More than 602,300 Americans died of cancer in 2020, making it the second leading cause of death in the United States, after only heart disease. An examination of 2020 state-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics revealed the following to be the:

Ten States with the Highest Cancer Death Rates

State/Deaths	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
West Virginia	4,725	1,784,787	264.7
Maine	3,432	1,350,141	254.2
Kentucky	10,181	4,477,251	227.4
Vermont	1,400	623,347	224.6
Mississippi	6,582	2,966,786	221.9
Pennsylvania	27,955	12,783,254	218.7
Delaware	2,141	986,809	217.0
Arkansas	6,496	3,030,522	214.4
Ohio	24,863	11,693,217	212.6
Alabama	10,456	4,921,532	212.5
Total	98,231	44,617,646	220.2
U.S.	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

(*) number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on November 25,2022

related commentary: Regional Cancer Death Rates in the U.S.

As examined in Pharmacy Technician Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas last October, the largest U.S. metropolitan markets are top centers for pharmacy technician employment. Nonetheless, a deeper look at U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that smaller metro areas frequently provide pharmacy technicians with better pay opportunities.  A review of May 2021 BLS data shows us that just four of the top 20 U.S. metropolitan areas were among the 20 best metro areas for pharmacy technician pay:

20 Best Metro Areas for Pharmacy Technician Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		4,280	$59,340
2	Napa, CA		160	$58,620
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		2,010	$58,390
4	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		430	$57,060
5	Santa Rosa, CA		360	$56,590
6	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		2,630	$51,520
7	Stockton-Lodi, CA		700	$50,860
8	Salinas, CA		330	$49,570
9	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad (#)		3,230	$48,960
10	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#)		4,290	$48,850
11	Hanford-Corcoran, CA		130	$48,130
12	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA		270	$48,070
13	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		13,770	$48,010
14	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA		240	$48,000
15	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA		730	$47,700
16	Redding, CA		190	$47,660
17	Olympia-Tumwater, WA		280	$47,490
18	Northern Valley California non-metro		200	$47,440
19	Alaska non-metro		200	$47,400
20	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA		390	$47,370
	National		436,630	$37,970

(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 28, 2022

Last October we took a look at Clinical Lab Tech Pay in the Top 20 Metro Markets.  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that, without question, the biggest population metro areas are major employment centers for clinical lab technologists and technicians. However, a deeper dive into the BLS data makes it clear that clinical lab techs employed in smaller metro markets very often attain better compensation levels than their larger market counterparts. In fact, May 2021 data from the BLS reveals that only two of the 20 largest metro markets in the U.S. were among the 20 best metropolitan areas for clinical lab tech pay:

20 Best Metropolitan Areas for Clinical Lab Tech Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Redding, CA		90	$87,210
2	Napa, CA		50	$86,260
3	Merced, CA		50	$82,560
4	Northern Valley California non-metro		120	$81,510
5	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		1,370	$77,150
6	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		4,380	$76,330
7	North Coast California non-metro		120	$76,020
8	Coast Oregon non-metro		160	$73,880
9	Massachusetts non-metro		60	$73,440
10	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		1,830	$73,290
11	Bend-Redmond, OR		90	$73,280
12	New York-Newark-Jersey City (#)		18,400	$72,930
13	Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI		220	$72,870
14	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT		870	$72,270
15	Santa Rosa, CA		360	$72,140
16	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford		980	$71,900
17	Stockton-Lodi, CA		310	$71,900
18	Salinas, CA		180	$71,850
19	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA		240	$71,460
20	Western Washington non-metro		160	$70,910
	National		318,780	$56,910

(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 25, 2022

Based on certified bed count data from the Third Quarter, 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospitals in the Far West region of the United States:

The Ten Largest Hospitals in the Far West

1. LAC+USC Medical Center
   Location:  Los Angeles
   Certified Bed Count:  1,395
   
   
2. Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
   Location:  San Jose, CA
   Certified Bed Count:  1,182
   
   
3. UCSF Medical Center
   Location:  San Francisco
   Certified Bed Count:  1,019
   
   
4. Sharp Memorial Hospital
   Location:  San Diego
   Certified Bed Count:  881
   
   
5. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
   Location:  Los Angeles
   Certified Bed Count:  848
   
