If you’ve ever looked at the sheer size of Texas, you know that numbers here are always big. But when we start talking about mortality—basically, how many people died in Texas—the data becomes a lot more than just a spreadsheet. It’s a snapshot of how we’re living, how we’re driving, and frankly, what’s going wrong in our healthcare system.
Honestly, the numbers for 2024 and 2025 are a bit of a mixed bag. Total deaths in the state generally hover around 250,000 to 260,000 annually, though the official tallies from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) often take a year or more to fully solidify. While some areas, like traffic fatalities, are finally seeing a slight dip, other issues like maternal mortality and chronic disease are still incredibly stubborn.
What Really Kills Texans?
When people ask how many people died in Texas, they usually have a specific cause in mind—maybe a headline they saw about a crash or a flu outbreak. But the "boring" stuff is actually what’s most lethal.
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Heart disease and cancer remain the undisputed heavyweights. They account for nearly half of all deaths in the state every single year. According to the CDC’s Stats of the States, heart disease typically claims over 50,000 lives in Texas annually.
The Top Killers in the Lone Star State
- Heart Disease: Still #1. It’s a mix of diet, lifestyle, and a lack of access to preventive care in rural areas.
- Cancer: Lung and colorectal cancers are particularly high here.
- Unintentional Injuries: This is a broad category that includes everything from drug overdoses to falls and car wrecks.
- Stroke: We’re seeing a weirdly high spike in stroke-related deaths among the Hispanic population compared to national averages.
- Alzheimer’s Disease: With our aging population, this is climbing the ranks fast.
It’s kinda wild to think that while we worry about big, dramatic events, it’s mostly these slow-moving chronic conditions that are doing the most damage.
The Reality of Texas Roadways
Let’s talk about the roads because that’s where the numbers feel the most "avoidable."
For the first time in a while, there’s actually some "good" news. In 2024, Texas saw a 3.29% decrease in motor vehicle traffic fatalities. We went from 4,291 deaths in 2023 down to 4,150 in 2024.
It’s not a huge drop, but after years of the numbers climbing, it’s a start. TxDOT reports that October was the deadliest month on the road last year, with 391 people killed. Even more sobering? There were no deathless days on Texas roads in 2024. Not one.
"Of all persons killed in vehicles where restraint usage was applicable, 45.34% were reported as not restrained."
Basically, nearly half of the people who died in car crashes weren't wearing a seatbelt. That’s a statistic that’s hard to swallow in 2026.
Rural vs. Urban Danger
You might think the chaotic highways of Houston or Dallas are the most dangerous. While the number of crashes is higher there, the fatality rate is a different story. Over 50% of traffic deaths happen on rural roads.
Why? High speeds, two-lane roads with no dividers, and the fact that it takes much longer for an ambulance to reach you in the middle of West Texas than it does in downtown Austin.
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Surprising Trends in 2025
As we look at the provisional data for 2025, a few things stand out that most people aren't talking about.
Maternal Health is Worsening
The March of Dimes recently gave Texas a failing grade for maternal health. The maternal mortality rate has actually worsened, sitting at roughly 29.3 deaths per 100,000 births. For a state with some of the best medical centers in the world, that’s a pretty glaring contradiction.
The Suicide Rate Gap
Suicide rates in Texas have jumped nearly 30% over the last two decades. Interestingly, the highest risk isn't among teenagers—it's actually men aged 75 to 79. In 2022, about 4,368 people died by suicide in Texas, and provisional 2024/2025 data suggests those numbers haven't moved down much.
Why the Data Matters for You
Knowing how many people died in Texas isn't just about morbid curiosity. It’s about recognizing the risks that are actually within our control.
We see a lot of deaths from "unintentional injuries"—which includes the fentanyl crisis. While homicide rates in major Texas cities like Dallas and San Antonio actually saw a significant double-digit drop in early 2025, overdose deaths remain a massive hurdle for public health officials.
Actionable Insights for Texans
If you want to stay on the right side of these statistics, focus on the big three:
- Screening: Since heart disease and cancer are the primary drivers, regular blood pressure checks and cancer screenings (especially if you're over 45) are literally life-saving.
- Road Safety: It sounds cliché, but the data shows that wearing a seatbelt and slowing down on rural roads would prevent hundreds of deaths every year.
- Mental Health Awareness: With the rising suicide rate among older adults, checking in on seniors in your family isn't just a nice gesture—it's a critical health intervention.
The total count of how many people died in Texas will always be high because our population is exploding. But the reasons they are dying are shifting. We're getting better at preventing murders and car crashes, but we're still struggling with the stuff that happens inside the body and the quiet crises of mental health.
The best way to stay informed is to keep an eye on the Texas Center for Health Statistics dashboard. They update their provisional data monthly, though as we've seen, it often takes a full year for those "final" numbers to be verified and published.
For those looking to take a proactive step, look into local community health programs that offer free heart screenings or focus on rural road safety initiatives in your specific county. These are the boots-on-the-ground efforts that actually move the needle on these statewide numbers.