In addition to ending a life tragically, suicide profoundly affects the lives of surviving relatives and friends. While over 45,000 people die from suicide in the U.S. each year, it can often be prevented through education, mental health services and public awareness.

In 2016-18, whites in Westchester County had the highest suicide rate at 8.8 per 100,000 followed by Asians (6.6), African Americans (4.5) and Hispanics (3.3).

Westchester County's rate among Asians was higher than the state rate of 4.9 deaths per 100,000, and the highest compared to the counties of Nassau (5.4) and Rockland (1.5).

Westchester's suicide rate for whites was similar to Rockland at 9.0 and above Putnam at 8.3; it had the third highest rate for African Americans behind Putnam (12) and Rockland (5.2), and the lowest rate for Hispanics behind Putnam (8.2), Nassau (5.5) and Rockland (3.8).

Racial and ethnic groups differ in their access to culturally appropriate behavioral health treatment, experiences of discrimination and historical trauma and other factors that may be related to suicide risk.

Rates are age-adjusted, meaning adjusted to account for differences in age distributions across geographies. Some data for Putnam County is not shown because the numbers are so low that the rate is considered unstable and not reported.