Which New York Counties Have the Highest Cancer Rates? See Where Yours Ranks
An analysis of CDC cancer data has ranked all 50 New York counties by cancer rate, and the results show wide gaps between the top and bottom of the list.
Stacker compiled the rankings using CDC data covering diagnosed cancer cases per 100,000 residents from 2016 to 2020. The list spans every county in the state, from the lowest rates to the highest.
New York Counties with the Highest Cancer Rates
Hamilton County topped the list with 1,001.3 cancer cases per 100,000 people, more than any other county in the state. Its age-adjusted rate, which accounts for differences in population age, was 504.5 per 100,000. Columbia County ranked second at 804.4 per 100,000, followed by Warren County at 802.7 per 100,000.
Key Causes of Cancer Rate Disparities by County
Cancer rates vary by county for several reasons. Genetics, lifestyle habits, occupational exposure, and environmental factors like air and water quality all play a role. Certain jobs, including work in the meat industry, rubber manufacturing, and farming, carry higher documented cancer risk.
Access to healthcare also factors in. Counties where residents face more barriers to cancer screening and treatment tend to see the effects reflected in their rates.
How County Cancer Data Impacts Public Health Resources
Local and state health officials use data like this to target resources. That can mean expanding access to screening, funding cancer education programs, or addressing environmental exposures specific to an area.
Stacker put together a list of which counties in New York have the highest cancer rates. Is the county you live in on this list?
LOOK: Counties with the highest cancer rates in New York
Gallery Credit: Stacker
LOOK: Counties with the highest cancer rates in Pennsylvania
Gallery Credit: Stacker