State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

New Jersey - Mortality Statistics

54,747 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 48.7 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

54,747
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: −12%
vs national avg: 48.7
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

New Jersey's leading killer is heart disease at 162.3 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 12% below the national figure.

162.3
Heart disease /100K, leading: −12%
vs national avg rate: -28.0%
rate, 1999-2017: 54,747
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 34 · CDC WONDER 2017

New Jersey mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 48.7/100K DEATHS-LARGE 55K deaths RANK-QUIET #44/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 162.3 NAT-BELOW −12% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -28.0% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Colorado · ±0.8 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 54,747 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 48.7/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #44/51 · 12% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Colorado (-0.8/100K).

Neighbourhood around New Jersey's 48.7/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 46,287 deaths (84.5% of all deaths) in New Jersey.

1. Heart disease 18,840 (34.4%)

2. Cancer 16,264 (29.7%)

3. Unintentional injuries 4,482 (8.2%)

4. Stroke 3,474 (6.3%)

5. CLRD 3,227 (5.9%)

All Causes of Death in New Jersey (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	18,840	34.4%	162.3
2	Cancer	16,264	29.7%	144.6
3	Unintentional injuries	4,482	8.2%	47.3
4	Stroke	3,474	6.3%	30.2
5	CLRD	3,227	5.9%	28.6
6	Alzheimer's disease	2,829	5.2%	23.6
7	Diabetes	1,908	3.5%	16.9
8	Kidney disease	1,591	2.9%	13.9
9	Influenza and pneumonia	1,337	2.4%	11.7
10	Suicide	795	1.5%	8.3

Mortality Trends Over Time

New Jersey - 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	58,645	67.6	-
2000	59,253	67.5	+1.0%
2001	58,100	65.2	-1.9%
2002	58,079	64.4	-0.0%
2003	57,474	62.9	-1.0%
2004	55,017	59.7	-4.3%
2005	55,274	59.2	+0.5%
2006	53,296	56.3	-3.6%
2007	52,616	54.8	-1.3%
2008	52,754	54.0	+0.3%
2009	50,298	50.6	-4.7%
2010	51,942	51.6	+3.3%
2011	51,916	50.8	-0.1%
2012	51,640	49.6	-0.5%
2013	51,872	49.1	+0.4%
2014	51,891	48.3	0.0%
2015	52,716	48.5	+1.6%
2016	53,092	48.4	+0.7%
2017	54,747	48.7	+3.1%

(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 New Jersey (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
New Jersey (this state)	18,840	Heart disease	162.3
Delaware	2,085	Cancer	160.4
New York	44,092	Heart disease	171.2
Pennsylvania	32,312	Heart disease	176.0

Compare leading causes of death in New Jersey →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for New Jersey 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 (48.7/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Colorado 47.9/100K Maryland 49.6/100K California 47.6/100K Alaska 49.9/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Massachusetts 9.5/100K District of Columbia 6.6/100K Connecticut 10.5/100K Illinois 11.2/100K

Dig deeper into New Jersey's mortality data

All causes in New Jersey → Compare New Jersey →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in New Jersey? ▼

Of the 10 tracked categories, Heart disease claimed the most lives in New Jersey during 2017: 18,840 deaths, 162.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted.

How many people died in New Jersey in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 54,747 recorded deaths in New Jersey across 10 tracked causes of death.

What are the top 3 causes of death in New Jersey? ▼

The top 3 causes of death in New Jersey (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (18,840 deaths), 2) Cancer (16,264 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (4,482 deaths).

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

New Jersey's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 48.7 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in New Jersey changed by -6.6%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 28.0%.

What years of mortality data are available for New Jersey? ▼

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

Where does New Jersey rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

New Jersey ranks #24 out of 51 states for Heart disease with an age-adjusted rate of 162.3 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.