State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Massachusetts - Mortality Statistics

40,574 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 46.8 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

40,574
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: −16%
vs national avg: 46.8
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Massachusetts's leading killer is cancer at 149.3 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 16% below the national figure.

149.3
Cancer /100K, leading: −16%
vs national avg rate: -26.1%
rate, 1999-2017: 40,574
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 25 · CDC WONDER 2017

Massachusetts mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 46.8/100K DEATHS-MID 41K deaths RANK-QUIET #47/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 149.3 NAT-BELOW −16% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -26.1% 18y PHOTO-FINISH New York · ±0.2 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 40,574 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 46.8/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #47/51 · 16% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: New York (-0.2/100K).

Neighbourhood around Massachusetts's 46.8/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 34,104 deaths (84.1% of all deaths) in Massachusetts.

1. Cancer 12,934 (31.9%)

2. Heart disease 12,140 (29.9%)

3. Unintentional injuries 3,821 (9.4%)

4. CLRD 2,842 (7.0%)

5. Stroke 2,367 (5.8%)

All Causes of Death in Massachusetts (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	12,934	31.9%	149.3
2	Heart disease	12,140	29.9%	134.7
3	Unintentional injuries	3,821	9.4%	51.5
4	CLRD	2,842	7.0%	32.5
5	Stroke	2,367	5.8%	26.5
6	Alzheimer's disease	1,841	4.5%	19.9
7	Influenza and pneumonia	1,433	3.5%	15.9
8	Diabetes	1,321	3.3%	15.1
9	Kidney disease	1,193	2.9%	13.4
10	Suicide	682	1.7%	9.5

Mortality Trends Over Time

Massachusetts - 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	43,435	63.3	-
2000	43,782	63.1	+0.8%
2001	43,103	61.6	-1.6%
2002	43,180	61.1	+0.2%
2003	42,549	59.5	-1.5%
2004	40,991	56.9	-3.7%
2005	40,727	56.0	-0.6%
2006	40,281	54.8	-1.1%
2007	39,348	52.8	-2.3%
2008	39,576	52.2	+0.6%
2009	38,502	50.2	-2.7%
2010	38,066	48.9	-1.1%
2011	38,197	48.2	+0.3%
2012	37,595	46.6	-1.6%
2013	38,425	46.8	+2.2%
2014	38,408	46.1	-0.0%
2015	39,963	47.4	+4.0%
2016	39,608	46.7	-0.9%
2017	40,574	46.8	+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 Massachusetts (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Massachusetts (this state)	12,934	Cancer	149.3
Connecticut	7,138	Heart disease	141.6
New Hampshire	2,760	Cancer	153.5
New York	44,092	Heart disease	171.2
Rhode Island	2,339	Heart disease	155.7
Vermont	1,434	Cancer	164.5

Compare leading causes of death in Massachusetts →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Massachusetts 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 (46.8/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Minnesota 46.5/100K California 47.6/100K Colorado 47.9/100K New Jersey 48.7/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Maryland 9.9/100K Illinois 11.2/100K Delaware 11.6/100K District of Columbia 6.6/100K

Dig deeper into Massachusetts's mortality data

All causes in Massachusetts → Compare Massachusetts →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Massachusetts? ▼

Massachusetts recorded 12,934 deaths from Cancer in 2017 (age-adjusted rate 149.3 per 100,000), the state's leading cause.

How many people died in Massachusetts in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 40,574 recorded deaths in Massachusetts across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Massachusetts (2017) are: 1) Cancer (12,934 deaths), 2) Heart disease (12,140 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (3,821 deaths).

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

Massachusetts's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 46.8 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Massachusetts changed by -6.6%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 26.1%.

What years of mortality data are available for Massachusetts? ▼

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

Where does Massachusetts rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

Out of 51 states tracked for Cancer, Massachusetts sits at #35, with an age-adjusted rate of 149.3 per 100,000 -- higher rank means a higher mortality 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.