Utah Mortality Rates

Updated April 15, 2023

Life Insurance, Mortality Rates by State

Mortality Rates in Utah

Utah Population: 3,205,958 (30th highest)
Population Density: 67.63 per square mile (30th most dense)
Median Age: 31.5 years old (#1 youngest)
Deaths Per Year: 18,354
Annual Deaths Per 100,000: 580.6
Life Expectancy at Birth: 79.6
Fertility Rate (births per 1,000 women age 15-44): 66.7 (4th highest rate)

Leading Causes of Death in Utah

Cause of Death	Deaths Per Year	Deaths Per 100,000	National Rank
Heart Disease	3,882	146.5	36th
Cancer	3,289	117.2	50th
Accidents (includes vehicle accidents)	1,301	45.2	36th
Alzheimer’s Disease	980	39	9th
Stroke	912	34.7	30th
Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (e.g., emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma)	843	31.1	43rd
Diabetes	692	25	11th
Kidney Disease (nephritis, nephrosis, nephrotic syndrome)	355	13.5	22nd
Parkinson’s Disease	301	11.7	1st
Pneumonia + Flu	300	11.2	34th
Liver Disease	261	8.8	45th
Suicide	654	21.2	6th
Drug Overdose	571	18.9	27th
Homicide	82	2.6	44th

Population Statistics

Between 2010 and 2019, Utah’s population grew at a rate of 16%, making Utah the nation’s fastest growing state.

Utah also has the fourth highest fertility rate (behind the Dakotas and Alaska) and youngest median age, at 31.5 years (nearly 4 years younger than 2^nd youngest Texas).

With 580.6 deaths per 100,000 population, Utah has the lowest overall rate of death among U.S. states. No other state’s rate is below 600. However, when adjusted for age, Utah’s rate drops to 13^th

Health Conditions

Utah’s rate of cancer deaths is the nation’s lowest, and Utah is tied with Massachusetts for the nation’s 6^th lowest rate of liver disease deaths.

Utah has the nation’s lowest rate of excessive drinking, but Utah is among the 10 states with the highest rates of non-medical use of prescription drugs.

Utah has the nation’s 8^th lowest rate of death due to chronic respiratory illnesses. At 9%, Utah’s rate of smoking among adults is easily the nation’s lowest (ahead of California, at 11.2%).

Utah has the nation’s highest rate of deaths due to Parkinson’s Disease and 9^th highest rate of Alzheimer’s deaths.

Which means that many residents of Utah will likely be able to qualify for a no medical exam term life insurance policy given the relative health of this states population.

And for those that won’t be able to qualify for such a policy, fully underwritten life insurance policies and guaranteed issue life insurance policies may still be an option.

Covid

For 2020, Utah’s COVID-19 death rate of 49.7 per 100,000 population was 9^th lowest in the nation. Utah’s rate of 78 COVID deaths per 100,000 through August, 2021, is 6^th

Homicide and Suicide

Utah has the nation’s 7^th lowest homicide rate and 6^th highest suicide rate.

Driving

With its rate of 7.7 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000, Utah ranks as the 6^th safest state in which to drive. All 5 states ahead of Utah (Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) are in the Northeast.