State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Tennessee - Mortality Statistics

52,331 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 66.4 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

52,331
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: +20%
vs national avg: 66.4
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Tennessee's leading killer is heart disease at 202.2 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 20% above the national figure.

202.2
Heart disease /100K, leading: +20%
vs national avg rate: -15.5%
rate, 1999-2017: 52,331
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 47 · CDC WONDER 2017

Tennessee mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 66.4/100K DEATHS-LARGE 52K deaths RANK-HOT #7/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 202.2 NAT-WELL-ABOVE +20% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -15.5% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Louisiana · ±0.3 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 52,331 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 66.4/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #7/51 · 20% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Louisiana (-0.3/100K).

Neighbourhood around Tennessee's 66.4/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 42,935 deaths (82.0% of all deaths) in Tennessee.

1. Heart disease 16,019 (30.6%)

2. Cancer 14,302 (27.3%)

3. CLRD 4,657 (8.9%)

4. Unintentional injuries 4,435 (8.5%)

5. Alzheimer's disease 3,522 (6.7%)

All Causes of Death in Tennessee (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	16,019	30.6%	202.2
2	Cancer	14,302	27.3%	173.4
3	CLRD	4,657	8.9%	57.4
4	Unintentional injuries	4,435	8.5%	63.0
5	Alzheimer's disease	3,522	6.7%	46.7
6	Stroke	3,519	6.7%	45.0
7	Diabetes	1,915	3.7%	24.0
8	Influenza and pneumonia	1,656	3.2%	21.3
9	Suicide	1,166	2.2%	16.8
10	Kidney disease	1,140	2.2%	14.4

Mortality Trends Over Time

Tennessee - 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	43,120	78.6	-
2000	43,991	79.3	+2.0%
2001	43,450	77.1	-1.2%
2002	44,601	78.3	+2.6%
2003	45,060	78.0	+1.0%
2004	43,987	74.9	-2.4%
2005	44,972	75.0	+2.2%
2006	44,394	71.8	-1.3%
2007	44,404	70.2	0.0%
2008	45,435	70.3	+2.3%
2009	44,877	67.8	-1.2%
2010	45,875	68.3	+2.2%
2011	45,740	66.0	-0.3%
2012	46,179	65.2	+1.0%
2013	47,382	65.4	+2.6%
2014	48,411	65.5	+2.2%
2015	50,304	66.5	+3.9%
2016	50,870	66.0	+1.1%
2017	52,331	66.4	+2.9%

(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 Tennessee (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Tennessee (this state)	16,019	Heart disease	202.2
Alabama	13,110	Heart disease	223.2
Arkansas	8,270	Heart disease	223.8
Georgia	18,389	Heart disease	175.8
Kentucky	10,343	Heart disease	195.9
Mississippi	7,944	Heart disease	231.6
Missouri	14,820	Heart disease	191.1
North Carolina	19,474	Cancer	157.1
Virginia	15,064	Cancer	152.6

Compare leading causes of death in Tennessee →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Tennessee 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 (66.4/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Louisiana 66.1/100K Oklahoma 69.9/100K West Virginia 69.9/100K Ohio 62.7/100K

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 Indiana 16.3/100K South Carolina 16.3/100K Arizona 18.2/100K

Dig deeper into Tennessee's mortality data

All causes in Tennessee → Compare Tennessee →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Tennessee? ▼

Of the 10 tracked categories, Heart disease claimed the most lives in Tennessee during 2017: 16,019 deaths, 202.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted.

How many people died in Tennessee in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 52,331 recorded deaths in Tennessee across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Tennessee (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (16,019 deaths), 2) Cancer (14,302 deaths), and 3) CLRD (4,657 deaths).

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

Tennessee's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 66.4 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Tennessee changed by 21.4%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 15.5%.

What years of mortality data are available for Tennessee? ▼

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

Where does Tennessee rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

For Heart disease, Tennessee's national position is #6 of 51 states, at 202.2 deaths per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

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.