Skin Cancer Rates by State

In the following maps, the U.S. states are divided into groups, based on the rates at which people developed or died from melanoma of the skin in 2009, which is the most recent year with numbers available. The rates are the numbers out of 100,000 people who developed or died from melanoma of the skin each year.

Rates of Getting Skin Cancer by State

The number of people who get skin cancer is called skin cancer incidence. In the United States, the rate of getting skin cancer varies from state to state.

Melanoma of the Skin
Incidence Rates* by State, 2009†

Color on Map	Interval	States
Light green	7.0 to 17.7	Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia
Medium green	17.8 to 20.3	California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wyoming
Medium blue	20.4 to 23.0	Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia
Dark blue	23.1 to 32.6	Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington
Light Gray	Data Suppressed‡	Wisconsin

Please note that delays in reporting melanoma cases to cancer registries are more common since they are usually diagnosed and treated in non-hospital settings such as physician offices.

*Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
‡Data are suppressed at the state's request.
†Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2009 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2013. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs. (full site)

Deaths from Skin Cancer by State

Rates of dying from skin cancer also vary from state to state.

Melanoma of the Skin
Death Rates* by State, 2009†

Color on Map	Interval	States
Light green	1.5 to 2.6	California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin
Medium green	2.7 to 3.0	Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington
Medium blue	3.1 to 3.2	Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming
Dark blue	3.3 to 3.9	Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and West Virginia
Light Gray	Data Suppressed‡	Alaska and District of Columbia

*Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
‡Rates are suppressed if fewer than 16 cases were reported in a state.
†Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2009 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2013. Available at: www.cdc.gov/uscs. (full site)