State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Delaware - Mortality Statistics

6,902 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 56.0 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

6,902
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: +1%
vs national avg: 56.0
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Delaware's leading killer is cancer at 160.4 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 1% above the national figure.

160.4
Cancer /100K, leading: +1%
vs national avg rate: -20.5%
rate, 1999-2017: 6,902
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 10 · CDC WONDER 2017

Delaware mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 56.0/100K DEATHS-SMALL 6,902 RANK-UPPER #19/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 160.4 NAT-INLINE +1% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -20.5% 18y PHOTO-FINISH South Dakota · ±0.5 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 6,902 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 56.0/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #19/51 · 1% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: South Dakota (-0.5/100K).

Neighbourhood around Delaware's 56.0/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 5,780 deaths (83.7% of all deaths) in Delaware.

1. Cancer 2,085 (30.2%)

2. Heart disease 1,990 (28.8%)

3. Unintentional injuries 608 (8.8%)

4. Stroke 571 (8.3%)

5. CLRD 526 (7.6%)

All Causes of Death in Delaware (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	2,085	30.2%	160.4
2	Heart disease	1,990	28.8%	158.4
3	Unintentional injuries	608	8.8%	61.9
4	Stroke	571	8.3%	46.2
5	CLRD	526	7.6%	40.8
6	Alzheimer's disease	377	5.5%	30.6
7	Diabetes	244	3.5%	19.1
8	Kidney disease	205	3.0%	16.1
9	Influenza and pneumonia	184	2.7%	14.9
10	Suicide	112	1.6%	11.6

Mortality Trends Over Time

Delaware - 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	5,334	70.4	-
2000	5,378	70.0	+0.8%
2001	5,548	70.4	+3.2%
2002	5,288	65.4	-4.7%
2003	5,516	66.4	+4.3%
2004	5,562	65.1	+0.8%
2005	5,704	64.8	+2.6%
2006	5,464	60.0	-4.2%
2007	5,628	60.1	+3.0%
2008	5,732	59.4	+1.8%
2009	5,569	56.4	-2.8%
2010	5,703	56.7	+2.4%
2011	5,745	55.6	+0.7%
2012	5,762	54.2	+0.3%
2013	5,929	53.8	+2.9%
2014	6,084	53.7	+2.6%
2015	6,339	54.3	+4.2%
2016	6,655	55.5	+5.0%
2017	6,902	56.0	+3.7%

(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 Delaware (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Delaware (this state)	2,085	Cancer	160.4
Maryland	11,653	Heart disease	164.5
New Jersey	18,840	Heart disease	162.3
Pennsylvania	32,312	Heart disease	176.0

Compare leading causes of death in Delaware →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Delaware 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 (56.0/100K here), excluding bordering states.

South Dakota 55.5/100K Idaho 55.4/100K Maine 56.6/100K Kansas 55.3/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Rhode Island 11.8/100K Illinois 11.2/100K California 10.5/100K Connecticut 10.5/100K

Dig deeper into Delaware's mortality data

All causes in Delaware → Compare Delaware →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Delaware? ▼

Of the 10 tracked categories, Cancer claimed the most lives in Delaware during 2017: 2,085 deaths, 160.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted.

How many people died in Delaware in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 6,902 recorded deaths in Delaware across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Delaware (2017) are: 1) Cancer (2,085 deaths), 2) Heart disease (1,990 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (608 deaths).

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

Delaware's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 56.0 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Delaware changed by 29.4%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 20.5%.

What years of mortality data are available for Delaware? ▼

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

Where does Delaware rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

Delaware places #17 nationally (out of 51 states) for Cancer, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 160.4 per 100,000.

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.