Data from the CDC has shown that mesothelioma is present in rates of 0.58 to 1.65 per 100,000 people. The states at the higher end of those rates include Alaska, New Jersey, Washington, Maine, and West Virginia, each in the upper tenth percentile. Looking at the mesothelioma statistics by state, this is most likely due to the more massive presence of factories and plants that involved heavy use of asbestos.