Population Density By State and Suicide Rates

The 2010 Census results were recently released. The US population increased by 9.7% during the past decade. This is the smallest percentage increase in population since the 1920s. In Michigan the population actually declined. But for the rest of the United States population increased. This is good news for suicide rates. In an earlier article we documented the suicide rates by states and found that Alaska had the highest suicide rate. New Mexico had the second highest suicide rate, followed by Wyoming. Wyoming has the second lowest population density in the country, New Mexico has the sixth lowest.

This pattern is supported at the country level  as well. The former Soviet states have the highest suicide rates.

Here is the list of states with the lowest population densities and their suicide rate rankings:

1. Alaska: Population density=1.2 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=1

2. Wyoming: Population density=5.8 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=3

3. Montana: Population density=6.8 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=4

4. North Dakota: Population density=9.7 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=14

5. South Dakota: Population density=10.7 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=25

6. New Mexico: Population density=17 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=2

7. Idaho: Population density=19 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=11

8. Nebraska: Population density=23.8 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=41

9. Nevada: Population density=24.6 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=5

10. Utah: Population density=33.6 people per square mile, Suicide Rank=9

Insider Monkey, your source for insider trading data, also run a quick and dirty regression. We calculated that a 1% decrease in population density leads to a 2% increase in suicide rates.