Leading causes of death in every state: CDC

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By: Mariah Taylor

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in 41 states, according to CDC data.

In April, the CDC updated its state data on leading causes of death, and mortality rates for several diseases and accidents. The most recent data is from 2024.

Heart disease and cancer are the top leading causes of death among all states. In 11 states, Alzheimer’s disease breaks into the top five causes of death, commonly displacing stroke or chronic lower respiratory disease. The District of Columbia is the only jurisdiction with homicide in the top five leading causes of death.

Here are the states and the District of Columbia with their top five leading causes of death.

StateLeading cause of deathSecond leading cause of deathThird leading cause of deathFourth leading cause of deathFifth leading cause of death
AlabamaHeart diseaseCancerStrokeChronic lower respiratory diseaseAccidents
AlaskaCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
ArizonaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
ArkansasHeart diseaseCancerChronic lower respiratory diseaseStrokeAccidents
CaliforniaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeAlzheimer’s disease
ColoradoCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
ConnecticutHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
DelawareCancerHeart diseaseStrokeAccidentsChronic lower respiratory disease
District of ColumbiaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeHomicide
FloridaHeart diseaseCancerStrokeAccidentsChronic lower respiratory disease
GeorgiaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
HawaiiHeart diseaseCancerStrokeAccidentsAlzheimer’s disease
IdahoHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseAlzheimer’s disease
IllinoisHeart diseaseCancerStrokeAccidentsChronic lower respiratory disease
IndianaHeart diseaseCancerChronic lower respiratory diseaseAccidentsStroke
IowaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
KansasHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
KentuckyHeart diseaseCancerChronic lower respiratory diseaseAccidentsStroke
LouisianaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
MaineHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
MarylandHeart diseaseCancerStrokeAccidentsChronic lower respiratory disease
MassachusettsCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
MichiganHeart diseaseCancerStrokeAccidentsChronic lower respiratory disease
MinnesotaCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsStrokeAlzheimer’s disease
MississippiHeart diseaseCancerChronic lower respiratory diseaseAccidentsStroke
MissouriHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
MontanaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
NebraskaHeart diseaseCancerChronic lower respiratory diseaseAccidentsStroke
NevadaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
New HampshireCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
New JerseyHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
New MexicoHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
New YorkHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
North CarolinaCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
North DakotaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsAlzheimer’s diseaseChronic lower respiratory disease
OhioHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
OklahomaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
OregonCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
PennsylvaniaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
Rhode IslandHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsAlzheimer’s diseaseChronic lower respiratory disease
South CarolinaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
South DakotaCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsAlzheimer’s diseaseChronic lower respiratory disease
TennesseeHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
TexasHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeAlzheimer’s disease
UtahHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsAlzheimer’s diseaseStroke
VermontHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsAlzheimer’s diseaseChronic lower respiratory disease
VirginiaHeart diseaseCancerStrokeAccidentsChronic lower respiratory disease
WashingtonCancerHeart diseaseAccidentsStrokeAlzheimer’s disease
West VirginiaHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsChronic lower respiratory diseaseStroke
WisconsinHeart diseaseCancerAccidentsStrokeChronic lower respiratory disease
WyomingHeart diseaseCancerChronic lower respiratory diseaseAccidentsStroke

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