Maps of clusters of states with the highest melanoma rates in the USA

Below are maps of clusters of states with the highest melanoma rates in the USA. The clusters were found by counting the number of shared borders among states with the highest melanoma incidence and mortality rates for every combination of gender and race/ethnicity.

Included are also the lists of states with the highest melanoma rates.

To learn more about this study, please read the main article. You may also want to read the map guidelines and glossary of terms.

You can view geographic clusters involving other cancers:

Black men melanoma incidence rates

Map of USA. A few states are colored red, a few are colored purple, a few are colored green, and most are colored gray.

Figure 1: A cluster of states with the highest melanoma incidence rates of black men

Shared-border ratio: 120%   (18 shared borders among 15 states)

List of states with highest rates:

State Rate (per 100,000) Color
1 North Carolina 1.5
2 Florida 1.4
3 Louisiana 1.4
4 California 1.2 Not In Cluster
5 Georgia 1.2
6 Mississippi 1.2
7 Virginia 1.2
8 Tennessee 1.1
9 Texas 1.1
10 Maryland 1
11 New York 1
12 Pennsylvania 1
13 Alabama 0.9
14 Illinois 0.9 Not In Cluster
15 New Jersey 0.9

(Number of states in the contiguous U.S. with numerical cancer rates in the CDC file: 17)

White men melanoma mortality rates

Map of USA. A few states are colored red, a few are colored purple, a few are colored green, and most are colored gray.

Figure 2: A cluster of states with the highest melanoma mortality rates of white men

Shared-border ratio: 170%   (34 shared borders among 20 states)

List of states with highest rates:

State Rate (per 100,000) Color
1 Utah 6.1
2 Tennessee 5.6
3 Alabama 5.4
4 Maryland 5.4
5 West Virginia 5.3
6 Arkansas 5.2
7 Missouri 5.2
8 North Carolina 5.2
9 South Carolina 5.2
10 Virginia 5.2
11 Idaho 5.1
12 Georgia 5
13 Nevada 5
14 Oklahoma 5
15 Florida 4.9
16 Indiana 4.9
17 Kansas 4.9
18 Kentucky 4.9
19 Ohio 4.9
20 Oregon 4.9

(Number of states in the contiguous U.S. with numerical cancer rates in the CDC file: 48)

White women melanoma mortality rates

Map of USA. A few states are colored red, a few are colored purple, a few are colored green, and most are colored gray.

Figure 3: A cluster of states with the highest melanoma mortality rates of white women

Shared-border ratio: 124%   (26 shared borders among 21 states)

List of states with highest rates:

State Rate (per 100,000) Color
1 Delaware 2.5
2 Idaho 2.4
3 Nebraska 2.4
4 Oregon 2.4
5 Colorado 2.3
6 Indiana 2.3
7 Kentucky 2.3
8 Montana 2.3
9 Alabama 2.2 Not In Cluster
10 Maryland 2.2
11 North Carolina 2.2
12 Arizona 2.1
13 Florida 2.1 Not In Cluster
14 Massachusetts 2.1 Not In Cluster
15 Ohio 2.1
16 Oklahoma 2.1
17 Pennsylvania 2.1
18 South Carolina 2.1
19 Virginia 2.1
20 West Virginia 2.1
21 Wyoming 2.1

(Number of states in the contiguous U.S. with numerical cancer rates in the CDC file: 48)