The Most Likely Way You’ll Die in Massachusetts

Death is never pleasant to think or talk about, especially when it's your death. Let's face it, though; we're all on the road to the end. Some of us will get there before others, but rest assured, we'll all reach the end of the road eventually.

Now that the pleasantries are out of the way...

Some folks think about going out in a blaze of glory, while others prefer to fade away in their sleep. That's more my speed. Wake me when it's over.

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In Massachusetts, the leading causes of death in 2022 continued to be cancer, heart disease and accidents.

USA Facts says according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Of the 29,646 deaths that year, 47% of the total were due to one of these three causes. The fourth and fifth most common causes were COVID-19 and cerebrovascular diseases."

The top five leading causes of death among Massachusetts residents accounted for 56 percent of all deaths in 2022.

COVID-19 is no longer considered one of the five leading causes of death.

The CDC says 20 percent of all deaths in Massachusetts in 2022 were from cancer, 20 percent were from heart disease, and eight percent were the results of accidents.

The CDC says heart disease and cancer have been the two leading causes of death among Massachusetts residents since 1999. For every 100,000 Massachusetts residents, 178 died from cancer and 178 from heart disease in 2022.

While older Massachusetts residents are more likely to succumb to disease, accidental deaths are more common among younger folks.

Accidents can include accidental drug overdoses, accidental poisoning and motor vehicle crashes.

About 270 people died from gun violence in Massachusetts in 2023, including accidents, murders and suicides.