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Cause of death · ICD-10 X60-X84 · 2017

Suicide - Death Rates by State

47,173 deaths in 2017 across 51 US states, with age-adjusted rates spanning 6.6-28.9 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

47,173
Deaths, 2017
16.5
Avg age-adj /100K
16.3
Median /100K
51
States + DC

Archive split · states

How 47,173 2017 deaths split by state

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Every state ranked by age-adjusted rate for Suicide.

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Thinner national death count

What this means: 47,173 US deaths in 2017 put Suicide in the lightest third of leading-cause volumes (corpus #10 of 10). Even lower-rate causes still show a wide state spread.

Montana leads at 28.9/100K; District of Columbia is lowest at 6.6/100K (4.4x gap).

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

Suicide in the lower-rate third

In 2017, CDC WONDER attributed 47,173 deaths to suicide (ICD-10 X60-X84). Mean state age-adjusted rate 16.5/100K places this cause in the lower-rate third of the leading-cause set.

The 22.3-point spread across 51 jurisdictions is age-adjusted to the year 2000 US standard population, so the gap between Montana and District of Columbia is not an artifact of older populations alone. Injury and behavioral causes reflect emergency response, substance-use patterns, rurality, and local conditions more than a single clinical pathway.

47,173 US deaths in 2017 put Suicide in the lightest third of leading-cause volumes (corpus #10 of 10). Long-run national deaths are up 62% 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 X60-X84 and are not individual risk advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), free and confidential, 24/7.

Mortality guides · Rank every state on suicide · Methodology

Top 5 States by Suicide Rate Horizontal bar chart of the top 5 items by value (per 100K). Top 5 States by Suicide Rate 1. Montana 28.9/100K 2. Alaska 27.0/100K 3. Wyoming 26.9/100K 4. New Mexico 23.3/100K 5. Idaho 23.2/100K Source: CDC WONDER, 2017

States with Lowest Suicide Rates

Bottom 5

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

1. District of Columbia 6.6/100K (-60% vs avg)
2. New York 8.1/100K (-51% vs avg)
3. New Jersey 8.3/100K (-50% vs avg)
4. Massachusetts 9.5/100K (-42% vs avg)
5. Maryland 9.9/100K (-40% vs avg)

These 5 states average 8.5/100K, 49% below the 16.5/100K national average. Source: CDC WONDER, 2017

How suicide mortality changed, 1999-2017

Between 1999 and 2017, US suicide deaths rose +62% from 29,199 to 47,173, while the average state age-adjusted rate rose +40% (11.8→16.5/100K).

1012141618 1999200220052008201120142017 16.5
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.

Do more deaths mean a higher rate? Suicide, 2017

30 states plotted by total suicide deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate move together here (r=-0.54) -- states with the highest counts also tend to carry the highest per-capita risk.

Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate move together here (r=-0.54) -- states with the highest counts also tend to carry the highest per-capita risk. 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 05001,0001,5002,0002,500 1015202530 Total deaths Age-adjusted rate (per 100,000)
Total deaths and the age-adjusted rate move together here (r=-0.54) -- states with the highest counts also tend to carry the highest per-capita risk.

States by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Montana, 311 deaths, 28.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alaska, 200 deaths, 27 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Wyoming, 157 deaths, 26.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. New Mexico, 491 deaths, 23.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Idaho, 392 deaths, 23.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Utah, 663 deaths, 22.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. South Dakota, 191 deaths, 22.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. West Virginia, 393 deaths, 21.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Arkansas, 631 deaths, 20.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Nevada, 627 deaths, 20.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Colorado, 1181 deaths, 20.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. North Dakota, 154 deaths, 20.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Oklahoma, 756 deaths, 19.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kansas, 553 deaths, 19.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Oregon, 825 deaths, 19 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. New Hampshire, 265 deaths, 18.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Maine, 274 deaths, 18.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Missouri, 1151 deaths, 18.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Vermont, 112 deaths, 18.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Arizona, 1327 deaths, 18.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Washington, 1297 deaths, 16.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kentucky, 770 deaths, 16.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Tennessee, 1166 deaths, 16.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alabama, 836 deaths, 16.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. South Carolina, 838 deaths, 16.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Indiana, 1092 deaths, 16.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Wisconsin, 926 deaths, 15.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Louisiana, 720 deaths, 15.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Hawaii, 227 deaths, 15.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Pennsylvania, 2030 deaths, 15 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.

