Comparing COVID-19 death rates in California, to other states

September 22, 2021

By KAREN VELIE

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc in more densely populated states, while less populated states appear to have lower death rates.

New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the union has the second highest death rate per capita. With the lowest population density, Alaska ranks third for lowest coronavirus death rates.

Compared to other states, California has average population density and coronavirus death rate, according to Worldometer.

Confirmed coronavirus deaths per million residents:

  • Mississippi — 3,135
  • New Jersey — 3,067
  • Louisiana — 2,916
  • New York — 2,856
  • California —  1,728
  • Maine — 745
  • Alaska — 636
  • Hawaii — 504
  • Vermont — 482

San Luis Obispo County reported eight new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, and a decline in new cases from a daily average of 84 on Friday to 73 on Tuesday.

Those who recently succumbed to the virus range in age from their 30s to their 80s. The number of SLO County residents in hospitals receiving treatment for the virus continues to drop with 29 currently hospitalized, nine in intensive care.

During the past four days, 192 SLO County residents tested positive for the coronavirus. Paso Robles leads with 47 new cases, followed by San Luis Obispo with 32 and Atascadero with 25.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 27,514 people in SLO County have tested positive for the virus and 315 have died.

There have been 4,571,299 positive cases, and 68,278 deaths in California.

More than 43,242,302 U.S. residents have tested positive for the virus, and 696,867 have died.

In addition, the number of people infected with the virus worldwide continues to increase: 230,279,844 cases with 4,721,692 dead.


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Here’s an important part that’s missing from the article:

“According to the health department, between June 15 and August 31, unvaccinated residents have made up nearly 77% of all cases, nearly 86% of hospitalizations, and 79% of deaths.” KSBY


What are you downvoting? These are facts from the health dept that prove unvaccinated people are putting an unnecessary burden on our health care providers, not to mention jeopardizing the health of other people.


I like the new spin from the far right about how dems are using reverse psychology so repubs won’t get the vaccine and die lol.

1 in every 318 people in Mississippi have died from covid regardless of whether they had covid or not. 1 in every 51 who tested positive. (478k cases 9331 deaths)

Ca – 1 in every 579. 1 in every 67

Fl – 1 in every 414. 1 in every 68

Tx – 1 in every 462. 1 in every 63

Vt – 1 in every 2073. 1 I in every 106

Slo county- 1 in every 898. 1 in every 90


Numbers on the left are fact. Total population divided by deaths. Numbers on the right aren’t as accurate because of asymptomatic cases. Numbers on the right will get better because of vaccines, natural immunity and better treatment options(future variants could throw that out the window of course). Numbers on the left will only get worse. For example 51k deaths in Florida so far when that doubles you will then have 1 in every 207 Floridians dead regardless of whether they had covid or not. At the pace they’re on right now they need less than 6 months to get there.


Negative votes on facts lol story of the far right. Maybe just don’t understand math? No longer survival of the fittest it survival of the intellectually fittest.


Hawaii IS a densely populated state. Everyone is on Oahu. The death rates and population density conclusion doesn’t seem to work.


Hawaii is also an island. An island that required visitors to quarantine for 10-days if you aren’t vaccinated — in order to enter the state per the “safe travels program.”


Mississippi is NOT a densely populated state.


Correct. And that is exactly why the death-rate per-capita is so alarming.


Mississippi (MS) has a lower population density than Vermont (VT):



  • MS: 63 people per square mile

  • VT: 69 people per square mile


Meanwhile Mississippi ranks #1 in deaths per capita, while Vermont ranks #51.



  • MS: 1 in 318 people have died from Covid

  • VT: 1 in 2,073 people have died from Covid


From the chart in this article, people might be lead to believe that California ranks 5th in deaths per capita. At 1,728 per million, California ranks 33rd in the United States for deaths per capita. (and 37th in cases per capita)


Since the article above does not say, I’ve calculated the deaths per million for SLO county. We’ve had 315 deaths in a population of 283,000. That is 1,113 deaths per million, faring substantially better than the state of California with 1,728 deaths.


Agreed. Look at Kern County (or don’t) With a population of about 913,000 with near 1,500 reported Covid deaths, their death rate per mil is over 1,600 which is 5 times greater than here. Los Angeles County, with around a million people, has a reported Covid death rate of 2,580 per million.


WOW, 696,867 U.S. residents have died of COVID. The only other mass causality event in US history that exceed that death toll is the civil war at 750,000. Be wise, get vaxxed and take COVID precautions. This anti-vax stuff is lunacy.


New Jersey’s and New York’s death spikes were early in the pandemic in the US, prior to the vaccine distributions and improved hospital care. Here are the deaths over the past 28 days for the most populous states and smaller New Jersey:

Florida — 9,167

Texas — 6,853

California — 2,828

New York — 913

New Jersey — 495

Note the recent deaths in the vax and mask resistant GOP jurisdictions, Florida and Texas.

As for rural comparisons, Alabama’s population has actually had more deaths than births. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210920/alabama-deaths-outpace-births-first-time-history

Idaho is in a hospital care triage mode. https://idahocapitalsun.com/2021/09/16/idaho-is-now-in-statewide-mass-casualty-triage-mode-due-to-covid-surge/

Alaska is in a similar bind. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/09/14/providence-now-rationing-care-due-to-covid-surge/