West Virginia · Safety & Health
Suicide Rate in West Virginia
Death rate for intentional self-harm per 100,000 residents, age-adjusted so states with different age distributions can be compared fairly.
17 per 100K in 2024
#30 of 50 · Middle tier (lower is better)
West Virginia is worse than the 50-state median (16 per 100K). That's a gap of 1 per 100K.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
1999 – 2024 · West Virginia only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About suicide rate
What this measures: Death rate for intentional self-harm per 100,000 residents, age-adjusted so states with different age mixes can be compared.
Why it matters: Suicide is one of the few leading causes of death that often signals failures in mental-health access, gun-storage practices, and economic distress all at once.
Watch out: Small-population states see year-to-year swings driven by single-digit changes in absolute counts. Use multi-year averages for trends.
Recent trend
| Year | West Virginia | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 17 per 100K | 15 per 100K |
| 2016 | 19 per 100K | 15 per 100K |
| 2017 | 21 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
| 2018 | 21 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
| 2019 | 18 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
| 2020 | 20 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
| 2021 | 21 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
| 2022 | 20 per 100K | 17 per 100K |
| 2023 | 20 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
| 2024 | 17 per 100K | 16 per 100K |
West Virginia vs. neighboring states
Same metric (suicide rate), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Suicide Rate | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 14 per 100K | #12 of 50 |
| Maryland | 10 per 100K | #5 of 50 |
| Virginia | 14 per 100K | #10 of 50 |
| Kentucky | 19 per 100K | #35 of 50 |
| Ohio | 16 per 100K | #23 of 50 |
How West Virginia compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | New Jersey | 7 per 100K |
| #2 | New York | 9 per 100K |
| #3 | Massachusetts | 9 per 100K |
| #4 | Rhode Island | 10 per 100K |
| #5 | Maryland | 10 per 100K |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Colorado | 22 per 100K |
| #47 | New Mexico | 25 per 100K |
| #48 | Montana | 28 per 100K |
| #49 | Wyoming | 29 per 100K |
| #50 | Alaska | 30 per 100K |
Source and methodology
Source: CDC NCHS, National Vital Statistics System · Direction: lower is better · Unit: per 100K
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)