   
6. Community Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Fresno, CA
   Certified Bed Count:  794
   
   
7. Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center
   Location:  Las Vegas, NV
   Certified Bed Count:  762
   
   
8. Scripps Mercy Hospital
   Location:  San Diego
   Certified Bed Count:  700
   
   
9. Swedish Medical Center
   Location:  Seattle, WA
   Certified Bed Count:  697
   
   
10. Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Zion
    Location:  San Diego, CA
    Certified Bed Count:  659

Supplemental resource:  Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Far West

The U.S. recorded over 602,300 cancer deaths in 2020.  At about 182.8 deaths per 100,000 population, in 2020 cancer was the second leading cause of death in the United States, trailing only heart disease. 2020 state-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC, revealed the following to be the:

Ten States with the Lowest Cancer Death Rates

State/Deaths	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
New York	32,955	19,336,776	170.4
Georgia	17,827	10,710,017	166.5
Washington	12,796	7,693,612	166.3
Idaho	3,004	1,826,913	164.4
California	59,778	39,368,078	151.8
Texas	42,142	29,360,759	143.5
Alaska	1,043	731,158	142.7
Colorado	8,252	5,807,719	142.1
District of Columbia	984	712,816	138.0
Utah	3,460	3,249,879	106.5
Total	182,241	118,797,727	153.4
U.S.	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

(*) number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on November 25,2022

related commentary: Regional Cancer Death Rates in the U.S.

In an October commentary, we discussed Healthcare Social Worker Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas.  U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest populations naturally employ far more healthcare social workers than do smaller metro areas. However, for healthcare social workers interested in maximizing their earnings potential, better compensation opportunities may await in smaller metro markets. According to May 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), only two of the 20 largest metro areas in the U.S. were among the 20 best metropolitan markets for healthcare social worker pay:

20 Best Metropolitan Markets for Healthcare Social Worker Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara		720	$105,600
2	Santa Rosa, CA		150	$100,890
3	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		1,920	$98,340
4	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		120	$96,170
5	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		880	$91,270
6	Salinas, CA		120	$90,840
7	Yuba City, CA		40	$88,510
8	Modesto, CA		190	$87,880
9	Napa, CA		50	$83,860
10	Fresno, CA		280	$81,840
11	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		4,320	$81,660
12	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA		110	$80,990
13	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA		1,260	$80,870
14	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA		60	$80,400
15	Massachusetts non-metro		240	$79,860
16	Salem, OR		160	$79,190
17	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA		230	$79,080
18	Stockton-Lodi, CA		230	$78,860
19	Eugene, OR		180	$78,320
20	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT		350	$78,070
	National		173,860	$62,310

(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 19, 2022

In a commentary in October, we reviewed Nurse Practitioner Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Markets.  As is the case with most healthcare professions, the major metropolitan areas in the U.S. are big centers for nurse practitioner employment.  However, it is in smaller metro markets, not the large ones, where nurse practitioners oftentimes find better average compensation levels. This is readily evident in May 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which reveals that only three of the 20 largest metro areas in the nation were among the 20 best metro markets for nurse practitioner pay:

20 Best Metro Markets for Nurse Practitioner Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		1,220	$197,870
2	Napa, CA		90	$184,700
3	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		130	$180,380
4	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		2,550	$177,160
5	Yuba City, CA		30	$159,260
6	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA		140	$153,300
7	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		900	$153,050
8	Santa Rosa, CA		180	$152,150
9	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA		150	$150,280
10	Fresno, CA		440	$147,760
11	Modesto, CA		270	$147,190
12	El Centro, CA		70	$147,080
13	Duluth, MN-WI		300	$146,740
14	Redding, CA		90	$146,040
15	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (#)		1,300	$145,250
16	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		5,490	$144,930
17	Bakersfield, CA		320	$144,770
18	Madera, CA		90	$142,400
19	Salinas, CA		130	$142,130
20	Visalia-Porterville, CA		190	$141,650
	National		234,690	$118,040

(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 19, 2022

In the current (2022-23) survey of American hospitals from U.S. News & World Report (USNWR), among the 50 hospitals recognized for being the best in the U.S. for pediatric heart care, thirteen were based in the twelve-state Southeastern region of the country.  No other region of the country had more hospitals ranked among the 50 best pediatric heart hospitals in the U.S. than did the Southeast.  While other hospitals in the Southeast may provide cardiology and heart surgery services, the thirteen hospitals that earned a spot in the USNWR national survey stand apart as the top-ranked pediatric heart hospitals in the Southeastern U.S.:

Top Ranked Pediatric Heart Hospitals in the Southeastern U.S.

