State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

North Carolina - Mortality Statistics

67,734 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 56.8 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

67,734
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: +2%
vs national avg: 56.8
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

North Carolina's leading killer is cancer at 157.1 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 2% above the national figure.

157.1
Cancer /100K, leading: +2%
vs national avg rate: -22.9%
rate, 1999-2017: 67,734
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 37 · CDC WONDER 2017

North Carolina mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 56.8/100K DEATHS-LARGE 68K deaths RANK-UPPER #17/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 157.1 NAT-INLINE +2% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -22.9% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Pennsylvania · ±0.1 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 67,734 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 56.8/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #17/51 · 2% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Pennsylvania (+0.1/100K).

Neighbourhood around North Carolina's 56.8/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 54,905 deaths (81.1% of all deaths) in North Carolina.

1. Cancer 19,474 (28.8%)

2. Heart disease 18,808 (27.8%)

3. Unintentional injuries 5,985 (8.8%)

4. CLRD 5,540 (8.2%)

5. Stroke 5,098 (7.5%)

All Causes of Death in North Carolina (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	19,474	28.8%	157.1
2	Heart disease	18,808	27.8%	156.5
3	Unintentional injuries	5,985	8.8%	56.3
4	CLRD	5,540	8.2%	45.3
5	Stroke	5,098	7.5%	43.0
6	Alzheimer's disease	4,289	6.3%	37.3
7	Diabetes	2,903	4.3%	23.6
8	Influenza and pneumonia	2,076	3.1%	17.5
9	Kidney disease	2,040	3.0%	17.1
10	Suicide	1,521	2.2%	14.3

Mortality Trends Over Time

North Carolina - 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	54,932	73.7	-
2000	56,522	74.9	+2.9%
2001	55,286	71.5	-2.2%
2002	55,855	70.8	+1.0%
2003	56,609	70.0	+1.3%
2004	55,307	66.9	-2.3%
2005	56,700	66.8	+2.5%
2006	56,305	63.9	-0.7%
2007	57,084	62.8	+1.4%
2008	57,732	61.7	+1.1%
2009	57,137	59.4	-1.0%
2010	57,777	58.8	+1.1%
2011	58,234	57.4	+0.8%
2012	59,388	56.7	+2.0%
2013	60,502	56.1	+1.9%
2014	62,166	56.1	+2.8%
2015	64,932	57.2	+4.4%
2016	65,751	56.5	+1.3%
2017	67,734	56.8	+3.0%

(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 North Carolina (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
North Carolina (this state)	19,474	Cancer	157.1
Georgia	18,389	Heart disease	175.8
South Carolina	10,418	Heart disease	172.0
Tennessee	16,019	Heart disease	202.2
Virginia	15,064	Cancer	152.6

Compare leading causes of death in North Carolina →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for North Carolina 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 (56.8/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Pennsylvania 56.9/100K Maine 56.6/100K Delaware 56.0/100K South Dakota 55.5/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Michigan 14.1/100K Florida 14.0/100K Nebraska 14.7/100K Minnesota 13.9/100K

Dig deeper into North Carolina's mortality data

All causes in North Carolina → Compare North Carolina →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in North Carolina? ▼

Cancer led North Carolina in 2017, with 19,474 deaths and an age-adjusted rate of 157.1 per 100,000 population.

How many people died in North Carolina in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 67,734 recorded deaths in North Carolina across 10 tracked causes of death.

What are the top 3 causes of death in North Carolina? ▼

The top 3 causes of death in North Carolina (2017) are: 1) Cancer (19,474 deaths), 2) Heart disease (18,808 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (5,985 deaths).

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

North Carolina's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 56.8 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in North Carolina changed by 23.3%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 22.9%.

What years of mortality data are available for North Carolina? ▼

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

Where does North Carolina rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

North Carolina ranks #21 out of 51 states for Cancer with an age-adjusted rate of 157.1 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.