The 2020 calendar year produced over 90,400 cancer deaths in the Mid-Eastern U.S., a region that encompasses five states and the District of Columbia.  At 185.4 cancer deaths per 100,000 population, the region's cancer death rate was less than 1.5% above the national average.  Consistent with patterns seen elsewhere in the country, there was a wide divide in cancer death rates between urban and rural parts of the region. In counties in rural areas and small-to-medium-sized metro areas in the Mid-Eastern U.S., cancer death rates in 2020 were considerably higher than in counties that comprise the region's largest population centers.  A closer review of National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data provides the following details about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

County Classification	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Large Central Metro	25,377	16,027,707	158.3
Large Fringe Metro	37,313	20,382,556	183.1
Medium Metro	14,678	6,793,188	216.1
Small Metro	5,723	2,615,582	218.8
Micropolitan (Nonmetro)	5,099	2,074,663	245.8
NonCore (Nonmetro)	2,220	864,132	256.9
Region	90,410	48,757,828	185.4
Nationally	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

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 December 29, 2022

In Medicare parlance, a short-stay hospital is a hospital that provides acute inpatient care. For Medicare program purposes, the short-stay hospital designation excludes many hospitals that specialize in a particular type of care, such as psychiatric, rehabilitation, children's, and long-term care hospitals. Also excluded from the short-stay hospital designation are certain small hospitals, with fewer than 25 beds, that serve rural areas and that meet other criteria for categorization as a "critical access hospital" (CAH). CAHs are eligible for certain financial benefits from the Medicare program that are not available to standard short-stay hospitals.

Short-stay hospitals are integral to the hospital infrastructure serving more than 62 million Americans having Medicare Part A insurance coverage.  Of the more than 6,200 hospitals participating in the Medicare program in the calendar year 2020, 56% were short-stay hospitals.  More significantly, short-stay hospitals accounted for more than 83% of the total hospital beds serving the needs of Medicare Part A enrollees.  

In the six-state Far West region of the U.S., as of the calendar year 2020, there were 455 short-stay hospitals, with just under 98,800 beds, participating in the Medicare program.  While the region was home to 15% of the nation's Medicare Part A enrollment, it had less than 13% of the Medicare program's short-stay hospital beds.  Here is a state-level look at Medicare short-stay hospital beds in the Far West region of the U.S.:

Medicare Short Stay Hospital Beds in the Far West

	# Part A Enrollees		# Hospitals	# Beds
Alaska	104,078		8	1,210
California	6,281,323		328	71,358
Hawaii	280,787		12	2,054
Nevada	546,759		23	6,240
Oregon	885,544		34	7,115
Washington	1,397,182		50	10,803
Region	9,495,673		455	98,780
National*	62,498,751		3,481	774,873
% of National	15.2%		13.1%	12.7%

* National totals include U.S. territories

Source:  CMS Program Statistics, Table: MDCR PROVIDERS 4. Medicare Providers:  Number of Medicare Certified Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Number of Beds, by State, Territories, Possessions, and Other, Calendar Year 2020

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in Florida

According to certified bed count data from the Third Quarter 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the state of Florida:

1. AdventHealth Orlando
   Location:  Orlando
   Certified Bed Count:  3,220
   
   
2. Jackson Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Miami
   Certified Bed Count:  2,230
   
   
3. Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Orlando
   Certified Bed Count:  1,738
   
   
4. Baycare / St. Joseph's Hospital
   Location:  Tampa
   Certified Bed Count:  1,364
   
   
5. Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
   Location:  Jacksonville
   Certified Bed Count:  1,119
   
   
6. UF Health Shands Hospital
   Location:  Gainesville
   Certified Bed Count:  1,111
   
   
7. Tampa General Hospital
   Location:  Tampa
   Certified Bed Count:  1,041
   
   
8. Memorial Regional Hospital
   Location:  Hollywood
   Certified Bed Count:  1,013
   
   
9. Baptist Hospital of Miami
   Location:  Miami
   Certified Bed Count:  948
   
   
10. Lee Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Fort Myers
    Certified Bed Count:  895
    

Supplemental resource:  Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Southeast

In the seven-state Great Plains region, cancer accounted for nearly 41,300 deaths in 2020.  Relative to population size, the cancer death rate per 100,000 population in the region was about 5% above the national average.  While the region-wide cancer death rate was high compared to the national average, in the region's metropolitan areas cancer death rates were at, or below, the national norm.  On the other hand, in counties in the region's smaller population centers and rural areas, cancer death rates in 2020 were significantly higher than in the nation as a whole.  Further study of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provides the following details about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Great Plains region:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Plains Region

