State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017
Washington - Mortality Statistics
42,205 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 50.9 per 100,000.
Data updated 2017-12-31
- 42,205
- Deaths, 2017
- Cancer
- Leading cause
- −8%
- vs national avg
- 50.9
- 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.
Lower mean age-adjusted rate
What this means: Washington sits in the bottom third by mean age-adjusted rate (50.9/100K; corpus #37 of 51). 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.
Lower-rate third on mean age-adjusted leading causes (2017). Cancer still leads locally. 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 53 · CDC WONDER 2017
Washington mortality desk
2017: 42,205 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 50.9/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #37/51 · 8% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Oregon (+0.1/100K).
Washington in the lower-rate third
In 2017, CDC WONDER tallied 42,205 deaths in Washington across 10 tracked cause-of-death categories. Cancer led the record with 12,664 deaths at an age-adjusted rate of 148.4 per 100,000, placing Washington at #36 of 51 states for this cause, where a higher rank corresponds to a higher rate. The top five causes accounted for 34,588 deaths (82.0% of the state total). That mean rate lands in the lower third of the 2017 corpus.
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 Washington
Top 5 Causes of Death
The five leading causes account for 34,588 deaths (82.0% of all deaths) in Washington.
The Complete 2017 Cause List for Washington
| # | Cause of death | Deaths | % of total | Age-adj /100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cancer | 12,664 | 30.0% | 148.4 |
| 2 | Heart disease | 11,582 | 27.4% | 138.8 |
| 3 | Alzheimer's disease | 3,710 | 8.8% | 46.0 |
| 4 | Unintentional injuries | 3,455 | 8.2% | 44.0 |
| 5 | CLRD | 3,177 | 7.5% | 38.1 |
| 6 | Stroke | 3,028 | 7.2% | 36.9 |
| 7 | Diabetes | 1,812 | 4.3% | 21.6 |
| 8 | Suicide | 1,297 | 3.1% | 16.9 |
| 9 | Influenza and pneumonia | 1,041 | 2.5% | 12.6 |
| 10 | Kidney disease | 439 | 1.0% | 5.3 |
Washington's causes, plotted by count and by rate
10 causes of death in Washington plotted by total deaths against the age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Death count and age-adjusted rate move together across Washington'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 Washington by deaths and age-adjusted rate: Cancer, 12664 deaths, 148.4 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Heart disease, 11582 deaths, 138.8 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Alzheimer's disease, 3710 deaths, 46 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Unintentional injuries, 3455 deaths, 44 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. CLRD, 3177 deaths, 38.1 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Stroke, 3028 deaths, 36.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Diabetes, 1812 deaths, 21.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Suicide, 1297 deaths, 16.9 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Influenza and pneumonia, 1041 deaths, 12.6 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate. Kidney disease, 439 deaths, 5.3 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate.
The Trend Line Behind This Data
Show the full 19-year data table (deaths, rate, year-over-year change)
| Year | Total Deaths | Avg Age-Adj Rate | Deaths YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 35,750 | 66.6 | - |
| 2000 | 35,605 | 65.3 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 35,963 | 64.6 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 36,389 | 63.9 | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 36,817 | 63.4 | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 35,423 | 59.5 | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 36,232 | 59.5 | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 35,784 | 56.8 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 36,863 | 57.1 | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 37,790 | 57.1 | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 37,425 | 55.0 | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 36,981 | 53.2 | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 37,805 | 52.5 | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 37,657 | 51.1 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 38,012 | 50.3 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 38,818 | 50.1 | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 40,524 | 50.9 | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 40,352 | 49.4 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 42,205 | 50.9 | +4.6% |
Nearby States & Comparisons
Compare mortality data with states bordering Washington (2017).
States with similar CDC WONDER rates
Two non-border peer sets for Washington in 2017, drawn from the lower-rate third's nearest neighbors on published age-adjusted rates. Border neighbors stay in the table above.
Peer states by mean leading-cause rate
Nearest jurisdictions by mean age-adjusted rate across leading causes (50.9/100K here), excluding bordering states.
States near this 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.