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Asbestos is the only cause of mesothelioma, which is a rare and deadly type of cancer. Exposure to asbestos can also cause lung cancer and deadly lung scarring.
Asbestos exposure is connected to certain industries and trades: construction, insulation, electrical work, automobile manufacturing and repair, maintenance work, HVAC work, and others.
Are there any regions of the U.S. more connected to asbestos exposure, and therefore mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases? The answer seems to be yes.
How Many People in the U.S. Die From Asbestos Diseases?
According to the Environmental Working Group Action Fund, 12,000-15,000 people in the U.S. die each year from asbestos-related diseases. From 1999-2017, an estimated 237,000-277,700 people died due to asbestos exposure.
The number increased as years passed, too. According to a study in BMC Public Health, from 1990-2019, the number of deaths in the U.S. due to occupational asbestos exposure increased by 20%.
Asbestos Nation reported the rate of asbestos death for each of the 50 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., ranking them from highest rate to lowest. The database also gives more detailed statistics on each state, breaking down the asbestos deaths by county.
The deaths listed are from three asbestos diseases: mesothelioma; asbestosis (lung scarring); and lung cancer. The time period is 1999-2017.
Which States Have the Most and Least Asbestos Deaths?
Not surprisingly, the states with the most asbestos deaths are the states with the largest populations. The states with the least asbestos deaths are the states with the smallest populations.
California has the most deaths attributed to asbestos exposure. There have been 27,080 deaths among state residents from 1999-2017. Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas and New York are in the top 5.
Alaska has the least asbestos deaths (512 in the time range). Wyoming, South Dakota, Vermont and North Dakota are the next lowest.
Below is the full list of all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., in order of most asbestos deaths to least.
- California – 27,080 asbestos
- Florida – 18,206
- Pennsylvania – 17,717
- Texas – 15,348
- New York – 15,205
- Ohio – 12,697
- Illinois – 12,067
- New Jersey – 11,367
- Michigan – 10,188
- Washington – 9,200
- Massachusetts – 8,103
- Virginia – 8,059
- Wisconsin – 6,815
- North Carolina – 6,577
- Minnesota – 6,318
- Indiana – 5,790
- Maryland – 5,236
- Arizona – 5,157
- Louisiana – 5,092
- Tennessee – 4,935
- Oregon – 4,748
- Missouri – 4,711
- Georgia – 4,172
- Connecticut – 3,865
- Alabama – 3,845
- South Carolina – 3,801
- Colorado – 3,214
- Kentucky – 3,109
- West Virginia – 3,072
- Iowa – 2,765
- Oklahoma – 2,618
- Maine – 2,490
- Mississippi – 2,365
- Kansas – 2,102
- Arkansas – 1,848
- Nevada – 1,781
- Nebraska – 1,628
- Utah – 1,593
- New Hampshire – 1,531
- Montana – 1,520
- Idaho – 1,491
- New Mexico – 1,447
- Rhode Island – 1,363
- Delaware – 1,256
- Hawaii – 747
- North Dakota – 738
- Vermont – 632
- South Dakota – 617
- Wyoming – 549
- Alaska – 512
- Washington, D.C. – 223
Which States Have the Most and Least Mesothelioma Deaths?
The list of the states with the most and least mesothelioma deaths mirrors the list of asbestos deaths. California has the most mesothelioma deaths among residents (5,100 from 1999-2017). Alaska has the least (96).
Below is the full list of all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., in order of most mesothelioma deaths to least:
- California – 5,100 mesothelioma deaths
- Florida – 3,343
- Pennsylvania – 3,257
- New York – 2,830
- Texas – 2,688
- Ohio – 2,353
- Illinois – 2,333
- New Jersey – 2,037
- Michigan – 1,915
- Washington – 1,604
- Massachusetts – 1,505
- Virginia – 1,455
- Wisconsin – 1,295
- Minnesota – 1,176
- North Carolina – 1,159
- Indiana – 1,120
- Arizona – 970
- Louisiana – 927
- Maryland – 916
- Missouri – 897
- Tennessee – 895
- Oregon – 841
- Georgia – 777
- Connecticut – 715
- South Carolina – 663
- Alabama – 616
- Colorado – 594
- Kentucky – 579
- Iowa – 525
- West Virginia – 519
- Oklahoma – 485
- Maine – 447
- Kansas – 397
- Mississippi – 351
- Nevada – 333
- Arkansas – 323
- Nebraska – 306
- Utah – 299
- New Hampshire – 284
- New Mexico – 274
- Idaho – 267
- Rhode Island – 249
- Montana – 240
- Delaware – 211
- Hawaii – 139
- North Dakota – 138
- South Dakota – 119
- Vermont – 115
- Wyoming – 104
- Alaska – 96
- Washington, D.C. – 43
Learn more about asbestos deaths by state on Asbestos Nation.
Sources & Author
- Mapping the Deadly Toll of Asbestos – State by State, County by County. Asbestos Nation. Retrieved from: https://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/asbestos-deaths/. Accessed: 08/11/2025.
- Assessing trends and burden of occupational exposure to asbestos in the United States: a comprehensive analysis from 1990 to 2019. BMC Public Health. Retrieved from: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-18919-7. Accessed: 08/11/2025.
Sources & Author
