State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017
Kentucky - Mortality Statistics
35,247 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 67.6 per 100,000.
Data updated 2017-12-31
- 35,247
- Deaths, 2017
- Heart disease
- Leading cause
- +22%
- vs national avg
- 67.6
- 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.
Above national mean rate
What this means: Kentucky's mean age-adjusted rate runs 22% above the national figure (67.6 vs 55.5/100K). Few states post a gap this large above the national rate by chance -- it usually reflects a combination of higher chronic-disease prevalence, weaker healthcare access, and regional socioeconomic pressure working together.
Higher-rate third on mean age-adjusted leading causes (2017). Heart disease leads the 2017 file. 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 21 · CDC WONDER 2017
Kentucky: the mortality desk
2017: 35,247 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 67.6/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #5/51 · 22% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Alabama (-0.3/100K).
Kentucky in the higher-rate third
CDC WONDER's 2017 file shows 35,247 deaths across 10 tracked categories for Kentucky, with Heart disease topping the list at 10,343 deaths and an age-adjusted rate of 195.9 per 100,000 -- ranking the state at #9 of 51 states for this cause, where a higher rank corresponds to a higher rate. The five leading causes combined account for 83.1% of the total (29,282 deaths). Among jurisdictions with published CDC WONDER leading-cause files, that mean rate lands in the higher third.
Few states post a gap this large above the national rate by chance -- it usually reflects a combination of higher chronic-disease prevalence, weaker healthcare access, and regional socioeconomic pressure working together.
Mean-rate neighbourhood around Kentucky
Leading Causes of Death, Top 5
The five leading causes account for 29,282 deaths (83.1% of all deaths) in Kentucky.
All Causes of Death in Kentucky (2017)
| # | Cause of death | Deaths | % of total | Age-adj /100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heart disease | 10,343 | 29.3% | 195.9 |
| 2 | Cancer | 10,145 | 28.8% | 185.7 |
| 3 | CLRD | 3,480 | 9.9% | 64.5 |
| 4 | Unintentional injuries | 3,264 | 9.3% | 72.9 |
| 5 | Stroke | 2,050 | 5.8% | 39.4 |
| 6 | Alzheimer's disease | 1,765 | 5.0% | 35.0 |
| 7 | Diabetes | 1,474 | 4.2% | 27.7 |
| 8 | Kidney disease | 1,024 | 2.9% | 19.4 |
| 9 | Influenza and pneumonia | 932 | 2.6% | 18.1 |
| 10 | Suicide | 770 | 2.2% | 16.9 |
In Kentucky, does a high death count mean a high rate?
10 causes of death in Kentucky plotted by total deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Death count and age-adjusted rate move together across Kentucky'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 Kentucky by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Heart disease, 10343 deaths, 195.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Cancer, 10145 deaths, 185.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. CLRD, 3480 deaths, 64.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Unintentional injuries, 3264 deaths, 72.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Stroke, 2050 deaths, 39.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alzheimer's disease, 1765 deaths, 35 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Diabetes, 1474 deaths, 27.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kidney disease, 1024 deaths, 19.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Influenza and pneumonia, 932 deaths, 18.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Suicide, 770 deaths, 16.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.
Mortality Trends Over Time
Show the full 19-year data table (deaths, rate, year-over-year change)
| Year | Total Deaths | Avg Age-Adj Rate | Deaths YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 32,004 | 81.7 | - |
| 2000 | 32,174 | 81.3 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 32,459 | 81.1 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 33,046 | 81.9 | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 32,606 | 79.8 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 31,017 | 74.9 | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 32,271 | 76.4 | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 31,562 | 73.1 | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 31,582 | 71.9 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 32,185 | 71.9 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 31,922 | 70.1 | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 32,324 | 70.2 | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 32,664 | 69.5 | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 33,248 | 69.4 | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 33,006 | 67.5 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 33,572 | 67.5 | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 34,625 | 68.4 | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 35,504 | 69.2 | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 35,247 | 67.5 | -0.7% |
Nearby States & Comparisons
Compare mortality data with states bordering Kentucky (2017).
| State | Deaths (Top Cause) | Leading Cause | Age-Adj Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky (this state) | 10,343 | Heart disease | 195.9 |
| Illinois | 25,394 | Heart disease | 163.3 |
| Indiana | 14,445 | Heart disease | 183.2 |
| Missouri | 14,820 | Heart disease | 191.1 |
| Ohio | 28,008 | Heart disease | 186.2 |
| Tennessee | 16,019 | Heart disease | 202.2 |
| Virginia | 15,064 | Cancer | 152.6 |
| West Virginia | 4,849 | Heart disease | 192.0 |
States with similar CDC WONDER rates
Two non-border peer sets for Kentucky in 2017, drawn from the higher-rate third's nearest neighbors on published age-adjusted rates. Border neighbors stay in the table above.
Peer states by mean leading-cause rate
Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (67.6/100K 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.