State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Iowa - Mortality Statistics

22,459 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 54.3 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

22,459
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: −2%
vs national avg: 54.3
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Iowa's leading killer is heart disease at 167.4 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 2% below the national figure.

167.4
Heart disease /100K, leading: −2%
vs national avg rate: -17.4%
rate, 1999-2017: 22,459
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 19 · CDC WONDER 2017

Iowa mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 54.3/100K DEATHS-MID 22K deaths RANK-MID #23/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 167.4 NAT-INLINE −2% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -17.4% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Montana · ±0.2 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 22,459 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 54.3/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #23/51 · 2% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Montana (-0.2/100K).

Neighbourhood around Iowa's 54.3/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 18,701 deaths (83.3% of all deaths) in Iowa.

1. Heart disease 7,180 (32.0%)

2. Cancer 6,449 (28.7%)

3. CLRD 1,939 (8.6%)

4. Alzheimer's disease 1,597 (7.1%)

5. Unintentional injuries 1,536 (6.8%)

All Causes of Death in Iowa (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	7,180	32.0%	167.4
2	Cancer	6,449	28.7%	158.0
3	CLRD	1,939	8.6%	46.5
4	Alzheimer's disease	1,597	7.1%	35.3
5	Unintentional injuries	1,536	6.8%	42.8
6	Stroke	1,416	6.3%	32.8
7	Diabetes	918	4.1%	22.8
8	Influenza and pneumonia	578	2.6%	13.2
9	Suicide	479	2.1%	15.0
10	Kidney disease	367	1.6%	8.8

Mortality Trends Over Time

Iowa - 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	23,131	65.7	-
2000	22,714	64.3	-1.8%
2001	22,448	63.0	-1.2%
2002	22,703	63.3	+1.1%
2003	22,467	62.2	-1.0%
2004	21,421	58.9	-4.7%
2005	21,985	60.0	+2.6%
2006	21,346	57.6	-2.9%
2007	21,166	56.4	-0.8%
2008	22,163	58.6	+4.7%
2009	21,200	55.8	-4.3%
2010	21,145	55.1	-0.3%
2011	21,425	55.1	+1.3%
2012	21,455	54.4	+0.1%
2013	21,803	54.7	+1.6%
2014	21,618	53.6	-0.8%
2015	22,095	54.2	+2.2%
2016	21,940	53.6	-0.7%
2017	22,459	54.3	+2.4%

(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 Iowa (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Iowa (this state)	7,180	Heart disease	167.4
Illinois	25,394	Heart disease	163.3
Minnesota	9,896	Cancer	146.8
Missouri	14,820	Heart disease	191.1
Nebraska	3,581	Heart disease	149.3
South Dakota	1,715	Cancer	156.9
Wisconsin	11,860	Heart disease	157.6

Compare leading causes of death in Iowa →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Iowa 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 (54.3/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Montana 54.1/100K Vermont 53.9/100K Texas 53.7/100K New Mexico 53.6/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Mississippi 15.0/100K Pennsylvania 15.0/100K Hawaii 15.2/100K Louisiana 15.2/100K

Dig deeper into Iowa's mortality data

All causes in Iowa → Compare Iowa →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Iowa? ▼

Iowa recorded 7,180 deaths from Heart disease in 2017 (age-adjusted rate 167.4 per 100,000), the state's leading cause.

How many people died in Iowa in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 22,459 recorded deaths in Iowa across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Iowa (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (7,180 deaths), 2) Cancer (6,449 deaths), and 3) CLRD (1,939 deaths).

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

Iowa's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 54.3 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Iowa changed by -2.9%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 17.4%.

What years of mortality data are available for Iowa? ▼

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

Where does Iowa rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Comparing all 51 tracked states on Heart disease, Iowa's age-adjusted rate of 167.4 per 100,000 puts it at rank #20.

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.