State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Texas - Mortality Statistics

144,582 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 53.7 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

144,582
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: −3%
vs national avg: 53.7
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Texas's leading killer is heart disease at 169.2 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 3% below the national figure.

169.2
Heart disease /100K, leading: −3%
vs national avg rate: -24.2%
rate, 1999-2017: 144,582
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 48 · CDC WONDER 2017

Texas mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 53.7/100K DEATHS-LARGE 145K deaths RANK-MID #26/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 169.2 NAT-INLINE −3% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -24.2% 18y PHOTO-FINISH New Mexico · ±0.1 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 144,582 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 53.7/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #26/51 · 3% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: New Mexico (-0.1/100K).

Neighbourhood around Texas's 53.7/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 118,217 deaths (81.8% of all deaths) in Texas.

1. Heart disease 45,346 (31.4%)

2. Cancer 40,668 (28.1%)

3. Stroke 10,790 (7.5%)

4. Unintentional injuries 10,763 (7.4%)

5. CLRD 10,650 (7.4%)

All Causes of Death in Texas (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	45,346	31.4%	169.2
2	Cancer	40,668	28.1%	146.5
3	Stroke	10,790	7.5%	41.3
4	Unintentional injuries	10,763	7.4%	38.8
5	CLRD	10,650	7.4%	40.5
6	Alzheimer's disease	9,545	6.6%	38.5
7	Diabetes	5,832	4.0%	21.2
8	Kidney disease	4,256	2.9%	16.0
9	Suicide	3,778	2.6%	13.4
10	Influenza and pneumonia	2,954	2.0%	11.2

Mortality Trends Over Time

Texas - 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	116,304	70.8	-
2000	117,706	70.5	+1.2%
2001	119,955	70.4	+1.9%
2002	121,713	70.0	+1.5%
2003	120,278	67.7	-1.2%
2004	117,552	64.7	-2.3%
2005	119,430	64.0	+1.6%
2006	118,638	61.3	-0.7%
2007	120,158	60.4	+1.3%
2008	121,866	59.6	+1.4%
2009	120,630	57.2	-1.0%
2010	122,027	56.7	+1.2%
2011	122,871	54.8	+0.7%
2012	125,192	54.1	+1.9%
2013	127,779	53.5	+2.1%
2014	132,449	53.6	+3.7%
2015	138,204	54.3	+4.3%
2016	140,361	53.4	+1.6%
2017	144,582	53.7	+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 Texas (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Texas (this state)	45,346	Heart disease	169.2
Arkansas	8,270	Heart disease	223.8
Louisiana	11,260	Heart disease	214.4
New Mexico	3,896	Heart disease	151.4
Oklahoma	10,772	Heart disease	237.2

Compare leading causes of death in Texas →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Texas 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 (53.7/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Vermont 53.9/100K Montana 54.1/100K Wisconsin 53.3/100K Iowa 54.3/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Virginia 13.4/100K Georgia 13.6/100K Minnesota 13.9/100K Florida 14.0/100K

Dig deeper into Texas's mortality data

All causes in Texas → Compare Texas →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Texas? ▼

Heart disease tops the 2017 record for Texas, accounting for 45,346 deaths at 169.2 per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

How many people died in Texas in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 144,582 recorded deaths in Texas across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Texas (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (45,346 deaths), 2) Cancer (40,668 deaths), and 3) Stroke (10,790 deaths).

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

Texas's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 53.7 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Texas changed by 24.3%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 24.2%.

What years of mortality data are available for Texas? ▼

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

Where does Texas rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

For Heart disease, Texas's national position is #19 of 51 states, at 169.2 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.