COVID-19 Deaths by State in US 2026 | By Age Group & Race Death Rates

COVID-19 Deaths by State in US 2026 | By Age Group & Race Death Rates

COVID-19 Death Tracking in America 2026

COVID-19 death tracking refers to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and individual state health departments record, code, and report deaths involving SARS-CoV-2 across the United States. In 2026, this tracking looks very different than it did during the emergency years of 2020-2022. The federal COVID-19 public health emergency ended in May 2023, and most state dashboards that once updated daily now report only through the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), with cumulative totals compiled from death certificates that list U07.1 as a cause of death. COVID-19 has settled into a pattern of endemic circulation — still killing tens of thousands of Americans a year, but no longer the acute national emergency it was in 2020 and 2021.

Understanding COVID-19 deaths by state in the US in 2026 matters because the burden was never distributed evenly. Some states lost residents at more than triple the rate of others, shaped by vaccination coverage, age demographics, chronic disease prevalence, and healthcare access. The cumulative US death toll has surpassed 1.2 million people since January 2020, making COVID-19 one of the deadliest events in American history — deadlier than every war the country has fought combined. This article breaks down verified CDC and NVSS data on cumulative deaths by state, death rates, yearly trends from 2020 through 2026, and the demographic patterns behind the numbers.

For public health researchers, policymakers, and journalists, state-level COVID-19 mortality data remains one of the clearest lenses available for understanding how healthcare infrastructure, public health messaging, and demographic composition shaped outcomes during the deadliest infectious disease event in modern US history. Unlike broad national averages, which can mask enormous internal variation, state-by-state comparisons reveal exactly where the healthcare system held up under strain and where it did not. This matters just as much in 2026 as it did during the acute pandemic years, because the same states that struggled with the highest cumulative COVID-19 death rates also tend to show elevated mortality from other preventable causes, suggesting that the pandemic exposed — rather than created — pre-existing gaps in the American public health system.

Interesting Facts & Latest COVID-19 Death Statistics in the US 2026

COVID-19 US MORTALITY — SNAPSHOT (2020-2026 CUMULATIVE)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Total US COVID-19 deaths (cumulative)      ████████████████████  1.24M+
  Deadliest year: 2021                       ████████████████░░░░  ~465,000
  2023 annual deaths (most recent final)     ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  49,932
  Current national ranking as cause of death ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  10th
  Highest cumulative state total: California ████████████████████  104,000+
  Highest death rate state: Mississippi      ████████████████████  Top-ranked
  Public health emergency status             ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  Ended May 2023
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Fact Data (Verified 2026)
Cumulative US COVID-19 deaths since January 2020 1.24 million+
Deadliest single year 2021, with the Delta surge driving the peak
Most recent finalized annual death count (2023) 49,932 deaths, a 73.3% drop from 2022
COVID-19’s current ranking among US causes of death 10th leading cause, down from 4th in 2022
State with highest cumulative death total California, at over 104,000 deaths
State with highest age-adjusted death rate Mississippi, consistently ranked at or near the top
State with lowest age-adjusted death rate Vermont / Hawaii, consistently among the lowest
Federal public health emergency status Ended May 11, 2023 — dashboards moved to NVSS reporting
Share of deaths now occurring in adults 65+ Roughly 85% of current annual deaths
Age-adjusted death rate decline, 2022 to 2023 -6.0% overall mortality; -73.3% for COVID-19 specifically
CDC data source for state comparisons CDC WONDER / NVSS, 2024 age-adjusted rate data
Regions with historically highest cumulative burden Southeast and South Central U.S.

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Provisional COVID-19 Death Counts and NVSS Mortality Data; CDC “Stats of the States” COVID-19 Mortality rankings (2024 age-adjusted rates); state health department cumulative reporting

The single most important shift in COVID-19 mortality tracking in the US in 2026 is scale: the disease that once killed nearly 465,000 Americans in a single year (2021) now accounts for roughly 49,932 deaths in the most recent fully finalized year, a decline of more than 90% from its peak. At the same time, the cumulative toll of 1.24 million deaths remains a permanent part of American mortality history, and it did not land evenly across the map. California’s 104,000+ cumulative deaths reflect its enormous population, but on a rate-adjusted basis, states like Mississippi and Alabama — smaller in absolute numbers — suffered far worse outcomes per capita, a pattern tied to lower vaccination uptake, higher rates of chronic disease, and more limited healthcare infrastructure.

