Data Table for Rate/Trend Comparison by Cancer
Death Rate/Trend Comparison by Cancer, 2019-2023
Massachusetts Counties versus United States
All Cancer Sites
All Races, Both Sexes
Sorted by name
Counties
|
Priority Index1 1=highest 9=lowest 
|
Recent Trend2 |
County Death Rate Compared to US Rate |
Average Annual Count
|
Age-Adjusted Death Rate deaths per 100,000 (95% Confidence Interval)
|
Rate Ratio3 County to US
|
Recent 5-Year Trend2 in Death Rates (95% Confidence Interval)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | - | falling | - | 605,771 | 145.4 (145.2, 145.6) | - | -1.3 (-1.5, -1.2) |
| Massachusetts | - | falling | - | 12,497 | 136.1 (135.1, 137.2) | - | -2.0 (-2.0, -1.9) |
| Barnstable County | 9 | falling | lower | 647 | 128.8 (124.0, 133.8) | 0.9 | -2.0 (-2.3, -1.7) |
| Berkshire County | 8 | falling | similar | 327 | 144.7 (137.5, 152.3) | 1.0 | -1.6 (-2.0, -1.2) |
| Bristol County | 6 | stable | similar | 1,160 | 152.0 (148.0, 156.0) | 1.0 | -1.3 (-3.3, 0.2) |
| Dukes County | 9 | falling | lower | 41 | 110.4 (95.1, 128.1) | 0.8 | -3.3 (-4.2, -2.3) |
| Essex County | 8 | falling | similar | 1,430 | 131.2 (128.1, 134.3) | 0.9 | -2.2 (-2.4, -2.1) |
| Franklin County | 8 | falling | similar | 160 | 138.9 (129.1, 149.5) | 1.0 | -1.2 (-1.8, -0.7) |
| Hampden County | 8 | falling | similar | 926 | 151.0 (146.6, 155.5) | 1.0 | -1.4 (-1.7, -1.1) |
| Hampshire County | 8 | falling | similar | 290 | 133.4 (126.4, 140.7) | 0.9 | -1.8 (-2.4, -1.3) |
| Middlesex County | 9 | falling | lower | 2,531 | 127.0 (124.7, 129.2) | 0.9 | -2.2 (-2.3, -2.0) |
| Nantucket County | 9 | falling | lower | 18 | 105.6 (84.6, 130.5) | 0.7 | -3.8 (-5.2, -2.5) |
| Norfolk County | 8 | falling | similar | 1,316 | 135.5 (132.1, 138.8) | 0.9 | -2.0 (-2.2, -1.8) |
| Plymouth County | 8 | falling | similar | 1,103 | 146.7 (142.7, 150.7) | 1.0 | -1.9 (-2.2, -1.7) |
| Suffolk County | 9 | falling | lower | 992 | 126.6 (123.0, 130.2) | 0.9 | -2.7 (-3.0, -2.4) |
| Worcester County | 8 | falling | similar | 1,557 | 143.0 (139.8, 146.3) | 1.0 | -1.7 (-1.9, -1.4) |
Notes:
Created by statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov on 03/25/2026 4:47 pm.
1 Priority indices were created by ordering from rates that are rising and above the comparison rate to rates that are falling and below the comparison rate.
2 Recent trend in death rates is usually an Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) based on the APCs calculated by Joinpoint. Due to data availability issues, the time period and/or calculation method used in the calculation of the trends may differ for selected geographic areas.
3 Rate ratio is the county rate divided by the US rate. Previous versions of this table used one-year rates for states and five-year rates for counties. As of June 2018, only five-year rates are used.
Source: Death data provided by the National Vital Statistics System public use data file. Death rates calculated by the National Cancer Institute using SEER*Stat. Death rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population (20 age groups: <1, 1-4, 5-9, ... , 80-84, 85-89, 90+). The Healthy People 2030 goals are based on rates adjusted using different methods but the differences should be minimal. Population counts for denominators are based on Census populations as modified by NCI. The US Population Data File is used with mortality data.
Note: When the population size for a denominator is small, the rates may be unstable. A rate is unstable when a small change in the numerator (e.g., only one or two additional cases) has a dramatic effect on the calculated rate. Suppression is used to avoid misinterpretation when rates are unstable.
State Cancer Registries may provide more current or more local data. Data presented on the State Cancer Profiles Web Site may differ from statistics reported by the State Cancer Registries (for more information).
Interpret Rankings provides insight into interpreting cancer statistics. When the population size for a denominator is small, the rates may be unstable. A rate is unstable when a small change in the numerator (e.g., only one or two additional cases) has a dramatic effect on the calculated rate.
Data for United States do not include Puerto Rico.
Created by statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov on 03/25/2026 4:47 pm.
Trend2
Rising
when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is above 0.
Stable
when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change includes 0.
Falling
when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is below 0.
Rate Comparison
Above when 95% confident the rate is above and Rate Ratio3 > 1.10
Similar
when unable to conclude above or below with confidence.
Below when 95% confident the rate is below and Rate Ratio3 < 0.90
Rising
when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is above 0.Stable
when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change includes 0.Falling
when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is below 0.Rate Comparison
Above
when 95% confident the rate is above and Rate Ratio3 > 1.10Similar
when unable to conclude above or below with confidence.Below
when 95% confident the rate is below and Rate Ratio3 < 0.901 Priority indices were created by ordering from rates that are rising and above the comparison rate to rates that are falling and below the comparison rate.
2 Recent trend in death rates is usually an Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) based on the APCs calculated by Joinpoint. Due to data availability issues, the time period and/or calculation method used in the calculation of the trends may differ for selected geographic areas.
3 Rate ratio is the county rate divided by the US rate. Previous versions of this table used one-year rates for states and five-year rates for counties. As of June 2018, only five-year rates are used.
Source: Death data provided by the National Vital Statistics System public use data file. Death rates calculated by the National Cancer Institute using SEER*Stat. Death rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population (20 age groups: <1, 1-4, 5-9, ... , 80-84, 85-89, 90+). The Healthy People 2030 goals are based on rates adjusted using different methods but the differences should be minimal. Population counts for denominators are based on Census populations as modified by NCI. The US Population Data File is used with mortality data.
Note: When the population size for a denominator is small, the rates may be unstable. A rate is unstable when a small change in the numerator (e.g., only one or two additional cases) has a dramatic effect on the calculated rate. Suppression is used to avoid misinterpretation when rates are unstable.
State Cancer Registries may provide more current or more local data. Data presented on the State Cancer Profiles Web Site may differ from statistics reported by the State Cancer Registries (for more information).
Interpret Rankings provides insight into interpreting cancer statistics. When the population size for a denominator is small, the rates may be unstable. A rate is unstable when a small change in the numerator (e.g., only one or two additional cases) has a dramatic effect on the calculated rate.
Data for United States do not include Puerto Rico.