This population-based case-control study assesses the risk of stomach cancer among black and white men and women. The association of occupational risk factors and cigarette smoking with stomach cancer was analyzed using 739 stomach cancer cases and 3750 population controls. Complete occupational and tobacco-use histories were obtained by telephone interview. Significant increases in stomach cancer were observed among black men (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0), white women (OR = 1.7), and black women (OR = 1.4) who had ever smoked. The majority of occupations with significant increases in risk were among white men and included agricultural workers (OR = 2.6), driver sales (OR = 3.8), assemblers (OR = 2.0), mechanics (OR = 2.2), and material movers (OR = 2.9). Black women employed as assemblers (OR = 5.4) and white women employed as food workers (OR = 4.0) also had significant ORs. Evaluating occupations with possible dust exposure, we found no association between dust exposure and stomach cancer.