ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) — In 2023, Arkansas ranked 5th in the nation for cancer deaths, per the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
The state’s age-adjusted death rate was 168.5 per 100,000 residents, above the national rate of 145.4.
In 2023, Kentucky had the highest rate at 180.4 per 100,000, followed by Mississippi at 179.0, West Virginia at 177.9 and Oklahoma at 174.3. Despite declining rates, these states, including Arkansas, still exceed the national average.
By-county breakdown
If a county has 20 or fewer deaths, the rate is considered unreliable and is shown in gray on the map below.
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Cleveland County reported the highest cancer death rate in the state, with 393.1 deaths per 100,000 residents, followed closely by Poinsett County at 384, Chicot County at 377.4 and Nevada County at 381.8 per 100,000…