State mortality · CDC NCHS 2017

Wisconsin - Mortality Statistics

38,954 deaths in 2017 across 10 tracked causes, at a state average age-adjusted rate of 53.3 per 100,000.

Data updated 2017-12-31

38,954
Deaths, 2017: Heart disease
Leading cause: −4%
vs national avg: 53.3
Avg age-adj /100K

The verdict

Wisconsin's leading killer is heart disease at 157.6 per 100K (age-adjusted); the state's average age-adjusted rate across tracked causes runs 4% below the national figure.

157.6
Heart disease /100K, leading: −4%
vs national avg rate: -20.8%
rate, 1999-2017: 38,954
total deaths, 2017

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

FIPS 55 · CDC WONDER 2017

Wisconsin mortality desk

RATE-QUIET 53.3/100K DEATHS-MID 39K deaths RANK-MID #28/51 LEAD-CAUSE Heart disease · 157.6 NAT-INLINE −4% vs US TREND-STEEP-DOWN -20.8% 18y PHOTO-FINISH Illinois · ±0.3 BOOK-FULL 10 causes · 2017

2017: 38,954 deaths across 10 tracked causes at 53.3/100K mean age-adjusted · corpus #28/51 · 4% below US avg. Nearest rate peer: Illinois (-0.3/100K).

Neighbourhood around Wisconsin's 53.3/100K mean, not a full 51-state distribution reprint.

Top 5 Causes of Death

The five leading causes account for 32,271 deaths (82.8% of all deaths) in Wisconsin.

1. Heart disease 11,860 (30.4%)

2. Cancer 11,318 (29.1%)

3. Unintentional injuries 3,746 (9.6%)

4. CLRD 2,834 (7.3%)

5. Stroke 2,513 (6.5%)

All Causes of Death in Wisconsin (2017)

#	Cause of death	Deaths	% of total	Age-adj /100K
1	Heart disease	11,860	30.4%	157.6
2	Cancer	11,318	29.1%	153.2
3	Unintentional injuries	3,746	9.6%	58.3
4	CLRD	2,834	7.3%	38.3
5	Stroke	2,513	6.5%	33.5
6	Alzheimer's disease	2,428	6.2%	31.6
7	Diabetes	1,433	3.7%	19.4
8	Influenza and pneumonia	974	2.5%	12.9
9	Suicide	926	2.4%	15.4
10	Kidney disease	922	2.4%	12.5

Mortality Trends Over Time

Wisconsin - 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	37,814	67.3	-
2000	37,397	66.0	-1.1%
2001	37,205	64.8	-0.5%
2002	37,306	64.0	+0.3%
2003	36,414	61.5	-2.4%
2004	35,913	59.9	-1.4%
2005	36,313	59.5	+1.1%
2006	35,537	57.4	-2.1%
2007	35,376	56.2	-0.5%
2008	35,793	55.8	+1.2%
2009	34,529	53.1	-3.5%
2010	35,782	54.4	+3.6%
2011	36,437	54.3	+1.8%
2012	36,081	52.8	-1.0%
2013	37,005	53.3	+2.6%
2014	36,886	52.2	-0.3%
2015	37,960	52.9	+2.9%
2016	38,276	52.9	+0.8%
2017	38,954	53.3	+1.8%

(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 Wisconsin (2017).

State	Deaths (Top Cause)	Leading Cause	Age-Adj Rate
Wisconsin (this state)	11,860	Heart disease	157.6
Illinois	25,394	Heart disease	163.3
Iowa	7,180	Heart disease	167.4
Michigan	25,187	Heart disease	196.1
Minnesota	9,896	Cancer	146.8

Compare leading causes of death in Wisconsin →

States with similar CDC WONDER rates

Two non-border peer sets for Wisconsin 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 (53.3/100K here), excluding bordering states.

New Mexico 53.6/100K Wyoming 52.9/100K Texas 53.7/100K Vermont 53.9/100K

Similar suicide rate (X60-X84)

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

Hawaii 15.2/100K Louisiana 15.2/100K Mississippi 15.0/100K Pennsylvania 15.0/100K

Dig deeper into Wisconsin's mortality data

All causes in Wisconsin → Compare Wisconsin →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of death in Wisconsin? ▼

Heart disease tops the 2017 record for Wisconsin, accounting for 11,860 deaths at 157.6 per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

How many people died in Wisconsin in 2017? ▼

In 2017, there were 38,954 recorded deaths in Wisconsin across 10 tracked causes of death.

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

The top 3 causes of death in Wisconsin (2017) are: 1) Heart disease (11,860 deaths), 2) Cancer (11,318 deaths), and 3) Unintentional injuries (3,746 deaths).

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

Wisconsin's average age-adjusted mortality rate is 53.3 per 100,000, which is below the national average of 55.5 per 100,000.

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

From 1999 to 2017, total deaths in Wisconsin changed by 3.0%. The average age-adjusted rate decreased by 20.8%.

What years of mortality data are available for Wisconsin? ▼

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

Where does Wisconsin rank nationally for Heart disease? ▼

Wisconsin places #27 nationally (out of 51 states) for Heart disease, with an age-adjusted mortality rate of 157.6 per 100,000.

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.