The second defining fact is the age concentration of current deaths: roughly 85% of COVID-19 deaths now occur in adults 65 and older, a dramatic shift from the broader age spread seen in 2020. Combined with COVID-19’s drop from the 4th leading cause of death in 2022 to 10th in 2023, this data tells a consistent story — the disease has not disappeared, but it has become concentrated among the oldest and most medically vulnerable Americans, exactly the pattern epidemiologists expect from an endemic respiratory virus.


COVID-19 Deaths by Year in the US 2020-2026

US COVID-19 ANNUAL DEATHS, 2020-2023 (FINAL/PROVISIONAL)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  2020   ████████████████████░░  ~384,500
  2021   ██████████████████████  ~465,000  (peak year)
  2022   ███████████████░░░░░░░  ~186,600
  2023   ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  49,932
  2024   ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  Well below 2023
  2025   █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  Continued decline
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Year Total US Deaths Rank as Cause of Death Dominant Variant / Context
2020 ~384,500 3rd leading cause Original strain, no vaccines available
2021 ~465,000 3rd leading cause Alpha, then Delta surge
2022 ~186,600 4th leading cause Omicron transition, boosters roll out
2023 49,932 10th leading cause Endemic transition, updated vaccines
2024 Well below 2023 levels Outside top 10 Stable seasonal circulation
2025-26 Continued year-over-year decline Outside top 10 Annual updated vaccines, routine care

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, NVSS Mortality Data and Provisional COVID-19 Death Counts; CDC “COVID-19 Mortality Overview” reports

The 2021 peak of roughly 465,000 deaths stands as the deadliest single year of the pandemic in the US, driven by the Delta variant surge that struck before booster doses were widely available. The 86% decline between the 2021 peak and the finalized 2023 total of 49,932 deaths represents one of the fastest mortality reversals for any major disease in modern US public health history, and it tracks closely with rising vaccination and booster coverage, the arrival of effective oral antivirals, and the generally milder clinical course of Omicron-lineage variants compared to Delta.

What the year-over-year trend does not show is elimination. COVID-19’s drop from the 4th leading cause of death in 2022 to the 10th in 2023 still leaves it ahead of causes like homicide, suicide, and chronic liver disease in the national ranking. The continued decline projected through 2024-2026 reflects a virus settling into the same kind of seasonal, endemic pattern seen with influenza — meaning the annual toll, while dramatically smaller than the pandemic peak, is unlikely to reach zero and will continue to concentrate heavily among elderly and immunocompromised Americans.


COVID-19 Deaths by State in the US 2026

TOP AND BOTTOM CUMULATIVE STATE DEATH TOTALS (2020-2023 FINAL TALLIES)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  California    ████████████████████  ~104,000
  Texas         ██████████████████░░  ~96,000
  Florida       █████████████████░░░  ~90,000
  New York      ████████████████░░░░  ~83,000
  Pennsylvania  ██████████░░░░░░░░░░  ~51,000
  ...
  Vermont       █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~1,050 (lowest)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
State Cumulative Deaths State Cumulative Deaths
California ~104,000 Louisiana ~18,000
Texas ~96,000 Oklahoma ~18,000
Florida ~90,000 Maryland ~18,000
New York ~83,000 Mississippi ~17,000
Pennsylvania ~51,000 Wisconsin ~17,000
Ohio ~45,000 Colorado ~14,500
Georgia ~44,000 Arkansas ~13,000
Illinois ~42,000 Connecticut ~12,600
Michigan ~42,000 Nevada ~12,200
New Jersey ~37,000 Iowa ~11,200
North Carolina ~31,000 Kansas ~10,200
Tennessee ~29,000 Oregon ~10,000
Arizona ~34,000 New Mexico ~9,600
Indiana ~27,000 West Virginia ~9,600
Missouri ~24,000 Nebraska ~5,800
Massachusetts ~24,000 Utah ~5,600
Virginia ~23,000 Idaho ~5,500
Alabama ~23,000 Rhode Island ~4,100
South Carolina ~19,500 Montana ~3,700
Kentucky ~18,000 Delaware ~3,500
Washington ~16,200 Maine ~3,300
Minnesota ~16,000 South Dakota ~3,300
New Hampshire ~2,900 North Dakota ~2,700
District of Columbia ~1,400 Hawaii ~2,000
Wyoming ~2,000 Alaska ~1,500
Vermont ~1,050

Source: CDC National Vital Statistics System cumulative COVID-19 death data and state health department reporting, compiled through the end of comprehensive daily/weekly tracking (most states transitioned to CDC-only reporting after the May 2023 end of the federal public health emergency); figures are the latest available comprehensive cumulative tallies and are rounded to the nearest hundred

California’s cumulative total of over 104,000 deaths is the largest in the nation in raw numbers, but that figure is inseparable from the fact that California is also the most populous state, home to roughly 39 million residents. The same logic explains why Texas, Florida, and New York round out the top four — each carries a huge population base that mechanically produces a higher absolute death count even when the underlying per-capita risk is moderate. This is precisely why raw cumulative totals should always be read alongside rate-adjusted data, which tells a very different story about which states actually managed the pandemic best and worst relative to their population.

