State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017
Montana - Mortality Statistics
7,329 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 54.1 per 100,000.
Data updated 2017-12-31
- 7,329
- Deaths, 2017
- Heart disease
- Leading cause
- −3%
- vs national avg
- 54.1
- Avg age-adj /100K
Look up or compare states and causes
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.
Thin death-count book
What this means: 7,329 tracked deaths in 2017 put Montana in the lightest third of state volumes. Small absolute counts make year-to-year swings noisier; pair the rate with the multi-year chart below.
Thin-volume third (7,329 deaths in 2017). Rate comparisons matter more than raw counts; see /methodology#corpus-placement.
Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS), 2017. Age-adjusted rates allow fair comparison across states.
FIPS 30 · CDC WONDER 2017
Montana at a glance
2017: 7,329 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 54.1/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #24/51 · 3% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Iowa (+0.2/100K).
Montana in the thin-volume third
In 2017, CDC WONDER tallied 7,329 deaths in Montana across 10 tracked cause-of-death categories. Heart disease led the record with 2,164 deaths at an age-adjusted rate of 155.0 per 100,000, placing Montana at #30 of 51 states for this cause, where a higher rank corresponds to a higher rate. The top five causes accounted for 6,127 deaths (83.6% of the state total). Raw death volume sits in the lightest third; read rates alongside counts before comparing to large states.
Landing below the national figure puts the state in reasonably good aggregate standing, though it's still worth checking the trend below to confirm the gap is holding rather than narrowing.
Mean-rate neighbourhood around Montana
5 Causes That Lead Mortality Here
The five leading causes account for 6,127 deaths (83.6% of all deaths) in Montana.
Every Cause of Death Tracked in Montana, 2017
| # | Cause of death | Deaths | % of total | Age-adj /100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heart disease | 2,164 | 29.5% | 155.0 |
| 2 | Cancer | 2,145 | 29.3% | 152.6 |
| 3 | CLRD | 752 | 10.3% | 53.5 |
| 4 | Unintentional injuries | 579 | 7.9% | 50.2 |
| 5 | Stroke | 487 | 6.6% | 35.6 |
| 6 | Suicide | 311 | 4.2% | 28.9 |
| 7 | Diabetes | 292 | 4.0% | 21.6 |
| 8 | Alzheimer's disease | 285 | 3.9% | 20.9 |
| 9 | Influenza and pneumonia | 185 | 2.5% | 13.3 |
| 10 | Kidney disease | 129 | 1.8% | 9.2 |
Do the biggest causes also carry the highest rate in Montana?
10 causes of death in Montana plotted by total deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Death count and age-adjusted rate move together across Montana'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 Montana by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Heart disease, 2164 deaths, 155 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Cancer, 2145 deaths, 152.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. CLRD, 752 deaths, 53.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Unintentional injuries, 579 deaths, 50.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Stroke, 487 deaths, 35.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Suicide, 311 deaths, 28.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Diabetes, 292 deaths, 21.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alzheimer's disease, 285 deaths, 20.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Influenza and pneumonia, 185 deaths, 13.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kidney disease, 129 deaths, 9.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.
The Trend Line Behind This Data
Show the full 19-year data table (deaths, rate, year-over-year change)
| Year | Total Deaths | Avg Age-Adj Rate | Deaths YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 6,480 | 68.3 | - |
| 2000 | 6,379 | 66.4 | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 6,529 | 66.6 | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 6,633 | 66.5 | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 6,546 | 64.7 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 6,215 | 60.1 | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 6,517 | 61.6 | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 6,375 | 58.8 | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 6,459 | 58.0 | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 6,656 | 58.8 | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 6,433 | 55.7 | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 6,473 | 55.3 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 6,651 | 55.5 | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 6,435 | 52.3 | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 6,851 | 54.5 | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 6,810 | 52.9 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 7,182 | 54.6 | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 7,151 | 53.3 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 7,329 | 54.1 | +2.5% |
Nearby States & Comparisons
Compare mortality data with states bordering Montana (2017).
| State | Deaths (Top Cause) | Leading Cause | Age-Adj Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana (this state) | 2,164 | Heart disease | 155.0 |
| Idaho | 3,084 | Heart disease | 162.5 |
| North Dakota | 1,326 | Heart disease | 137.8 |
| South Dakota | 1,715 | Cancer | 156.9 |
| Wyoming | 1,001 | Heart disease | 148.9 |
States with similar CDC WONDER rates
Two non-border peer sets for Montana in 2017. Volume is thin, so peers are nearest on rates rather than counts. Border neighbors stay above.
States near this mean leading-cause rate
Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (54.1/100K here), excluding bordering states.
States near this 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.