State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

California - Mortality Statistics

206,761 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 47.6 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

206,761
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: −14%
vs national avg: 47.6
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

California's leading killer is heart disease at 142.9 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 14% below the national figure.

142.9
Heart disease /100K, leading: −14%
vs national avg rate: -27.3%
rate, 1999-2017: 206,761
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 06 · CDC WONDER 2017

California mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 47.6/100K DEATHS-MEGA 207K deaths RANK-QUIET #46/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 142.9 NAT-BELOW −14% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -27.3% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Colorado · ±0.3 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 206,761 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 47.6/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #46/51 · 14% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Colorado (+0.3/100K).

Neighbourhood around California's 47.6/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 168,787 deaths (81.6% of all deaths) in California.

1. Heart disease 62,797 (30.4%)

2. Cancer 59,516 (28.8%)

3. Stroke 16,355 (7.9%)

4. Alzheimer's disease 16,238 (7.9%)

5. CLRD 13,881 (6.7%)

All Causes of Death in California (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	62,797	30.4%	142.9
2	Cancer	59,516	28.8%	136.8
3	Stroke	16,355	7.9%	37.6
4	Alzheimer's disease	16,238	7.9%	37.1
5	CLRD	13,881	6.7%	32.2
6	Unintentional injuries	13,840	6.7%	33.2
7	Diabetes	9,595	4.6%	22.1
8	Influenza and pneumonia	6,340	3.1%	14.6
9	Suicide	4,312	2.1%	10.5
10	Kidney disease	3,887	1.9%	8.9

Mortality Trends Over Time

California - average age-adjusted death rate across all leading causes.

Show the full 19-year data table (deaths, rate, year-over-year change)

Year	Total Deaths	Avg Age-Adj Rate	Deaths YoY
1999	186,153	65.5	-
2000	184,789	63.9	-0.7%
2001	185,627	62.7	+0.5%
2002	189,105	62.5	+1.9%
2003	192,388	62.1	+1.7%
2004	185,881	59.1	-3.4%
2005	188,194	58.3	+1.2%
2006	187,124	57.0	-0.6%
2007	184,297	54.8	-1.5%
2008	184,292	53.4	-0.0%
2009	182,633	51.6	-0.9%
2010	183,002	50.7	+0.2%
2011	185,950	49.8	+1.6%
2012	186,472	48.5	+0.3%
2013	190,211	48.3	+2.0%
2014	189,112	46.6	-0.6%
2015	199,970	47.9	+5.7%
2016	202,300	47.5	+1.2%
2017	206,761	47.6	+2.2%

(Phase 2 - dim 5+6 connective signal). The card grid + this table used to show the SAME 3-5 neighbor states' SAME stats twice in a row -- merged into one section, the table absorbs the card grid's job since it already links each state name AND adds California's own row for direct comparison. -->

Nearby States & Comparisons

Compare mortality data with states bordering California (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
California (this state)	62,797	Heart disease	142.9
Arizona	12,398	Heart disease	141.9
Nevada	6,417	Heart disease	199.3
Oregon	8,083	Cancer	154.2

Compare leading causes of death in California →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for California in 2017. Border neighbors stay in the table above; these lists are nearest other jurisdictions on published age-adjusted rates.

Similar mean leading-cause rate

Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (47.6/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Colorado 47.9/100K Massachusetts 46.8/100K New York 46.6/100K Minnesota 46.5/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

Nearest jurisdictions by suicide age-adjusted rate, excluding the mean-rate peer set and bordering states.

Connecticut 10.5/100K Maryland 9.9/100K Illinois 11.2/100K Delaware 11.6/100K

Dig deeper into California's mortality data

All causes in California → Compare California →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in California? ▼

California recorded 62,797 deaths from Heart disease in 2017 (age-adjusted rate 142.9 per 100,000), the state's leading cause.

How many people died in California in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 206,761 recorded deaths in California across 10 tracked causes of death.

What are the top 3 causes of death in California? ▼

The top 3 causes of death in California (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (62,797 deaths), 2) Cancer (59,516 deaths), and 3) Stroke (16,355 deaths).

How does California's mortality rate compare to the national average? ▼

California's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 47.6 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

Has the death rate in California increased or decreased over time? ▼

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in California changed by 11.1%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 27.3%.

What years of mortality data are available for California? ▼

Mortality data for California is available from 1999 to 2017, covering 19 years of CDC WONDER data.

Where does California rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Out of 51 states tracked for Heart disease, California sits at #41, with an age-adjusted rate of 142.9 per 100,000 -- higher rank means a higher mortality rate.

Data source & methodology

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

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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, or report a data error. Data current as of 2017.