Mortality Study: Arizona In Top 20% Of States With Lowest Death Rates

Published: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 - 5:05am
Updated: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 - 9:05am

The latest study on mortality rates reveals Arizona is in the top 20 percent of states with the lowest death rates. The frequency of death varies widely depending on geography, and one group appears to be affected the most.

The report, published in The Journal of The American Medical Association’s Internal Medicine Publication, extrapolates the latest available figures from 2014 and shows Arizona ranks 10th with an average of 724 deaths per 100,000 residents.

The national average is 786. When it comes to avoiding mortality, Hawaii is at the top of the list, while states in the South had the highest rate, with Mississippi a dubious last, with a yearly rate well over 1,000.

Many of the nation’s highest numbers come from regions with high populations of Native American reservations. And that’s especially true in Arizona.

When broken down by county, the study shows the highest mortality rates in Apache County, which lies in the heart of the Navajo Nation.

The lowest rates be found in the tiny border county of Santa Cruz. The state’s most populous county, Maricopa, averages just over 700 deaths per 100,000 residents.

Science