At the other end of the table, Vermont’s cumulative total of roughly 1,050 deaths is the lowest in the country, a reflection of both its small population (under 650,000) and its consistently high vaccination coverage and low population density. States like Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Dakotas similarly post low cumulative totals largely because of small population bases rather than exceptional pandemic management alone — a distinction the next section’s rate data makes much clearer.

Mid-sized states offer some of the more instructive comparisons in this table. Pennsylvania and Ohio, both with populations in a similar range, sit close together at roughly 51,000 and 45,000 cumulative deaths respectively, while Georgia and Illinois — also comparable in population — land at roughly 44,000 and 42,000. These clusters show that once population size is roughly matched, the remaining variation in cumulative totals tracks closely with the same factors that show up repeatedly throughout this report: vaccination timing, age distribution, and healthcare access. States in the South Central and Southeast regions, even at similar population scales to their Midwest and Northeast counterparts, consistently land on the higher end of these comparisons, reinforcing a regional pattern that appears in nearly every CDC dataset on this topic.


COVID-19 Death Rates by State in the US 2026

AGE-ADJUSTED COVID-19 DEATH RATE PATTERNS BY REGION (CDC WONDER, 2024)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Deep South states (MS, AL, LA, AR)      ████████████████████  Highest rates
  South Central / Mountain West           ██████████████████░░  Above average
  Midwest / Great Lakes                   ██████████████░░░░░░  Moderate
  Pacific Coast                           ████████████░░░░░░░░  Below average
  New England (VT, NH, ME, MA)            ██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  Lowest rates
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Metric Detail (CDC WONDER / NVSS 2024 Data)
How mortality rate is measured Age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 total population
States consistently ranking highest Mississippi, Alabama, Arizona, West Virginia
States consistently ranking lowest Hawaii, Vermont, Utah, New Hampshire
Regional pattern with highest sustained rates Deep South and South Central U.S.
Regional pattern with lowest sustained rates New England
Why rankings differ from raw death totals Rate adjusts for population size and age distribution
Key factor behind high-rate states Lower vaccination coverage, higher chronic disease prevalence
Key factor behind low-rate states Higher vaccination coverage, younger/healthier population mix
Data source for state rankings CDC WONDER Online Database, 2024 NVSS death data

Source: CDC “Stats of the States” COVID-19 Mortality rankings, based on CDC WONDER Online Database and 2024 National Vital Statistics System age-adjusted death rate data

The distinction between cumulative death totals and age-adjusted death rates is the single most important nuance in understanding COVID-19 mortality by state in 2026. When adjusted for population size and age structure, Mississippi, Alabama, Arizona, and West Virginia consistently post the highest death rates in the country — a pattern that predates COVID-19 and mirrors these states’ long-standing struggles with chronic disease prevalence, lower per-capita healthcare spending, and historically lower vaccination uptake during the pandemic’s critical rollout years.

On the opposite end, Hawaii, Vermont, Utah, and New Hampshire consistently rank among the states with the lowest age-adjusted rates, a pattern reflecting a mix of higher vaccination coverage, lower obesity and diabetes prevalence, and in some cases geographic isolation that slowed early viral spread. The persistence of this regional divide — Deep South and South Central states at the top, New England and parts of the Mountain West and Pacific at the bottom — across every year of CDC data since 2020 suggests these disparities reflect deep, structural differences in public health infrastructure rather than a temporary artifact of any single pandemic wave.


COVID-19 Deaths by Age Group in the US 2026

SHARE OF COVID-19 DEATHS BY AGE GROUP (CURRENT/RECENT YEARS)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Ages 65+                 ████████████████████  ~85% of deaths
  Ages 50-64               ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~10% of deaths
  Ages 18-49                █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~4% of deaths
  Ages 0-17                 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  <1% of deaths
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Age Group Approximate Share of Current Annual Deaths Trend Since 2020
65+ years ~85% Rising share as younger groups gained protection
50-64 years ~10% Declining share year over year
18-49 years ~4% Sharp decline from 2020-2021 levels
0-17 years Less than 1% Consistently the smallest share throughout

For a related mortality picture, our death statistics in the U.S covers how COVID-19 now compares against heart disease, cancer, and other leading causes across every age bracket.

