Mesothelioma by Location

Mesothelioma does not occur randomly. Cases cluster in cities with histories of shipbuilding, oil refining, steel production, and heavy manufacturing where asbestos was used extensively.

Understanding Geographic Patterns

Most mesothelioma patients today were exposed to asbestos 20 to 50 years ago through their occupation. Because certain industries concentrated in specific regions, mesothelioma cases follow predictable geographic patterns.

The highest-risk areas include:

  • Gulf Coast — Refineries, petrochemical plants, and shipyards from Houston to New Orleans
  • Naval ports — Norfolk, San Diego, Bremerton, and other shipyard cities
  • Great Lakes industrial belt — Steel mills and auto manufacturing in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana
  • Northeast industrial corridor — Shipyards, power plants, and manufacturing from Boston to Philadelphia

Browse by State

Select a state to learn about local asbestos exposure sources and mesothelioma resources.

Gulf Coast

Texas

Houston, Port Arthur, Beaumont, Galveston, Corpus Christi — refineries, shipyards, petrochemical corridor

Louisiana

New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles — Avondale Shipyard, refineries, petrochemical plants

Mississippi

Pascagoula — Ingalls Shipbuilding, Chevron refinery

Alabama

Mobile — Alabama Dry Dock, shipyards, paper mills

West Coast

California

San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond — naval bases, shipyards, aerospace

Washington

Bremerton, Seattle, Tacoma — Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Boeing, ports

Oregon

Portland — Kaiser shipyards, Swan Island, port facilities

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

Virginia

Norfolk — World's largest naval base, Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh — Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, steel mills

New York

New York City, Buffalo, Albany — Brooklyn Navy Yard, construction, manufacturing

New Jersey

Newark, Jersey City — ports, power plants, manufacturing

Maryland

Baltimore — Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point, shipyards

Massachusetts

Boston — Charlestown Navy Yard, construction, power plants

Great Lakes & Midwest

Ohio

Cleveland, Akron, Toledo — steel mills, rubber/tire manufacturing, auto plants

Michigan

Detroit, Flint — Big Three auto plants, foundries, brake manufacturing

Illinois

Chicago — railroad hub, steel mills, industrial plants

Indiana

Gary — U.S. Steel Gary Works, steel manufacturing

Wisconsin

Milwaukee — heavy machinery manufacturing, shipyards

Minnesota

Duluth, Minneapolis — Great Lakes shipyards, iron ore, railroads

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