State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

West Virginia - Mortality Statistics

17,055 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 69.9 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

17,055
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: +26%
vs national avg: 69.9
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

West Virginia's leading killer is heart disease at 192.0 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 26% above the national figure.

192.0
Heart disease /100K, leading: +26%
vs national avg rate: -14.4%
rate, 1999-2017: 17,055
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 54 · CDC WONDER 2017

West Virginia mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 69.9/100K DEATHS-MID 17K deaths RANK-HOT #3/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 192.0 NAT-WELL-ABOVE +26% vs US TREND-DOWN -14.4% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Oklahoma · ±0.0 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 17,055 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 69.9/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #3/51 · 26% above US avg. Nearest rate peer: Oklahoma (+0.0/100K).

Neighbourhood around West Virginia's 69.9/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 14,134 deaths (82.9% of all deaths) in West Virginia.

1. Heart disease 4,849 (28.4%)

2. Cancer 4,654 (27.3%)

3. Unintentional injuries 1,892 (11.1%)

4. CLRD 1,681 (9.9%)

5. Stroke 1,058 (6.2%)

All Causes of Death in West Virginia (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	4,849	28.4%	192.0
2	Cancer	4,654	27.3%	179.4
3	Unintentional injuries	1,892	11.1%	100.3
4	CLRD	1,681	9.9%	64.3
5	Stroke	1,058	6.2%	41.8
6	Diabetes	864	5.1%	34.0
7	Alzheimer's disease	770	4.5%	30.6
8	Influenza and pneumonia	458	2.7%	18.2
9	Kidney disease	436	2.6%	17.1
10	Suicide	393	2.3%	21.1

Mortality Trends Over Time

West 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	17,083	81.7	-
2000	16,845	80.2	-1.4%
2001	16,749	79.5	-0.6%
2002	16,701	78.9	-0.3%
2003	16,942	79.4	+1.4%
2004	16,423	76.5	-3.1%
2005	16,021	73.7	-2.4%
2006	15,875	72.3	-0.9%
2007	16,105	72.5	+1.4%
2008	16,454	73.3	+2.2%
2009	15,838	69.4	-3.7%
2010	15,962	69.6	+0.8%
2011	16,354	71.0	+2.5%
2012	16,222	69.2	-0.8%
2013	16,037	67.5	-1.1%
2014	16,382	68.3	+2.2%
2015	16,687	68.9	+1.9%
2016	16,681	68.9	-0.0%
2017	17,055	69.9	+2.2%

(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 West Virginia (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
West Virginia (this state)	4,849	Heart disease	192.0
Kentucky	10,343	Heart disease	195.9
Maryland	11,653	Heart disease	164.5
Ohio	28,008	Heart disease	186.2
Pennsylvania	32,312	Heart disease	176.0
Virginia	15,064	Cancer	152.6

Compare leading causes of death in West Virginia →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for West 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 (69.9/100K here), excluding bordering states.

Oklahoma 69.9/100K Arkansas 69.2/100K Mississippi 72.3/100K Alabama 67.3/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Colorado 20.3/100K Nevada 20.3/100K North Dakota 20.1/100K South Dakota 22.5/100K

Dig deeper into West Virginia's mortality data

All causes in West Virginia → Compare West Virginia →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in West Virginia? ▼

Of the 10 tracked categories, Heart disease claimed the most lives in West Virginia during 2017: 4,849 deaths, 192.0 per 100,000 age-adjusted.

How many people died in West Virginia in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 17,055 recorded deaths in West Virginia across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in West Virginia (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (4,849 deaths), 2) Cancer (4,654 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (1,892 deaths).

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

West Virginia's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 69.9 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in West Virginia changed by -0.2%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 14.4%.

What years of mortality data are available for West Virginia? ▼

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

Where does West Virginia rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Comparing all 51 tracked states on Heart disease, West Virginia's age-adjusted rate of 192.0 per 100,000 puts it at rank #10.

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.