County Classification	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Large Central Metro	4,643	2,819,881	164.7
Large Fringe Metro	8,823	5,016,579	175.9
Medium Metro	6,829	3,793,143	180.0
Small Metro	5,981	3,430,748	174.3
Micropolitan (Nonmetro)	6,775	3,140,344	215.7
NonCore (Nonmetro)	8,221	3,281,139	250.6
Region	41,272	21,481,834	192.1
Nationally	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

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 December 26, 2022

In our Clinical Psychologist employment snapshot, one can see that the major U.S. population centers are top employment centers for the profession.  However, a deeper dive into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that in smaller metro markets MRI technologists can often achieve better-paying employment. A review of May 2021 BLS data tells us that only four of the 20 biggest metropolitan centers in the U.S. were among the 20 best metro areas for clinical psychologist pay:

20 Best Metro Areas for Clinical Psychologist Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	San Diego-Carlsbad (#)		1,050	$136,630
2	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		410	$134,200
3	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA		530	$133,060
4	Napa, CA		170	$130,540
5	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		1,660	$129,880
6	New York-Newark-Jersey City (#)		3,880	$129,390
7	North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL		120	$129,070
8	Cleveland-Elyria, OH		390	$127,820
9	Hartford-W. Hartford-E. Hartford, CT		250	$125,070
10	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		150	$124,930
11	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT		130	$124,480
12	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		3,500	$122,170
13	Las Cruces, NM		30	$120,880
14	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA		180	$120,760
15	Madera, CA		80	$120,680
16	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		560	$119,240
17	Trenton, NJ		130	$119,020
18	Memphis, TN-MS-AR		100	$118,390
19	Stockton-Lodi, CA		110	$117,920
20	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA		60	$117,040
	National		58,100	$99,640

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 24, 2022

In our employment snapshot for MRI Technologists, it is readily evident that the biggest population centers in the U.S. are major employment centers for the profession.  Nevertheless, after a closer look into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data one will find that it is in smaller metro markets, not the large ones, where MRI technologists often achieve better-paying employment. An analysis of May 2021 BLS data reveals that only six of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the country were among the 20 best metro markets for MRI technologist pay:

20 Best Metro Markets for MRI Technologist Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		160	$133,590
2	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (#)		330	$127,930
3	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		140	$120,550
4	Santa Rosa, CA		40	$119,780
5	San Diego-Carlsbad (#)		210	$108,540
6	Modesto, CA		30	$105,550
7	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#)		310	$105,040
8	Ancorage, AK		90	$104,800
9	Urban Honolulu, HI		70	$104,660
10	Fresno, CA		70	$103,180
11	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		910	$102,620
12	Salem, OR		30	$94,700
13	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV		310	$94,570
14	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (#)		210	$94,440
15	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA		270	$94,360
16	Visalia-Porterville, CA		30	$93,530
17	New York-Newark-Jersey City (#)		2,210	$93,150
18	Boulder, CO		40	$88,610
19	Eugene, OR		40	$88,390
20	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA		220	$88,350
	National		38,070	$77,820

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 24, 2022

Based on certified bed count data from the Third Quarter, 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the state of California:

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in California

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. Scripps Mercy Hospital
   Location:  San Diego
   Certified Bed Count:  700
   
   
8. Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Zion
   Location:  San Diego, CA
   Certified Bed Count:  659
   
   
9. UC Davis Medical Center
   Location:  Sacramento
   Certified Bed Count:  631
   
   
10. Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Sacramento
    Location:  Sacramento
    Certified Bed Count:  628

Supplemental resource:  Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Far West

In 2020, cancer accounted for more than 95,300 deaths in the five-state Great Lakes region.  Relative to the size of its population, the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population in the region was more than 11% higher than the national average.  That said, the unfavorable comparison to the national average in 2020 was mostly attributable to counties in rural and small to medium-sized metropolitan areas in the region. In smaller Great Lakes region communities and rural areas, counties had cancer death rates in 2020 that were materially higher than in the nation or in the region as a whole.  Further examination of data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reveals the following about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Great Lakes region:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

County Classification	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Large Central Metro	23,131	12,789,306	180.9
Large Fringe Metro	23,921	12,712,841	188.2
Medium Metro	15,848	7,561,867	209.6
Small Metro	11,081	5,248,208	211.1
Micropolitan (Nonmetro)	13,623	5,651,494	241.1
NonCore (Nonmetro)	7,750	2,871,194	269.9
Region	95,354	46,864,910	203.6
Nationally	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

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 December 19, 2022

As reported in our employment snapshot for Medical Transcriptionists, the biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S. are the major employment centers for the profession.  Even so, a more thorough review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that it is in smaller metropolitan markets where medical transcriptionists frequently realize better-paying employment. A closer examination of May 2021 BLS data reveals that only six of the 20 largest metro areas in the nation were among the 20 best metropolitan markets for medical transcriptionist pay:

