How we die in Snohomish County and Washington

Death is different from far away. Up close, it's overwhelming, our ultimate primal fear. Death ruptures into big, black clouds of grief. Yet within, there is renewal -- and there are life lessons. However personal, how we die says something about who we are.

About 4,500 people die in Snohomish County each year. Most deaths are reported to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office. Of those, only a fraction require some sort of investigation.

Deaths are categorized by cause and manner. Cause is the medical reason someone dies, such as blunt-force injury or asphyxia. In Washington, the manner of death can be classified in one of six ways: natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined and pending.

The great majority of people here die from natural causes or accidents. Accidental deaths are most often caused by falls and fractures, poisonings -- which include drug and alcohol overdoses -- and car wrecks. Few people die from violence inflicted by others.

Our age has a lot to do with how we die.

Children and teenagers are most vulnerable to birth defects and accidents. Young adults must survive accidents -- and themselves. Suicide is a leading cause of death until people reach their mid-60s. Cancer is another heavy contender.

Deaths by traffic accidents happen regardless of age. The same is true of deaths linked to drug and alcohol. Until age 40, more men die from overdoses than women, then the pattern reverses.

Homicides are most common among the young, particularly people in their 20s. Most victims are male. Half died from gunshot wounds. Most of the rest were beaten or stabbed.

The numbers may tell a story, but they don't sum up a life.

Top 10 causes of death in Snohomish County in 2008

1. Cancer
2. Heart disease
3. Accident
4. Alzheimer's disease
5. Stroke
6. Lung disease
7. Diabetes
8. Infectious and parasitic disease
9. Influenza and pneumonia
10. Liver disease
Source: Snohomish Health District

Death by age in Snohomish County

These are only the most prevalent causes of death in each range in 2008.

Cause of death	Deaths	Percent of deaths within age range	Rate per 100,000 in age range
Ages 1-17
Problems that began in late pregnancy and early life	25	32.5%	14.0
Accident	14	18.2%	7.8
Birth defects	13	16.9%	7.3
Cancer	6	7.8%	3.4
All deaths	77	—	43.0
Ages 18-24	Deaths	% in age	Per 100K
Accident	13	35.1%	20.5
Suicide	9	24.3%	14.2
All deaths	37	—	58.2
Ages 25-44	Deaths	% in age	Per 100K
Accident	74	36.1%	35.8
Cancer	41	20.0%	19.8
Suicide	22	10.7%	10.7
Heart disease	19	9.3%	9.2
Liver disease	8	4.0%	3.9
Influenza and pneumonia	5	2.4%	2.4
All deaths	205	—	99.2
Ages 45-64	Deaths	% in age	Per 100K
Cancer	279	31.8%	155.1
Heart disease	197	22.5%	109.5
Accident	94	10.7%	52.3
Liver disease	40	4.6%	22.2
Lung disease	31	3.5%	17.2
Diabetes	30	3.4%	16.7
Suicide	26	3.0%	14.5
All deaths	876	—	487.0
Ages 65-74	Deaths	% in age	Per 100K
Cancer	248	38.4%	684.5
Heart disease	127	19.7%	350.5
Lung disease	41	6.3%	113.2
Diabetes	29	4.5%	80.0
Stroke	22	3.4%	60.7
Accident	21	3.3%	58.0
All deaths	646	—	1,783.0
Age 75+	Deaths	% in age	Per 100K
Heart disease	670	26.4%	2,153.5
Cancer	454	17.9%	1,459.3
Alzheimer's disease	268	10.6%	861.4
Stroke	193	7.6%	620.3
Lung disease	154	6.1%	495.0
Accident	87	3.4%	279.6
Influenza/pneumonia	61	2.4%	196.1
Diabetes	58	2.3%	186.4
All deaths	2,539	—	8,160.8

Source: Snohomish Health District

Statewide mortality data

The state generally does not calculate rates per 100,000 people for categories with very few deaths, so some counties aren't represented in some categories of death in the charts below. Source: Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics.

Life expectancy and death rates by Washington county, 2009

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Mortality in Washington, 2009

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