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, COVID-19 provisional mortality data by age group; CDC weekly demographic surveillance summaries

The concentration of COVID-19 deaths among adults 65 and older, now estimated at roughly 85% of all current annual deaths, represents one of the clearest markers of the pandemic’s transition to an endemic disease. In 2020, before vaccines existed, deaths were spread more broadly across middle-aged and older adults; by 2026, the combination of high vaccination coverage among seniors, widespread prior infection-acquired immunity in younger populations, and effective antiviral treatments has pushed the risk profile overwhelmingly toward the oldest and most medically fragile Americans.

This shift carries direct implications for public health strategy. With children and working-age adults now accounting for a small single-digit share of deaths, targeted vaccination and booster campaigns for elderly and immunocompromised populations — rather than broad population-wide mandates — have become the primary tool for further reducing the death toll. The pattern also explains why COVID-19, despite its dramatic decline, has not vanished as a public health concern: nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospital geriatric units remain the settings where the disease still causes the most harm.

Underlying health conditions continue to play a defining role in who is most likely to die from COVID-19 in 2026. National mortality surveillance data has consistently shown that heart disease and cancer are the most frequently listed contributing conditions among COVID-19 decedents, present in a meaningful share of all reported deaths where COVID-19 was a contributing rather than sole underlying cause. This pattern reinforces why the current age-65+ concentration of deaths overlaps so heavily with the same populations already living with chronic cardiovascular and metabolic conditions — COVID-19 in 2026 rarely acts alone as a cause of death, but instead frequently serves as the final complication layered on top of pre-existing serious illness, a dynamic that has held steady since the early years of the pandemic even as the raw number of deaths has fallen dramatically.


COVID-19 Deaths by Race and Ethnicity in the US 2026

RELATIVE COVID-19 MORTALITY BURDEN BY RACE/ETHNICITY (CDC DATA TRENDS)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  American Indian/Alaska Native   ████████████████████  Highest sustained rate
  Black (Non-Hispanic)            ██████████████████░░  Elevated rate
  Hispanic/Latino                 ████████████████░░░░  Elevated rate
  White (Non-Hispanic)            ████████████░░░░░░░░  Near national average
  Asian American                  ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░  Lowest sustained rate
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Group Mortality Pattern Relative to National Average
American Indian/Alaska Native Consistently the highest age-adjusted death rate
Black (Non-Hispanic) Elevated, though gap has narrowed since 2021
Hispanic/Latino Elevated, with strongest relative improvement since 2021
White (Non-Hispanic) Close to the national average
Asian American Consistently the lowest age-adjusted death rate

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional COVID-19 death data by race and Hispanic origin

American Indian and Alaska Native populations have carried the highest age-adjusted COVID-19 death rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States throughout the pandemic, a pattern tied to higher rates of underlying chronic conditions, more limited access to healthcare in many tribal and rural communities, and multigenerational households that made isolation of sick individuals more difficult. Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans have also consistently shown elevated mortality rates relative to the national average, though CDC data shows these gaps have narrowed meaningfully since the peak disparities recorded in 2020 and 2021, coinciding with expanded vaccine access and targeted community outreach programs.

Asian Americans have maintained the lowest age-adjusted death rate of any major racial or ethnic group across nearly every year of the pandemic, a pattern researchers attribute to comparatively higher vaccination uptake and lower rates of certain comorbidities. The persistence of these racial disparities — even as the overall national death toll has fallen by more than 90% from its peak — underscores that COVID-19 mortality in the US remains an equity issue, not simply a matter of total case counts or viral severity.


COVID-19 Death Trends and Current Status in the US 2026

KEY MILESTONES IN US COVID-19 MORTALITY TRACKING
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Jan 2020    First confirmed US COVID-19 death
  Jan 2021    Vaccine rollout begins nationally
  2021        Deadliest year — Delta variant surge
  2022        Omicron transition; sharp rate decline begins
  May 2023    Federal public health emergency ends
  2023        COVID-19 falls to 10th leading cause of death
  2026        Endemic, seasonal circulation continues
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Milestone Status as of 2026
Federal public health emergency Ended May 11, 2023
Current cause-of-death ranking 10th, down from 4th in 2022 and 3rd in 2020-2021
Reporting cadence for state-level data Weekly, via CDC NVSS provisional counts
Vaccination strategy Annual updated formulations, modeled on the flu-shot cycle
Where deaths are now concentrated Adults 65+, especially those in long-term care settings
Cumulative US toll since January 2020 Over 1.24 million deaths

Our COVID deaths by year coverage tracks this same annual decline in more granular detail, while our broader COVID vaccine statistics report covers how immunization coverage shaped these outcomes across every phase of the pandemic.

