Obesity rate by state
West Virginia has the highest adult obesity rate of any state, 41.4% in 2024, followed by Mississippi (40.4%) and Louisiana (39.2%). Colorado has the lowest (25.0%), then the District of Columbia (25.5%). The CDC's US figure, the median of the states, is 34.2%1.
Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
Source: CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: 2024. Hatched: no data for Tennessee.
| 1 | West Virginia | 41.4% | Higher | 20.8% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mississippi | 40.4% | Higher | 13.8% |
| 3 | Louisiana | 39.2% | Higher | 15.0% |
| =4 | Alabama | 38.9% | Higher | 14.0% |
| =4 | Arkansas | 38.9% | Higher | 16.5% |
| 6 | Indiana | 38.4% | Higher | 13.9% |
| =7 | Kansas | 37.6% | Higher | 13.7% |
| =7 | Nebraska | 37.6% | Higher | 12.2% |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 37.4% | Higher | 11.9% |
| 10 | Kentucky | 37.2% | Higher | 17.2% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 37.0% | Higher | 13.5% |
| 12 | Ohio | 36.9% | Higher | 14.1% |
| =13 | North Dakota | 36.8% | Higher | 12.3% |
| =13 | Oklahoma | 36.8% | Higher | 14.1% |
| =15 | Delaware | 36.6% | Higher | 10.1% |
| =15 | Iowa | 36.6% | Higher | 12.9% |
| 17 | Michigan | 36.1% | Higher | 13.4% |
| 18 | Texas | 35.6% | Higher | 10.0% |
| 19 | Georgia | 35.4% | Higher | 11.2% |
| =20 | Missouri | 34.6% | Higher | 14.7% |
| =20 | South Carolina | 34.6% | Higher | 12.6% |
| =22 | New Mexico | 34.5% | Higher | 12.0% |
| =22 | North Carolina | 34.5% | Higher | 11.5% |
| =24 | Illinois | 34.2% | Not significant | 10.5% |
| =24 | Nevada | 34.2% | Not significant | 11.9% |
| =24 | Pennsylvania | 34.2% | Not significant | 11.7% |
| 27 | Alaska | 34.0% | Lower | 14.7% |
| 28 | Oregon | 33.6% | Lower | 10.6% |
| 29 | Arizona | 33.3% | Lower | 10.2% |
| 30 | Maine | 33.2% | Lower | 14.4% |
| =31 | Idaho | 32.7% | Lower | 9.6% |
| =31 | Maryland | 32.7% | Lower | 7.8% |
| 33 | Wyoming | 32.5% | Lower | 12.7% |
| =34 | Minnesota | 32.3% | Lower | 10.2% |
| =34 | Virginia | 32.3% | Lower | 11.1% |
| 36 | Connecticut | 32.0% | Lower | 9.0% |
| 37 | Washington | 31.5% | Lower | 7.9% |
| =38 | New Hampshire | 31.1% | Lower | 9.1% |
| =38 | Rhode Island | 31.1% | Lower | 9.9% |
| =40 | Montana | 31.0% | Lower | 12.2% |
| =40 | Utah | 31.0% | Lower | 5.7% |
| 42 | Florida | 29.6% | Lower | 10.6% |
| 43 | New York | 29.5% | Lower | 9.9% |
| 44 | California | 29.1% | Lower | 7.6% |
| 45 | Vermont | 29.0% | Lower | 10.5% |
| 46 | New Jersey | 27.7% | Lower | 8.6% |
| =47 | Hawaii | 27.0% | Lower | 8.1% |
| =47 | Massachusetts | 27.0% | Lower | 8.8% |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 25.5% | Lower | 8.5% |
| 50 | Colorado | 25.0% | Lower | 9.7% |
| United States | 34.2% | 11.6% |
Source: CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data. Period: 2024. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
The ten most obese states
Five Southern states head the list. West Virginia (41.4%) and Mississippi (40.4%) are the only two where four in ten adults or more reported a height and weight in the obesity range. Louisiana follows at 39.2%, and Alabama and Arkansas tie for fourth at 38.9%1.
The second half of the top ten is mostly Midwestern: Indiana (38.4%), Kansas and Nebraska (tied at 37.6%) and Wisconsin (37.4%), with Kentucky tenth at 37.2%1.
