Death in California
In 2025, 288,070 people died in California, about 789 a day. Life expectancy at birth is 80.7 years, 1.7 years above the U.S. average of 79.0. The leading cause of death is heart disease.
Quick facts
- California recorded 288,070 deaths in 2025, about 789 a day (CDC/NCHS provisional counts).
- The death rate in California was 732 per 100,000 residents in 2025, the 2nd lowest of the 50 states and D.C., against 909 for the U.S. (CDC/NCHS provisional counts and Census Bureau estimates).
- Life expectancy at birth in California is 80.7 years, against 79.0 for the U.S. (NCHS state life tables for 2022, adjusted to 2024 death rates).
- Women in California can expect to live 83.2 years at birth and men 78.3 (NCHS state life tables for 2022, adjusted to 2024 death rates).
- The leading cause of death in California was heart disease, with 62,439 deaths in 2024 (CDC/NCHS final data).
Estimated deaths in California so far today
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Estimate based on 288,070 deaths counted in California in 2025. Those are CDC provisional counts, newer than the final data for the year before, and they may change slightly. The total is spread over the year by each month's usual share. Days start at midnight Eastern Time.
How long people live in California
| California | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone, at birth | 80.7 | 79.0 |
| Women, at birth | 83.2 | 81.5 |
| Men, at birth | 78.3 | 76.5 |
| Years left at 65 | 20.4 | 19.7 |
Life expectancy in years. NCHS state life tables (2022), adjusted to 2024 U.S. death rates; U.S. life tables 2024. Death rates are not adjusted for age, so states with older residents rank higher.
California had the most deaths of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. in 2025, and the 2nd lowest death rate, 732 per 100,000 residents, against 909 for the whole country.
Work out the numbers for your own age with the life expectancy calculator, or see every state ranked in life expectancy by state.
Age at death in California
Out of everyone born today, the share who would die at each age if today's death rates held. The most common age is 88.
NCHS state life tables (2022), adjusted to 2024 U.S. death rates.
After a death in California
- ProbateUSProbate in CaliforniaWhen an estate needs probate in California, the small-estate options, and which court handles it.
- Cheap FuneralFuneral prices in CaliforniaPublished prices for direct cremation and burial at funeral homes in the state.
- FuneralUSFind a funeral homeSearch funeral homes by city or ZIP code, with contact details.
- VeteranFuneralsVeteran cemeteries in CaliforniaNational and state veterans cemeteries, and the burial benefits veterans and spouses can use.
- FunerariaCercaFunerarias en CaliforniaFuneral homes for Spanish-speaking families, in Spanish.
Leading causes of death in California
Deaths in 2024, by cause.
- Heart disease62,439
- Cancer61,157
- Accidents (unintentional injuries)18,514
- Stroke17,649
- Alzheimer's disease16,286
Source: Stats of the States: death data maps by cause (heart disease, cancer, accidents, stroke, ...), CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 final data.
The leading causes change a lot with age. See the leading causes of death by age for the U.S.