Jul 2, 2026 - News
Iowa has the nation's fourth-highest melanoma rate
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Iowa's melanoma rate remains among the nation's highest in newly available federal cancer data.
Why it matters: Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and Iowa's burden is unusually high for a state far from coastal beach culture.
Zoom in: Iowa's age-adjusted melanoma rate was 33.7 cases per 100,000 people for 2019-2023, according to CDC data.
The big picture: That compares with roughly 24 new cases nationally.
- Utah (43.8), Minnesota (40.5), and Vermont (35.1) had rates higher than Iowa.
Stunning stat: Iowa reported 6,456 melanoma cases during the 2019-2023 period.
Read more: Melanoma is more common in white people