Source: CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data. Period: 2024.
Show the numbers
| State | Adult obesity (BRFSS, self-reported), 2024 |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 41.4% |
| Mississippi | 40.4% |
| Louisiana | 39.2% |
| Alabama | 38.9% |
| Arkansas | 38.9% |
| Indiana | 38.4% |
| Kansas | 37.6% |
| Nebraska | 37.6% |
| Wisconsin | 37.4% |
| Kentucky | 37.2% |
| South Dakota | 37.0% |
| Ohio | 36.9% |
| North Dakota | 36.8% |
| Oklahoma | 36.8% |
| Delaware | 36.6% |
| United States | 34.2% |
Several of these states stand out from everything around them. West Virginia's rate is higher than every bordering state (Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia). Mississippi's is higher than every bordering state (Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana), Indiana's is higher than every bordering state (Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio), and Wisconsin's is higher than every bordering state (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota)1.
The least obese states
Colorado has the lowest rate, 25.0%, and it is lower than every bordering state (Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming)1. Two of those neighbours, Kansas and Nebraska, are in the national top ten, so the gap at Colorado's eastern border is one of the widest between any two adjacent states in the table.
After Colorado come the District of Columbia (25.5%), Massachusetts and Hawaii (both 27.0%), New Jersey (27.7%) and Vermont (29.0%). California (29.1%), New York (29.5%) and Florida (29.6%) are next; Florida's rate is lower than every bordering state (Alabama and Georgia) and is the 2nd lowest in the South. Montana and Utah share tenth place at 31.0%1.
Massachusetts is lower than every bordering state (Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont), and California is lower than every bordering state (Arizona, Nevada and Oregon)1.
A line between regions
Obesity rates split along the Census Bureau's regions more sharply than most measures on this site. Every state above the middle value of 34.2% is in the South or the Midwest, with one exception: New Mexico, the highest in the West, at 34.5%. No Northeastern state is above it; the highest there, Pennsylvania, matches it exactly (34.2%1).
- South: from 41.4% in West Virginia to 25.5% in the District of Columbia, the widest range of any region. Outside DC, the lowest Southern rates are in Florida (29.6%) and Virginia (32.3%).
- Midwest: from 38.4% in Indiana to 32.3% in Minnesota, the narrowest range. Every Midwestern state except Minnesota and Illinois (34.2%, the same as the US figure (34.2%)) is above the middle value.
- West: from 34.5% in New Mexico to 25.0% in Colorado. Nevada (34.2%) and Alaska (34.0%) are the 2nd highest in the West and 3rd highest in the West.
- Northeast: from 34.2% in Pennsylvania to 27.0% in Massachusetts1.
Minnesota is the clearest break inside the Midwest. Its rate, 32.3%, is lower than every bordering state (Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin), while Wisconsin across its eastern border is at 37.4%1.
Source: CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data. Period: 2024.
Show the numbers
| State | Adult obesity (BRFSS, self-reported), 2024 |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 37.4% |
| South Dakota | 37.0% |
| North Dakota | 36.8% |
| Iowa | 36.6% |
| Michigan | 36.1% |
| United States | 34.2% |
| Minnesota | 32.3% |
Education, income and life expectancy at both ends
The five states with the highest obesity rates and the five places with the lowest also sit on opposite sides of the national figure for several other measures. The table sets them side by side. It shows that the measures move together at the two ends of the ranking; it does not show that one causes another.
| West Virginia | 41.4% | 24.7% ±0.8 | $61,340 ±$1,301 | 72.2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 40.4% | 26.9% ±0.6 | $59,346 ±$1,510 | 72.6 |
| Louisiana | 39.2% | 28.3% ±0.6 | $65,139 ±$1,183 | 73.8 |
| Alabama | 38.9% | 31.1% ±0.6 | $67,663 ±$1,147 | 73.8 |
| Arkansas | 38.9% | 28.8% ±0.7 | $65,588 ±$976 | 73.9 |
| New Jersey | 27.7% | 45.0% ±0.5 | $107,797 ±$1,374 | 79.6 |
| Hawaii | 27.0% | 38.9% ±1.0 | $105,013 ±$3,065 | 80.0 |
| Massachusetts | 27.0% | 49.2% ±0.6 | $106,539 ±$1,459 | 79.8 |
| District of Columbia | 25.5% | 64.9% ±2.2 | $109,505 ±$7,573 | 76.6 |
| Colorado | 25.0% | 47.1% ±0.6 | $99,729 ±$1,273 | 78.5 |
| United States | 34.2% | 37.4% ±0.1 | $84,780 ±$215 | 77.5 |
Source: CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B15003; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19013; CDC National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022. ± is the 90% margin of error.
