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
Explore this data your own way
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.
Heavy death-count book
What this means: 144,582 tracked deaths in 2017 put Texas in the heaviest third of state volumes. Large absolute counts can dominate headlines even when age-adjusted rates sit near the national figure.
Heavy-volume third (144,582 deaths in 2017). Prefer age-adjusted rates when comparing to smaller states; see /methodology#corpus-placement.
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 at a glance
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).
Texas in the heavy-volume third
Texas recorded 144,582 total deaths in 2017 across 10 CDC WONDER cause-of-death categories. The single largest contributor was Heart disease (45,346 deaths, 169.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted) -- nationally, that puts the state at #19 of 51 states for this cause, where a higher rank corresponds to a higher rate. Together, the top five causes made up 81.8% of all deaths recorded (118,217). Raw death volume sits in the heaviest third of states even when rates are age-adjusted.
A below-average state-level rate indicates relatively better mortality outcomes in aggregate, though individual causes within the state may still exceed national benchmarks and warrant separate examination.
Mean-rate neighbourhood around Texas
Top 5 Causes of Death
The five leading causes account for 118,217 deaths (81.8% of all deaths) in Texas.
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 |
Do the biggest causes also carry the highest rate in Texas?
10 causes of death in Texas plotted by total deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Death count and age-adjusted rate move together across Texas'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 Texas by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Heart disease, 45346 deaths, 169.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Cancer, 40668 deaths, 146.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Stroke, 10790 deaths, 41.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Unintentional injuries, 10763 deaths, 38.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. CLRD, 10650 deaths, 40.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alzheimer's disease, 9545 deaths, 38.5 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Diabetes, 5832 deaths, 21.2 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kidney disease, 4256 deaths, 16 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Suicide, 3778 deaths, 13.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Influenza and pneumonia, 2954 deaths, 11.2 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 | 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% |
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 |
States with similar CDC WONDER rates
Two non-border peer sets for Texas in 2017. Volume is heavy here, so peers are nearest on rates, not on raw death counts. Border neighbors stay above.
Peer states by mean leading-cause rate
Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (53.7/100K here), excluding bordering states.
Closest match: 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.