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

The verdict

Kentucky's leading killer is heart disease at 195.9 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 22% above the national figure.

195.9
Heart disease /100K, leading: +22%
vs national avg rate: -17.4%
rate, 1999-2017: 35,247
total deaths, 2017

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 mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 67.6/100K DEATHS-MID 35K deaths RANK-HOT #5/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 195.9 NAT-WELL-ABOVE +22% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -17.4% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Alabama · ±0.3 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

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).

Neighbourhood around Kentucky's 67.6/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 29,282 deaths (83.1% of all deaths) in Kentucky.

1. Heart disease 10,343 (29.3%)

2. Cancer 10,145 (28.8%)

3. CLRD 3,480 (9.9%)

4. Unintentional injuries 3,264 (9.3%)

5. Stroke 2,050 (5.8%)

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

Mortality Trends Over Time

Kentucky - 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	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%

(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 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

Compare leading causes of death in Kentucky →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Kentucky 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 (67.6/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Alabama 67.3/100K Louisiana 66.1/100K Arkansas 69.2/100K Oklahoma 69.9/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Washington 16.9/100K South Carolina 16.3/100K Arizona 18.2/100K Vermont 18.3/100K

Dig deeper into Kentucky's mortality data

All causes in Kentucky → Compare Kentucky →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Kentucky? ▼

Heart disease led Kentucky in 2017, with 10,343 deaths and an age-adjusted rate of 195.9 per 100,000 population.

How many people died in Kentucky in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 35,247 recorded deaths in Kentucky across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Kentucky (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (10,343 deaths), 2) Cancer (10,145 deaths), and 3) CLRD (3,480 deaths).

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

Kentucky's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 67.6 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Kentucky changed by 10.1%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 17.4%.

What years of mortality data are available for Kentucky? ▼

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

Where does Kentucky rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Kentucky ranks #9 out of 51 states for Heart disease with an age-adjusted rate of 195.9 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.