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, NVSS Mortality Surveillance; Department of Health & Human Services public health emergency declarations

The ending of the federal public health emergency in May 2023 marks the clearest dividing line in how COVID-19 deaths are tracked in the US today. Before that date, states operated dashboards updated multiple times per week, often with same-day case and death counts feeding directly into national situational awareness. After that date, the system shifted to the same model used for tracking influenza and other endemic respiratory illnesses — weekly provisional counts compiled through the NVSS, with a built-in reporting lag of one to eight weeks as death certificates are processed and coded. This is a more sustainable long-term surveillance model, but it also means real-time, granular state-level detail is simply less available in 2026 than it was during the emergency years.

Looking at the trajectory as a whole, the drop from 465,000 annual deaths at the 2021 peak to under 50,000 in the most recent finalized year represents genuine, durable progress driven by vaccination, natural immunity, and improved clinical treatment. But the persistence of COVID-19 inside the top 10 causes of death, its continued concentration among elderly Americans, and its lingering regional and racial disparities all point to the same conclusion: COVID-19 has transitioned from emergency to endemic, not from present to gone, and the state-level and demographic data will remain an important part of the US public health picture well beyond 2026.


Latest CDC COVID-19 Surveillance Data in the US 2026

CDC WEEKLY SURVEILLANCE — LATEST AVAILABLE DATA (WEEK ENDING JULY 18-24, 2026)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  States with growing/likely growing cases   ████████████████████  37 states
  States declining                           ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  0 states
  National test positivity (July 18)          ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  2.2%
  Test positivity, prior week (July 11)       ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  1.6%
  New COVID-19 hospital admissions (July 18)  ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~1,200/week
  Forecasted admissions (week of Aug 1)       ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~1,600/week
  National wastewater level (CDC)             █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  "Very low"
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Surveillance Metric Latest CDC Data
States with COVID-19 cases growing or likely growing 37 states, up from 27 (July 12) and just 2 (June 16)
States with cases declining 0 states, as of July 22 estimates
National test positivity, week ending July 18 2.2%, up from 1.6% the prior week
New laboratory-confirmed hospital admissions, week ending July 18 ~1,200
CDC ensemble forecast for hospital admissions, week ending Aug 1 ~1,600 (prediction interval: 790-3,000)
National wastewater viral activity level (CDC) “Very low”, though independently reported as rising by WastewaterSCAN
Dominant circulating subvariant NB.1.8.1
Regions driving current growth West and South, tied to lower recent population immunity
Overall respiratory illness activity Very low — this is a COVID-specific summer wave, not a broader respiratory surge
Death and mortality reporting lag 1 to 8 weeks behind real time via NVSS provisional counts

Source: CDC National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS); CDC Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) COVID-19 Ensemble Forecasts and Rt-based Current Epidemic Trends; CDC Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel; data current through the week ending July 24, 2026

Because most state-level COVID-19 death dashboards no longer update in real time, the most current picture of where the country is headed comes from CDC’s national surveillance systems rather than any single state’s reporting. As of the week ending July 22, 2026, CDC’s forecasting center estimates COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 37 states with none declining — a sharp acceleration from just 2 states in mid-June, confirming the 2026 Summer Outlook’s prediction that the West and South would see a wave this summer due to lower recent population immunity in those regions. National test positivity rose to 2.2% for the week ending July 18, up from 1.6% the week before, while the dominant strain, NB.1.8.1, has taken over as the lead circulating subvariant.

Critically, this rise in transmission has not yet translated into a comparable rise in severe outcomes: new hospital admissions stood at roughly 1,200 for the week ending July 18, with CDC’s ensemble model forecasting a rise to about 1,600 by the week ending August 1 — a meaningful increase in relative terms, but still far below any pandemic-era threshold, and CDC’s own respiratory illness dashboard continues to describe overall healthcare-seeking behavior for respiratory illness as “very low.” Because death data lags 1 to 8 weeks behind even hospitalization data, and finalized annual mortality figures lag by roughly a year, the current summer wave’s ultimate death toll won’t be reflected in official NVSS totals for some time — meaning the cumulative and by-state death figures in this report will not yet capture this specific wave, even as the underlying transmission and hospitalization trends are already visible in CDC’s real-time surveillance.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available government sources, including CDC and NVSS data, and state health department reporting. Because most states stopped daily or weekly public dashboard updates after the May 2023 end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, cumulative state-level totals reflect the most recent comprehensive figures available rather than live daily counts. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, we cannot verify the absolute precision of every individual figure and accept no liability for errors, omissions, or damages arising from use of this report.

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