What does this measure?

The number of deaths per year, expressed as an age-adjusted rate per 10,000 residents.

Why is this important?

Mortality rates are a measure of the overall health of a community, particularly since some of the most common causes of death, such as heart disease, can be prevented or mitigated through lifestyle changes, prevention efforts, early intervention, and better health care.

How is our county doing?

In 2016, Essex County's mortality rate was 67 per 10,000 residents, a decrease of 17% since 2000. Essex had the same rate as the state and was lower than the nation (73 per 10,000 residents). The state and nation had similar decreases since 2000.

How do we compare to similar counties?

The mortality rate for Essex County in 2016 was a higher than Lake, IL and Middlesex (both at 61 per 10,000 residents) and Westchester, NY (54 per 10,000 residents). Essex County's reduction since 2000 was somewhat smaller than the declines of 23-25% in the comparison counties.

Notes about the data

Rates have been adjusted for differences in age and gender among the geographies.