States with the highest cancer incidence, by type

Kentucky had the highest incidence rate across all cancer types between 2017 and 2021, according to data published by the American Cancer Society. 

The American Cancer Society used data from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries to calculate incidence rates per 100,000 people for each state and each cancer type.

All cancers:

1. Kentucky: 525.9
2. Iowa: 503.5
3. West Virginia: 501.4

Brain and other nervous system:

1. Vermont: 7.8
2. New Hampshire: 7.7
3. Montana: 7.6

Breast:

1. Connecticut: 145.3
2. North Carolina: 145.4
3. Hawaii: 142.2

Cervix:

1. Oklahoma: 10.3
2. (tie) Kentucky and West Virginia: 9.8
3. Texas: 9.7

Colorectum:

1. Mississippi: 45.3
2. Kentucky: 44.1
3. Louisiana: 43.2

Esophagus:

1. Maine: 6.9
2. New Hampshire: 6.3
3. West Virginia: 6

Hodgkin lymphoma:

1. (tie) Connecticut, New Jersey: 3.1
2. Florida: 3
3. (tie) New York, Pennsylvania: 2.9

Kidney and renal pelvis:

1. Louisiana: 23.9
2. Arkansas: 22.9
3. West Virginia: 22

Larynx:

1. Kentucky: 5
2. Louisiana: 4.9
3. West Virginia: 4.6

Leukemia:

1. Florida: 18.5
2. Minnesota: 18.2
3. (tie) Iowa, Idaho: 17.9

Liver and intrahepatic bile duct:

1. Texas: 12.8 
2. Louisiana: 10.8
3. California: 9.8

Lung and bronchus:

1. Kentucky: 85.6
2. West Virginia: 77.1
3. Arkansas: 74.2

Melanoma of the skin:

1. Utah: 42.2
2. Minnesota: 38
3. Vermont: 35.8

Myeloma:

1. Mississippi: 9.5
2. Georgia: 9.3
3. Florida: 9

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma:

1. Minnesota: 22.7
2. Florida: 22.1
3. Iowa: 21.7

Oral cavity and pharynx:

1. (tie) Iowa, West Virginia: 14.7
2. Florida: 14.5
3. Maine: 14.4

Ovary:

1. West Virginia: 12.2
2. Florida, New York: 11.2
3. New Jersey: 11.1

Pancreas:

1. New Jersey: 15.2
2. Louisiana, Pennsylvania: 14.7
3. Connecticut: 14.6

Prostate:

1. New Jersey: 149
2. Louisiana: 147.9
3. Georgia: 144.4

Stomach: 

1. New York: 8.4
2. Hawaii: 7.9
3. California: 7.4
   

Thyroid:

1. New York: 18
2. Utah: 17
3. New Jersey: 16.7

Testis:

1. (tie) Montana, Vermont: 7.8
2. Maine 7.7
3. Minnesota: 7.5

Urinary bladder:

1. Maine: 27.4
2. New Hampshire: 26.8
3. Connecticut: 24.2

Uterine corpus:

1. West Virginia: 36.2
2. Hawaii: 35.4
3. Pennsylvania: 32.9