MUSC Children's Heart Network of South Carolina

Location:  Charleston, SC

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #4

(See ranking details)

Duke Children's Hospital
Location: Durham, NC

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #7

(See ranking details)

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Location: Atlanta
National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #18

(See ranking details)

Le Bonheur Children's Hospital

Location:  Memphis, TN

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #19

(See ranking details)

Virginia Congenital Cardiac Collaborative
Location: Charlottesville, VA

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #20

(See ranking details)

Levine Children's Hospital
Location: Charlotte, NC

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #22

(See ranking details)

UF Health Shands Children's Hospital

Location: Gainesville, FL

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #26

(See ranking details)

Children's of Alabama
Location: Birmingham, AL

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #28

(See ranking details)

Carell Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
Location: Nashville, TN

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #30

(See ranking details)

Ochsner Hospital for Children

Location:  New Orleans, LA

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #35

(See ranking details)

Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Location: Little Rock, AR

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #44

(See ranking details)

Nicklaus Children's Hospital
Location: Miami, FL

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #47

(See ranking details)

Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital at Memorial

Location:  Hollywood, FL

National Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery Ranking:  #49

(See ranking details)

For a closer look into the technical metrics used to rate pediatric heart hospitals in the 22-23 USNWR survey, or to find the pediatric heart care rating of other Southeastern region hospitals, visit Best Hospitals for Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery.

In 2020, over 45,200 deaths in the U.S. were caused by firearm incidents.  The 2020 firearm death rate of 13.7 deaths per 100,000 population was one-third higher than the 1999 firearm death rate of 10.3 deaths per 100,000 population.  Firearm death rates at the state level varied widely with some states experiencing far worse problems with gun-related deaths than others. The ten states with the lowest firearm death rates in 2020 had a collective death rate from gun incidents that was 48% lower than the national average.  A review of state-level data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics revealed the following to be the ten states with the lowest firearm death rates in 2020:

Ten States with the Lowest Firearm Death Rates

State/Deaths	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Nebraska	197	1,937,552	10.2
New Hampshire	128	1,366,275	9.4
Minnesota	513	5,657,342	9.1
California	3,449	39,368,078	8.8
Connecticut	219	3,557,006	6.2
New York	1,052	19,336,776	5.4
Rhode Island	54	1,057,125	5.1
New Jersey	443	8,882,371	5.0
Massachusetts	268	6,893,574	3.9
Hawaii	50	1,407,006	3.6
Total	6,373	89,463,105	7.1
U.S.	45,222	329,484,123	13.7

(*) number of firearm deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on November 16, 2022

related commentary:  Regional Gun Death Rates in the U.S.

In Nursing Assistant Pay in the Top 20 Metro Markets, we learned that the major U.S. metro areas are big employment centers for nursing assistants. However, a more thorough examination of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that better pay, sometimes a lot better, for nursing assistants is often found in smaller population centers. May 2021 (BLS) data indicates that only six of the top 20 U.S. metro areas were among the 20 best metropolitan markets for nursing assistant pay:

20 Best Metropolitan Markets for Nursing Assistant Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		4,940	$47,690
2	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		10,220	$47,500
3	Alaska non-metro		570	$45,430
4	Salinas, CA		810	$44,210
5	Fairbanks, AK		190	$43,880
6	Napa, CA		550	$42,310
7	New York-Newark-Jersey City (#)		81,890	$41,940
8	Anchorage, AK		1,000	$41,580
9	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA		310	$41,070
10	Santa Rosa, CA		1,010	$40,770
11	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#)		13,850	$40,590
12	Salem, OR		1,210	$40,560
13	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		4,630	$39,910
14	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA		7,430	$39,590
15	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		870	$39,520
16	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA		1,040	$38,990
17	Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (#)		26,580	$38,880
18	Minneapolis-St.Paul-Bloomington (#)		13,160	$38,750
19	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		38,030	$38,690
20	Northern Valley California non-metro		670	$38,610
	National		1,314,830	$33,250

(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 16, 2022