How the 51 states are spread on suicide

Montana (28.9) and District of Columbia (6.6) sit at the extremes; the marker shows where the national average (16.5/100K) falls in the distribution.

Suicide age-adjusted rate distribution, 2017

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

16.5 Lower than 47% lower than 47% of 51 states

6.0–9.0: 3 states (6%). Below this entry. 9.0–12.0: 7 states (14%). Below this entry. 12.0–15.0: 9 states (18%). Below this entry. 15.0–18.0: 12 states (24%). This entry sits in this band. 18.0–21.0: 12 states (24%). Above this entry. 21.0–24.0: 5 states (10%). Above this entry. 24.0–27.0: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. 27.0–30.0: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. US avg 6.0 30.0 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 - Suicide (2017)

# State Deaths Age-Adjusted vs Avg
1 Montana 311 28.9 +75%
2 Alaska 200 27.0 +64%
3 Wyoming 157 26.9 +63%
4 New Mexico 491 23.3 +41%
5 Idaho 392 23.2 +41%
6 Utah 663 22.7 +38%
7 South Dakota 191 22.5 +36%
8 West Virginia 393 21.1 +28%
9 Arkansas 631 20.8 +26%
10 Nevada 627 20.3 +23%
11 Colorado 1,181 20.3 +23%
12 North Dakota 154 20.1 +22%
13 Oklahoma 756 19.1 +16%
14 Kansas 553 19.1 +16%
15 Oregon 825 19.0 +15%
16 New Hampshire 265 18.9 +14%
17 Maine 274 18.9 +14%
18 Missouri 1,151 18.5 +12%
19 Vermont 112 18.3 +11%
20 Arizona 1,327 18.2 +10%
21 Washington 1,297 16.9 +2%
22 Kentucky 770 16.9 +2%
23 Tennessee 1,166 16.8 +2%
24 Alabama 836 16.6 +1%
25 South Carolina 838 16.3 -1%
26 Indiana 1,092 16.3 -1%
27 Wisconsin 926 15.4 -7%
28 Louisiana 720 15.2 -8%
29 Hawaii 227 15.2 -8%
30 Pennsylvania 2,030 15.0 -9%
31 Mississippi 445 15.0 -9%
32 Iowa 479 15.0 -9%
33 Ohio 1,740 14.8 -10%
34 Nebraska 275 14.7 -11%
35 North Carolina 1,521 14.3 -13%
36 Michigan 1,457 14.1 -15%
37 Florida 3,227 14.0 -15%
38 Minnesota 783 13.9 -16%
39 Georgia 1,451 13.6 -18%
40 Virginia 1,179 13.4 -19%
41 Texas 3,778 13.4 -19%
42 Rhode Island 129 11.8 -29%
43 Delaware 112 11.6 -30%
44 Illinois 1,474 11.2 -32%
45 Connecticut 405 10.5 -36%
46 California 4,312 10.5 -36%
47 Maryland 630 9.9 -40%
48 Massachusetts 682 9.5 -42%
49 New Jersey 795 8.3 -50%
50 New York 1,696 8.1 -51%
51 District of Columbia 47 6.6 -60%

Causes with similar national CDC WONDER totals

Two peer sets for Suicide. Volume is thinner, so peers are nearest on published counts and long-run change rather than rank chrome.

Similar 2017 death count

Nearest leading causes by national death count (47,173 here).

Kidney disease 50,633 Influenza and pneumonia 55,672 Diabetes 83,564

Similar 1999→2017 death-count change

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

Unintentional injuries +74% CLRD +29% Cancer +9%

Rates are per 100,000 population. Age-adjusted rates use the year 2000 US standard population. ICD-10 code: X60-X84. Data covers 1999-2017. Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS). Methodology.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), free and confidential, 24/7.

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.