State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Colorado - Mortality Statistics

27,626 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 47.9 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

27,626
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: −14%
vs national avg: 47.9
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Colorado's leading killer is cancer at 131.0 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 14% below the national figure.

131.0
Cancer /100K, leading: −14%
vs national avg rate: -22.0%
rate, 1999-2017: 27,626
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 08 · CDC WONDER 2017

Colorado mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 47.9/100K DEATHS-MID 28K deaths RANK-QUIET #45/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 131.0 NAT-BELOW −14% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -22.0% 18y PHOTO-FINISH California · ±0.3 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 27,626 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 47.9/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #45/51 · 14% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: California (-0.3/100K).

Neighbourhood around Colorado's 47.9/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 22,518 deaths (81.5% of all deaths) in Colorado.

1. Cancer 7,829 (28.3%)

2. Heart disease 7,060 (25.6%)

3. Unintentional injuries 3,037 (11.0%)

4. CLRD 2,604 (9.4%)

5. Stroke 1,988 (7.2%)

All Causes of Death in Colorado (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	7,829	28.3%	131.0
2	Heart disease	7,060	25.6%	122.7
3	Unintentional injuries	3,037	11.0%	53.6
4	CLRD	2,604	9.4%	45.6
5	Stroke	1,988	7.2%	35.8
6	Alzheimer's disease	1,830	6.6%	34.2
7	Suicide	1,181	4.3%	20.3
8	Diabetes	1,017	3.7%	17.2
9	Influenza and pneumonia	577	2.1%	10.1
10	Kidney disease	503	1.8%	8.9

Mortality Trends Over Time

Colorado - 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	20,618	61.4	-
2000	20,426	59.5	-0.9%
2001	21,101	59.7	+3.3%
2002	21,893	60.5	+3.8%
2003	22,020	59.4	+0.6%
2004	21,070	55.2	-4.3%
2005	21,915	55.8	+4.0%
2006	21,606	52.9	-1.4%
2007	22,047	52.2	+2.0%
2008	22,846	52.4	+3.6%
2009	22,936	50.8	+0.4%
2010	22,881	49.7	-0.2%
2011	23,393	48.7	+2.2%
2012	23,959	48.1	+2.4%
2013	24,287	47.1	+1.4%
2014	25,418	47.9	+4.7%
2015	26,480	48.3	+4.2%
2016	27,552	49.0	+4.0%
2017	27,626	47.9	+0.3%

(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 Colorado (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Colorado (this state)	7,829	Cancer	131.0
Arizona	12,398	Heart disease	141.9
Kansas	5,723	Heart disease	158.0
Nebraska	3,581	Heart disease	149.3
New Mexico	3,896	Heart disease	151.4
Oklahoma	10,772	Heart disease	237.2
Utah	3,749	Heart disease	150.2
Wyoming	1,001	Heart disease	148.9

Compare leading causes of death in Colorado →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Colorado 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 (47.9/100K here), excluding bordering states.

California 47.6/100K New Jersey 48.7/100K Massachusetts 46.8/100K New York 46.6/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Nevada 20.3/100K North Dakota 20.1/100K Arkansas 20.8/100K West Virginia 21.1/100K

Dig deeper into Colorado's mortality data

All causes in Colorado → Compare Colorado →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Colorado? ▼

Of the 10 tracked categories, Cancer claimed the most lives in Colorado during 2017: 7,829 deaths, 131.0 per 100,000 age-adjusted.

How many people died in Colorado in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 27,626 recorded deaths in Colorado across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Colorado (2017) are: 1) Cancer (7,829 deaths), 2) Heart disease (7,060 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (3,037 deaths).

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

Colorado's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 47.9 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Colorado changed by 34.0%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 22.0%.

What years of mortality data are available for Colorado? ▼

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

Where does Colorado rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

Colorado ranks #49 out of 51 states for Cancer with an age-adjusted rate of 131.0 per 100,000 (higher rank = higher 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.