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
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.
Above national mean rate
What this means: Tennessee's mean age-adjusted rate runs 20% above the national figure (66.4 vs 55.5/100K). A double-digit-plus gap above the national figure is not noise; it usually shows up consistently across the top causes rather than in just one, which is why the full causes table below is worth reading alongside this number.
Higher-rate third on mean age-adjusted leading causes (2017). Heart disease leads the 2017 file. Rates are CDC WONDER age-adjusted; see /methodology#corpus-placement.
Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death (CDC NCHS / NVSS), 2017. Age-adjusted rates allow fair comparison across states.
FIPS 47 · CDC WONDER 2017
Mortality desk for Tennessee
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).
Tennessee in the higher-rate third
52,331 deaths were recorded in Tennessee for 2017 across 10 CDC WONDER categories. Leading the record is Heart disease, with 16,019 deaths at 202.2 per 100,000 (age-adjusted) -- nationally Tennessee sits at #6 of 51 states for this cause, where a higher rank corresponds to a higher rate. The top five causes together represent 82.0% of the state's total (42,935 deaths). Among jurisdictions with published CDC WONDER leading-cause files, that mean rate lands in the higher third.
A double-digit-plus gap above the national figure is not noise; it usually shows up consistently across the top causes rather than in just one, which is why the full causes table below is worth reading alongside this number.
Mean-rate neighbourhood around Tennessee
Leading Causes of Death, Top 5
The five leading causes account for 42,935 deaths (82.0% of all deaths) in Tennessee.
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 |
In Tennessee, does a high death count mean a high rate?
10 causes of death in Tennessee plotted by total deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Death count and age-adjusted rate move together across Tennessee'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 Tennessee by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Heart disease, 16019 deaths, 202.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Cancer, 14302 deaths, 173.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. CLRD, 4657 deaths, 57.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Unintentional injuries, 4435 deaths, 63 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alzheimer's disease, 3522 deaths, 46.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Stroke, 3519 deaths, 45 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Diabetes, 1915 deaths, 24 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Influenza and pneumonia, 1656 deaths, 21.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Suicide, 1166 deaths, 16.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kidney disease, 1140 deaths, 14.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.
Mortality Trends Over Time
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% |
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 |
States with similar CDC WONDER rates
Two non-border peer sets for Tennessee in 2017, drawn from the higher-rate third's nearest neighbors on published age-adjusted rates. Border neighbors stay in the table above.
States near this mean leading-cause rate
Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (66.4/100K here), excluding bordering states.
Similar 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.