What does this cancer mortality ranking show?

It orders states by Cancer deaths per 100,000 residents. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

CDC WONDER / NCHS Underlying Cause of Death supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Health

Lowest cancer mortality by state

Cancer deaths per 100,000 residents.

Deaths from malignant neoplasms per 100,000 residents, pooled across 2020–2024 and assigned by residence. State maps use age-adjusted rates so states with different age structures are more comparable; county maps use pooled crude rates because CDC WONDER does not provide age-adjusted rates when grouped by county. Do not compare a county figure directly with its state figure. This is a population outcome, not an individual cancer-risk estimate, a count of diagnoses, or a rating of local cancer care.

How to read this ranking

Utah has the lowest published cancer mortality in this comparison, at 119. The next states shown are Hawaii (121) and New York (123).

The table orders 51 states by cancer deaths per 100,000 residents. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Deaths from malignant neoplasms per 100,000 residents, pooled across 2020–2024 and assigned by residence. State maps use age-adjusted rates so states with different age structures are more comparable; county maps use pooled crude rates because CDC WONDER does not provide age-adjusted rates when grouped by county. Do not compare a county figure directly with its state figure. This is a population outcome, not an individual cancer-risk estimate, a count of diagnoses, or a rating of local cancer care.

1Utah119
2Hawaii121
3New York123
4Colorado125
5New Jersey127
6California129
7Arizona130
8New Mexico130
9Connecticut131
10Massachusetts133
11North Dakota135
12Florida136
13Idaho137
14Rhode Island138
15District of Columbia138
16Maryland139
17Minnesota139
18Texas140
19Montana141
20Nevada141
21Wyoming142
22Washington142
23New Hampshire142
24Virginia145
25Illinois146
26Wisconsin146
27Alaska147
28Nebraska147
29Oregon147
30Georgia147
31South Dakota148
32Iowa148
33Pennsylvania150
34Vermont150
35North Carolina150
36Kansas150
37South Carolina153
38Delaware153
39Michigan155
40Maine156
41Alabama157
42Ohio158
43Missouri160
44Louisiana161
45Indiana162
46Tennessee165
47Arkansas166
48Oklahoma172
49Mississippi175
50West Virginia177
51Kentucky179

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Cancer deaths per 100,000 residents. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: CDC WONDER / NCHS Underlying Cause of Death. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Source: CDC WONDER / NCHS Underlying Cause of Death. · How this is built

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