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Cause of death · ICD-10 E10-E14 · 2017

Diabetes - Death Rates by State

83,564 deaths in 2017 across 51 US states, with age-adjusted rates spanning 14.5-34.0 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

83,564
Deaths, 2017
22.0
Avg age-adj /100K
21.2
Median /100K
51
States + DC

Archive split · states

How 83,564 2017 deaths split by state

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Every state ranked by age-adjusted rate for Diabetes.

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Rising long-run death count

What this means: National diabetes deaths rose +22% from 1999 to 2017.

West Virginia leads at 34.0/100K; Connecticut is lowest at 14.5/100K (2.3x gap).

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

Diabetes with a rising death count

In 2017, CDC WONDER attributed 83,564 deaths to diabetes (ICD-10 E10-E14), with mean state rate 22.0/100K.

The 19.5-point spread across 51 jurisdictions is age-adjusted to the year 2000 US standard population, so the gap between West Virginia and Connecticut 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 diabetes deaths rose +22% from 1999 to 2017. Long-run national deaths are up 22% 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 E10-E14 and are not individual risk advice.

Mortality guides · Rank every state on diabetes · Methodology

Top 5 States by Diabetes Rate Horizontal bar chart of the top 5 items by value (per 100K). Top 5 States by Diabetes Rate 1. West Virginia 34.0/100K 2. Mississippi 33.3/100K 3. Arkansas 32.4/100K 4. Oklahoma 30.6/100K 5. Kentucky 27.7/100K Source: CDC WONDER, 2017

States with Lowest Diabetes Rates

Bottom 5

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

1. Connecticut 14.5/100K (-34% vs avg)
2. Massachusetts 15.1/100K (-31% vs avg)
3. Hawaii 15.9/100K (-28% vs avg)
4. New York 16.8/100K (-24% vs avg)
5. New Jersey 16.9/100K (-23% vs avg)

These 5 states average 15.8/100K, 28% below the 22.0/100K national average. Source: CDC WONDER, 2017

How diabetes mortality changed, 1999-2017

Between 1999 and 2017, US diabetes deaths rose +22% from 68,399 to 83,564, while the average state age-adjusted rate fell −14% (25.6→22.0/100K).

2022242628 1999200220052008201120142017 22
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 (+22%) while the age-adjusted rate fell (−14%) - a sign that population growth and aging, not worsening risk, drove the rising toll.

Do more deaths mean a higher rate? Diabetes, 2017

30 states plotted by total diabetes deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate are only weakly related here (r=-0.23) -- 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=-0.23) -- 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 05,00010,00015,000 1520253035 Total deaths Age-adjusted rate (per 100,000)
Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate are only weakly related here (r=-0.23) -- 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: West Virginia, 864 deaths, 34 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Mississippi, 1164 deaths, 33.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Arkansas, 1180 deaths, 32.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Oklahoma, 1398 deaths, 30.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kentucky, 1474 deaths, 27.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Indiana, 2096 deaths, 26.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. New Mexico, 673 deaths, 26.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Ohio, 3740 deaths, 25.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kansas, 874 deaths, 25.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Nebraska, 575 deaths, 25 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. South Dakota, 263 deaths, 24.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. South Carolina, 1535 deaths, 24.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Tennessee, 1915 deaths, 24 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Oregon, 1243 deaths, 23.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Louisiana, 1272 deaths, 23.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Arizona, 2054 deaths, 23.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. North Carolina, 2903 deaths, 23.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Utah, 596 deaths, 22.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Iowa, 918 deaths, 22.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Michigan, 2798 deaths, 22.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. California, 9595 deaths, 22.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. North Dakota, 194 deaths, 21.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Washington, 1812 deaths, 21.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Montana, 292 deaths, 21.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Georgia, 2348 deaths, 21.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Texas, 5832 deaths, 21.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Pennsylvania, 3704 deaths, 21.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Missouri, 1605 deaths, 21 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Maryland, 1439 deaths, 20.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Idaho, 394 deaths, 20.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.

How the 51 states are spread on diabetes

West Virginia (34.0) and Connecticut (14.5) sit at the extremes; the marker shows where the national average (22.0/100K) falls in the distribution.

Diabetes age-adjusted rate distribution, 2017

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

22.0 Lower than 41% lower than 41% of 51 states

14.0–17.0: 5 states (10%). Below this entry. 17.0–20.0: 13 states (25%). Below this entry. 20.0–23.0: 16 states (31%). This entry sits in this band. 23.0–26.0: 10 states (20%). Above this entry. 26.0–29.0: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. 29.0–32.0: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. 32.0–35.0: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. 35.0–38.0: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. US avg 14.0 38.0 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 - Diabetes (2017)

# State Deaths Age-Adjusted vs Avg
1 West Virginia 864 34.0 +55%
2 Mississippi 1,164 33.3 +51%
3 Arkansas 1,180 32.4 +47%
4 Oklahoma 1,398 30.6 +39%
5 Kentucky 1,474 27.7 +26%
6 Indiana 2,096 26.6 +21%
7 New Mexico 673 26.5 +20%
8 Ohio 3,740 25.2 +15%
9 Kansas 874 25.2 +15%
10 Nebraska 575 25.0 +14%
11 South Dakota 263 24.9 +13%
12 South Carolina 1,535 24.5 +11%
13 Tennessee 1,915 24.0 +9%
14 Oregon 1,243 23.9 +9%
15 Louisiana 1,272 23.9 +9%
16 Arizona 2,054 23.7 +8%
17 North Carolina 2,903 23.6 +7%
18 Utah 596 22.9 +4%
19 Iowa 918 22.8 +4%
20 Michigan 2,798 22.1 +0%
21 California 9,595 22.1 +0%
22 North Dakota 194 21.8 -1%
23 Washington 1,812 21.6 -2%
24 Montana 292 21.6 -2%
25 Georgia 2,348 21.5 -2%
26 Texas 5,832 21.2 -4%
27 Pennsylvania 3,704 21.1 -4%
28 Missouri 1,605 21.0 -5%
29 Maryland 1,439 20.3 -8%
30 Idaho 394 20.3 -8%
31 Florida 6,172 20.2 -8%
32 Virginia 1,967 20.1 -9%
33 District of Columbia 138 20.1 -9%
34 Maine 395 19.8 -10%
35 Alabama 1,173 19.8 -10%
36 Wisconsin 1,433 19.4 -12%
37 Minnesota 1,312 19.3 -12%
38 Alaska 130 19.3 -12%
39 Vermont 163 19.2 -13%
40 New Hampshire 340 19.2 -13%
41 Illinois 2,927 19.2 -13%
42 Delaware 244 19.1 -13%
43 Rhode Island 275 18.8 -15%
44 Nevada 609 18.3 -17%
45 Wyoming 121 18.1 -18%
46 Colorado 1,017 17.2 -22%
47 New Jersey 1,908 16.9 -23%
48 New York 4,176 16.8 -24%
49 Hawaii 299 15.9 -28%
50 Massachusetts 1,321 15.1 -31%
51 Connecticut 694 14.5 -34%

Causes with similar national CDC WONDER totals

Two peer sets for Diabetes: nearest other chapters on published national death counts and long-run change.

Similar 2017 death count

Nearest leading causes by national death count (83,564 here).

Influenza and pneumonia 55,672 Kidney disease 50,633 Suicide 47,173

Similar 1999→2017 death-count change

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

CLRD +29% Cancer +9% Heart disease -11%

Rates are per 100,000 population. Age-adjusted rates use the year 2000 US standard population. ICD-10 code: E10-E14. 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.