The 20 Best Metropolitan Markets for Medical Transcriptionist Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT		110	$51,700
2	New Haven, CT		70	$49,600
3	Hartford - W. Hartford - E. Hartford, CT		560	$49,400
4	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		N/A	$48,350
5	Trenton, NJ		30	$47,780
6	Bend-Redmond, OR		70	$47,070
7	Chico, CA		110	$46,840
8	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#)		350	$46,070
9	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington (#)		340	$46,000
10	Duluth, MN-WI		50	$45,970
11	Modesto, CA		40	$45,170
12	Anchorage, AK		90	$43,500
13	Springfield, MA-CT		40	$43,240
14	Medford, OR		110	$42,700
15	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson (#)		150	$42,650
16	Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (#)		330	$42,590
17	Lincoln, NE		110	$42,470
18	Reading, PA		40	$42,330
19	Oklahoma City, OK		450	$42,170
20	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (#)		330	$41,600
	National		55,830	$34,220

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 19, 2022

As examined in our employment snapshot for Optometrists, the major metro areas in the U.S. are the largest employment centers for the profession.  However, looking further into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveals that optometrists often realize better-paying opportunities in smaller metropolitan markets. A review of May 2021 BLS data shows us that only one of the 20 largest metropolitan regions in the nation was among the 20 best metro areas for optometrist pay:

The 20 Best Metro Areas for Optometrist Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	Wilmington, NC		70	$198,370
2	Hartford - W. Hartford - E. Hartford, CT		120	$172,190
3	Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI		40	$169,140
4	Dothan, AL		40	$166,950
5	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT		120	$163,590
6	Columbia, MO		40	$162,870
7	St. Louis, MO-IL		480	$157,230
8	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (#)		700	$156,650
9	Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX		40	$154,070
10	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX		360	$150,890
11	Dayton, OH		100	$150,600
12	New Orleans-Metairie, LA		80	$150,010
13	Medford, OR		50	$149,070
14	Tulsa, OK		140	$148,850
15	Columbia, SC		70	$147,820
16	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		60	$144,720
17	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ		180	$144,030
18	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		360	$143,000
19	Greensboro-High Point, NC		70	$140,910
20	Fayetteville, NC		40	$140,750
	National		38,720	$125,440

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 19, 2022

According to certified bed count data from the Third Quarter 2022 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the Southeast U.S.:

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Southeast

1. AdventHealth Orlando
   Location:  Orlando, FL
   Certified Bed Count:  3,220
   
   
2. Jackson Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Miami, FL
   Certified Bed Count:  2,230
   
   
3. Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Orlando, FL
   Certified Bed Count:  1,738
   
   
4. North Healthcare / Norton Hospital
   Location:  Louisville, KY
   Certified Bed Count:  1,730
   
   
5. Methodist Healthcare / Methodist University Hospital
   Location:  Memphis, TN
   Certified Bed Count:  1,593
   
   
6. Baycare / St. Joseph's Hospital
   Location:  Tampa, FL
   Certified Bed Count:  1,364
   
   
7. UofLHealth Jewish Hospital
   Location:  Louisville, KY
   Certified Bed Count:  1,261
   
   
8. UAB Hospital
   Location:  Birmingham, AL
   Certified Bed Count:  1,157
   
   
9. Cone Health Moses Cone Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Greensboro, NC
   Certified Bed Count:  1,122
   
   
10. Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
    Location:  Jacksonville, FL
    Certified Bed Count:  1,119
    

Supplemental resource:  Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Southeast

In 2020 there were nearly 89,900 deaths in the six-state Far Western U.S. region that were attributable to cancer.  Relative to the size of its population, the number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population in the Far West was about 13% lower than the national average.  While the region as a whole compared favorably to the national cancer death rate, most of the better results were concentrated in counties in the region's large to medium-sized metropolitan areas. In rural areas and smaller population centers in the Far West, counties recorded cancer death rates in 2020 that were significantly higher than in the whole region or the nation.  A closer review of data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provides the following details about urban vs. rural cancer death rates in the Far Western U.S.:

Urban vs. Rural Cancer Death Rates in the Far Western U.S.

County Classification	Deaths	Population	Death Rate*
Large Central Metro	44,458	30,332,613	146.6
Large Fringe Metro	13,595	8,675,719	156.7
Medium Metro	18,314	11,295,695	162.1
Small Metro	6,107	3,184,983	191.7
Micropolitan (Nonmetro)	5,583	2,325,131	239.7
NonCore (Nonmetro)	1,822	756,133	241.0
Region	89,869	56,570,274	158.9
Nationally	602,350	329,484,123	182.8

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

Report Period: 2020

States in region:  Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington

See the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for additional information on population categories, including a map of which U.S. counties fall in which categories.

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 December 17, 2022