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
Explore this data your own way
Side-by-side state comparisons and cause lookups use the same CDC NCHS figures shown on this page. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Lower mean age-adjusted rate
What this means: Colorado sits in the bottom third by mean age-adjusted rate (47.9/100K; corpus #45 of 51). A below-average state-level rate indicates relatively better mortality outcomes in aggregate, though individual causes within the state may still exceed national benchmarks and warrant separate examination.
Lower-rate third on mean age-adjusted leading causes (2017). Cancer still leads locally. Rates are CDC WONDER age-adjusted; see /methodology#corpus-placement.
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: the mortality desk
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).
Colorado in the lower-rate third
Across 10 tracked cause-of-death categories, CDC WONDER logged 27,626 deaths in Colorado during 2017. Cancer led with 7,829 deaths (131.0 per 100,000, age-adjusted), putting the state at #49 of 51 states for this cause, where a higher rank corresponds to a higher rate nationally. The five biggest causes account for 22,518 deaths, or 81.5% of the state total. That mean rate lands in the lower third of the 2017 corpus.
A below-average state-level rate indicates relatively better mortality outcomes in aggregate, though individual causes within the state may still exceed national benchmarks and warrant separate examination.
Mean-rate neighbourhood around Colorado
Leading Causes of Death, Top 5
The five leading causes account for 22,518 deaths (81.5% of all deaths) in Colorado.
Every Cause of Death Tracked 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 |
Deaths vs. rate: how Colorado's causes line up
10 causes of death in Colorado plotted by total deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Death count and age-adjusted rate move together across Colorado's causes (r=1.00) -- the causes with the most deaths here also tend to carry the highest per-capita rate.
Causes of death in Colorado by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Cancer, 7829 deaths, 131 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Heart disease, 7060 deaths, 122.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Unintentional injuries, 3037 deaths, 53.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. CLRD, 2604 deaths, 45.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Stroke, 1988 deaths, 35.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alzheimer's disease, 1830 deaths, 34.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Suicide, 1181 deaths, 20.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Diabetes, 1017 deaths, 17.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Influenza and pneumonia, 577 deaths, 10.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kidney disease, 503 deaths, 8.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.
Mortality, Year by Year
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% |
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 |
States with similar CDC WONDER rates
Two non-border peer sets for Colorado in 2017, drawn from the lower-rate third's nearest neighbors on published age-adjusted rates. Border neighbors stay in the table above.
Closest match: mean leading-cause rate
Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (47.9/100K here), excluding bordering states.
Peer states by suicide rate (X60-X84)
Nearest jurisdictions by suicide age-adjusted rate, excluding the mean-rate peer set and bordering states.
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, our data changelog, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of 2017.