Health Status & Disparities

Premature Deaths

Years of Potential Life Lost is declining slightly overall, but is still highest in the most urban and most rural counties.

One key measure of community health outcomes is Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL). This measures the lost potential from premature deaths, in this case, those that occur before age 75. YPLL is measured as the number of years lost per 100,000 in population, with a higher number indicating more years lost to premature death. The YPLL numbers are highest in the most urban counties (Wyandotte and Jackson) and the most rural (Allen and Ray). Since 2010-2012, YPLL has remained fairly constant at both the state level and the county level with modest increases and decreases from county to county. However, the three most rural counties, Allen, Lafayette and Ray, have seen substantial increases in YPLL of from 7.5 percent to 15 percent.

Infant mortality rates have declined significantly in most counties.

Infant mortality rates, as represented by "conditions originating in the perinatal period," declined in most counties between 2006–2010 and 2011–2015. (Because of the small numbers, five-year periods are used to calculate more reliable rates.) Both Missouri and Kansas saw infant mortality rates decline and Jackson County saw a significant decline.


Leading Causes of Death

Heart disease and cancer are still the leading causes of death.

The two most prominent causes of death in the Kansas City region continue to be heart disease and cancer. Heart disease death rates declined in every county from 2003 to 2015, although the changes are mixed between 2014 to 2015. Cancer death rates generally declined between 2003 and 2015, except in Miami and Ray counties.



Over the last decade, rates for most of the leading causes of death have declined.

From 2003 to 2015, the death rates per 100,000 population declined for most counties in the Kansas City region for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. All counties saw a decline in heart disease death rates. The rates for deaths from Alzheimer's were mixed while deaths from suicide increased in all but one county.

Leading Causes of Death: Deaths per 100,000 Population

  Cancer Heart Disease Stroke
  2003 2014 2015 2003 2014 2015 2003 2014 2015
Allen 345.1 195.7 144.8 553.7 194.0 238.9 86.3 23.0 30.9
Johnson 139.4 134.9 128.6 132.2 109.0 111.4 39.5 32.1 33.5
Leavenworth 167.7 187.6 184.5 219.4 145.4 155.7 41.9 24.3 34.0
Miami 140.5 185.1 200.5 304.9 204.3 220.2 44.5 33.0 25.5
Wyandotte 232.3 209.4 197.8 224.7 167.7 155.3 62.4 47.9 47.5
Cass 192.9 184.7 159.2 222.2 155.9 147.1 60.5 37.9 37.9
Clay 199.2 171.0 171.2 203.7 148.5 156.0 47.8 39.0 37.5
Jackson 194.6 180.0 175.8 238.2 181.7 187.0 52.2 40.0 38.1
Lafayette 213.2 192.7 * 305.3 254.9 * 55.2 37.7 *
Platte 178.3 148.3 * 214.9 127.8 * 30.0 34.2 *
Ray 191.7 198.1 * 286.6 203.2 * 29.1 36.1 *

*Insufficent data

Leading Causes of Death: Deaths per 100,000 Population

  Alzheimer's Diabetes Suicide
  2003 2014 2015 2003 2014 2015 2003 2014 2015
Allen 64.7 20.1 24.0 57.5 23.0 29.9 * 27.5 5.7
Johnson 27.3 17.1 18.4 13.2 9.9 8.3 10.7 13.3 13.8
Leavenworth 25.2 19.3 36.7 26.6 17.7 15.6 9.8 20.7 17.0
Miami 24.0 37.0 25.4 10.3 11.5 11.4 13.7 14.4 23.2
Wyandotte 27.4 22.7 23.3 29.3 32.8 38.0 17.8 16.2 16.6
Cass 21.4 25.5 16.7 33.4 15.5 17.3 12.5 19.1 21.4
Clay 29.1 24.4 35.4 27.4 21.9 14.0 10.2 16.0 23.7
Jackson 25.8 27.8 23.7 27.7 22.4 20.6 13.4 15.3 17.6
Lafayette 15.9 32.8 * 31.0 4.6 * 10.3 15.5 *
Platte 32.5 30.1 * 17.5 12.6 * 9.8 15.4 *
Ray 4.3 17.7 * 46.8 10.2 * 4.3 8.3 *

*Insufficent data

Data is the most current available as of September 2017.

Produced by the Mid-America Regional Council for the REACH Healthcare Foundation | www.marc2.org/healthdata ©