio, 25643 deaths, 171.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Maine, 3391 deaths, 170.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Indiana, 13462 deaths, 170 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alabama, 10410 deaths, 170 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Missouri, 12971 deaths, 167.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Vermont, 1434 deaths, 164.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. South Carolina, 10356 deaths, 162.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Michigan, 20671 deaths, 161.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Pennsylvania, 28387 deaths, 161 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Delaware, 2085 deaths, 160.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Iowa, 6449 deaths, 158 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Illinois, 24150 deaths, 157.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kansas, 5494 deaths, 157.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. North Carolina, 19474 deaths, 157.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. South Dakota, 1715 deaths, 156.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Nevada, 5283 deaths, 155.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Georgia, 17135 deaths, 154.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Rhode Island, 2154 deaths, 154.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Oregon, 8083 deaths, 154.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. New Hampshire, 2760 deaths, 153.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Wisconsin, 11318 deaths, 153.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Idaho, 3020 deaths, 153.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. District of Columbia, 1031 deaths, 152.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.

How the 51 states are spread on cancer

Kentucky (185.7) and Utah (120.3) sit at the extremes; the marker shows where the national average (155.0/100K) falls in the distribution.

Cancer age-adjusted rate distribution, 2017

All 51 states bucketed by rate, most cluster near the average, with a tail toward the high end

155.0 Lower than 45% lower than 45% of 51 states

120.0–129.0: 2 states (4%). Below this entry. 129.0–138.0: 4 states (8%). Below this entry. 138.0–147.0: 9 states (18%). Below this entry. 147.0–156.0: 14 states (27%). This entry sits in this band. 156.0–165.0: 10 states (20%). Above this entry. 165.0–174.0: 7 states (14%). Above this entry. 174.0–183.0: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. 183.0–192.0: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. US avg 120.0 192.0 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS) · 2017

All State Rankings - Cancer (2017)

# State Deaths Age-Adjusted vs Avg
1 Kentucky 10,145 185.7 +20%
2 Mississippi 6,526 183.1 +18%
3 West Virginia 4,654 179.4 +16%
4 Oklahoma 8,203 177.3 +14%
5 Louisiana 9,513 174.9 +13%
6 Arkansas 6,517 173.6 +12%
7 Tennessee 14,302 173.4 +12%
8 Ohio 25,643 171.2 +10%
9 Maine 3,391 170.8 +10%
10 Indiana 13,462 170.0 +10%
11 Alabama 10,410 170.0 +10%
12 Missouri 12,971 167.3 +8%
13 Vermont 1,434 164.5 +6%
14 South Carolina 10,356 162.7 +5%
15 Michigan 20,671 161.3 +4%
16 Pennsylvania 28,387 161.0 +4%
17 Delaware 2,085 160.4 +3%
18 Iowa 6,449 158.0 +2%
19 Illinois 24,150 157.9 +2%
20 Kansas 5,494 157.2 +1%
21 North Carolina 19,474 157.1 +1%
22 South Dakota 1,715 156.9 +1%
23 Nevada 5,283 155.3 +0%
24 Georgia 17,135 154.9 -0%
25 Rhode Island 2,154 154.2 -1%
26 Oregon 8,083 154.2 -1%
27 New Hampshire 2,760 153.5 -1%
28 Wisconsin 11,318 153.2 -1%
29 Idaho 3,020 153.2 -1%
30 District of Columbia 1,031 152.8 -1%
31 Virginia 15,064 152.6 -2%
32 Nebraska 3,502 152.6 -2%
33 Montana 2,145 152.6 -2%
34 Maryland 10,796 151.5 -2%
35 Massachusetts 12,934 149.3 -4%
36 Washington 12,664 148.4 -4%
37 Minnesota 9,896 146.8 -5%
38 Texas 40,668 146.5 -5%
39 Florida 45,131 145.9 -6%
40 New Jersey 16,264 144.6 -7%
41 North Dakota 1,280 142.6 -8%
42 New York 34,956 141.2 -9%
43 Connecticut 6,608 139.6 -10%
44 Alaska 926 139.2 -10%
45 New Mexico 3,620 138.3 -11%
46 California 59,516 136.8 -12%
47 Wyoming 948 136.1 -12%
48 Arizona 12,008 135.8 -12%
49 Colorado 7,829 131.0 -15%
50 Hawaii 2,456 128.6 -17%
51 Utah 3,161 120.3 -22%

Causes with similar national CDC WONDER totals

Two peer sets for Cancer. Volume is heavy, so peers are nearest on published counts and long-run change - not the fixed related-cause chrome.

Similar 2017 death count

Nearest leading causes by national death count (599,108 here).

Heart disease 647,457 Unintentional injuries 169,936 CLRD 160,201

Similar 1999→2017 death-count change

Nearest leading causes by long-run national death-count percent change, excluding the count-peer set.

Diabetes +22% Stroke -13% Influenza and pneumonia -13%

Rates are per 100,000 population. Age-adjusted rates use the year 2000 US standard population. ICD-10 code: C00-C97. Data covers 1999-2017. Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS). Methodology.

According to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, PlainHealthData's mortality figures are rendered directly from 9,690 official state-year-cause records (NCHS Leading Causes of Death for calendar years 1999-2017). June 2026 is when this portal last verified that frozen CDC file is intact; it is not a newer claims year. No figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our data changelog, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of 2017.