State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Virginia - Mortality Statistics

49,323 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 51.5 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

49,323
Deaths, 2017: Cancer
Leading cause: −7%
vs national avg: 51.5
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Virginia's leading killer is cancer at 152.6 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 7% below the national figure.

152.6
Cancer /100K, leading: −7%
vs national avg rate: -26.4%
rate, 1999-2017: 49,323
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 51 · CDC WONDER 2017

Virginia mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 51.5/100K DEATHS-MID 49K deaths RANK-LOWER #35/51 LEAD-CAUSE Cancer · 152.6 NAT-INLINE −7% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -26.4% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Nebraska · ±0.3 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 49,323 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 51.5/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #35/51 · 7% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Nebraska (+0.3/100K).

Neighbourhood around Virginia's 51.5/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 40,765 deaths (82.6% of all deaths) in Virginia.

1. Cancer 15,064 (30.5%)

2. Heart disease 14,861 (30.1%)

3. Unintentional injuries 3,922 (8.0%)

4. Stroke 3,555 (7.2%)

5. CLRD 3,363 (6.8%)

All Causes of Death in Virginia (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Cancer	15,064	30.5%	152.6
2	Heart disease	14,861	30.1%	154.5
3	Unintentional injuries	3,922	8.0%	44.0
4	Stroke	3,555	7.2%	37.5
5	CLRD	3,363	6.8%	34.9
6	Alzheimer's disease	2,549	5.2%	27.6
7	Diabetes	1,967	4.0%	20.1
8	Kidney disease	1,618	3.3%	16.9
9	Influenza and pneumonia	1,245	2.5%	13.1
10	Suicide	1,179	2.4%	13.4

Mortality Trends Over Time

Virginia - 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	43,540	70.0	-
2000	44,166	69.9	+1.4%
2001	43,766	67.7	-0.9%
2002	44,186	66.9	+1.0%
2003	44,766	66.3	+1.3%
2004	43,425	63.0	-3.0%
2005	44,078	62.2	+1.5%
2006	43,536	59.9	-1.2%
2007	43,533	58.5	-0.0%
2008	43,908	57.6	+0.9%
2009	43,417	55.4	-1.1%
2010	43,404	54.3	-0.0%
2011	44,260	53.8	+2.0%
2012	44,235	52.2	-0.1%
2013	44,825	51.6	+1.3%
2014	45,738	51.4	+2.0%
2015	47,512	52.0	+3.9%
2016	47,952	51.3	+0.9%
2017	49,323	51.5	+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 Virginia (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Virginia (this state)	15,064	Cancer	152.6
District of Columbia	1,284	Heart disease	189.8
Kentucky	10,343	Heart disease	195.9
Maryland	11,653	Heart disease	164.5
North Carolina	19,474	Cancer	157.1
Tennessee	16,019	Heart disease	202.2
West Virginia	4,849	Heart disease	192.0

Compare leading causes of death in Virginia →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Virginia 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 (51.5/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Nebraska 51.8/100K Rhode Island 51.9/100K Oregon 51.0/100K Washington 50.9/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

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

Dig deeper into Virginia's mortality data

All causes in Virginia → Compare Virginia →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Virginia? ▼

Virginia recorded 15,064 deaths from Cancer in 2017 (age-adjusted rate 152.6 per 100,000), the state's leading cause.

How many people died in Virginia in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 49,323 recorded deaths in Virginia across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Virginia (2017) are: 1) Cancer (15,064 deaths), 2) Heart disease (14,861 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (3,922 deaths).

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

Virginia's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 51.5 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Virginia changed by 13.3%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 26.4%.

What years of mortality data are available for Virginia? ▼

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

Where does Virginia rank nationally for Cancer? ▼

Virginia ranks #31 out of 51 states for Cancer with an age-adjusted rate of 152.6 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.