Death Rate by State 2026

How Is the Death Rate Calculated?

There are different ways that the death rate might be calculated, but in general, the death rate is calculated in terms of the number of people who die divided by the total population. For example, the death rate in a city is generally calculated as the number of people who die per 100,000 residents. This means that if the death rate is 500, and the city has a total population of 200,000, then the total death rate is approximately 1,000 people in that city per year. There are a lot of factors that can play a role in the death rate a state experiences, and it is helpful to take a look at a few examples.

Which States Have the Highest Death Rates in the Country?

There are several states that have significantly higher death rates when compared to other states in the country. For example, in the finalized 2020 data Mississippi had a death rate of 1,138.7 per 100,000 people, while Alabama also had a very high death rate of 1,057.8 per 100,000 people.

West Virginia also had one of the highest death rates in the country, at 1,055.8 per 100,000 people. Some of the other states that have very high death rates include Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Indiana. There are a lot of factors that could play a role in why these states have higher death rates. Affordable medical care and nutritious food, along with access to and time for both could affect the death rate in an area.

Which States Have the Lowest Death Rates in the Country?

In contrast, there are also some states that had relatively low death rates. For example, the state of Hawaii had the lowest death rate in the country, coming in at 588 people per 100,000 in 2020. California also has a very low death rate of 705.3 per 100,000 people.

Some of the other states that also have very low death rates include Washington, Florida, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Minnesota. It is likely that these states have lower rates of chronic health conditions when compared to some of the other areas in the country.

How Can States Lower Their Death Rates?

There are a few ways that states can lower their death rates. First, understand that some death rates might be artificially inflated because the area has a higher concentration of elderly individuals when compared to the rest of the country.

As previously mentioned, it is important to make sure that people in that state have access to adequate healthcare and educational resources. People need to know what they have to do to prevent themselves from developing chronic health conditions. Then, if someone gets sick or injured, they need to have access to affordable healthcare. That way, a doctor can work with that individual to make sure they get the help they need. This could reduce the number of preventable deaths in each state every year, reducing the death rate.

It is also worth remembering when looking at the 2020 data that the COVID-19 pandemic will have had an effect on death rates. This will be something to look at over the 2021 and 2022 years as well. There may be additional deaths in areas that were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.