- Bachelor's degrees. The share of adults 25 and older with at least a bachelor's degree in 2025 is below the US figure in all five of the highest-obesity states: in West Virginia it is 12.7 percentage points below the US figure (37.4%). In the five lowest it is above, from Hawaii (1.5 percentage points above the US figure (37.4%)) to the District of Columbia (27.5 percentage points above the US figure (37.4%)3).
- Household income. Median household income in 2025 is below the US figure in all of the top five, by the widest margin in Mississippi ($25,434 (30%) below the US figure ($84,780)), and above it in all of the bottom five; Colorado's is $14,949 (18%) above the US figure ($84,780)4.
- Life expectancy. In 2022, life expectancy at birth was below the US figure in each of the five highest-obesity states, from Arkansas (3.6 years below the US figure (77.5 years)) to West Virginia (5.3 years below the US figure (77.5 years)). The low-obesity end is less uniform: Hawaii is 2.5 years above the US figure (77.5 years), but the District of Columbia is 0.9 years below the US figure (77.5 years)5.
Away from the two ends the pattern loosens. Wisconsin has the 9th highest1 obesity rate, yet its life expectancy, 78.1 years, is 0.6 years above the US figure (77.5 years), and its median household income is only $4,567 (5%) below the US figure ($84,780)4. Minnesota, with a lower obesity rate, has a life expectancy of 79.3 years5.
Obesity and smoking rank differently
The same CDC survey measures smoking, and the two rankings overlap only partly. West Virginia leads both: 20.8% of adults there smoke, 9.2 percentage points above the US figure (11.6%). Kentucky's smoking rate is 5.6 percentage points above the US figure (11.6%), a larger gap than its obesity rate, which is 3.0 percentage points above the US figure (34.2%)1.
Elsewhere the two diverge. Utah has the lowest smoking rate in the survey, 5.7%, but its obesity rate of 31.0% ranks only tied for 10th lowest; Florida and New York, among others, have lower obesity rates. Maine and Alaska both have obesity rates below the middle value (33.2% and 34.0%) while their smoking rates are 2.8 percentage points above the US figure (11.6%) and 3.1 percentage points above the US figure (11.6%). California is low on both: obesity 5.1 percentage points below the US figure (34.2%), smoking 4.0 percentage points below the US figure (11.6%)1.
How the CDC measures obesity
The figures come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which the CDC describes on its adult obesity prevalence maps page as a state-based telephone interview survey run by the CDC and state health departments. Adults 18 and older are asked their height and weight, and the CDC calculates body mass index from the answers. An adult with a body mass index of 30 or greater is counted as having obesity, the cut-off in the CDC's adult BMI categories. The rate is the share of a state's adult respondents in that range, weighted to the state's adult population and not adjusted for age.
Reading the ranking correctly
- The US figure is a median. The CDC summarizes BRFSS with the median of the states and DC, so 34.2% is the value of the middle place in the ranking, not an estimate for all American adults. 23 places are above it, 241 below, and Illinois, Nevada and Pennsylvania match it.
- Tennessee is not published. The 2024 dataset has no Tennessee estimate, so the table lists 49 states and DC. For every state that would rank below Tennessee, the rank number shown is one smaller than it would be with all 50 states.
- Self-reported, not measured. People tend to report their own height and weight with some error, so these rates are not the same as rates from measured exams. They are consistent from state to state because every state uses the same questions.
- Small gaps are not meaningful. BRFSS is a sample survey, and this page does not show its confidence intervals. States a few tenths of a point apart, such as Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Kentucky, should be read as a group rather than in strict order. Ties come from rounding to one decimal.
- The District of Columbia is a city. Its rate is compared here with whole states that include rural areas.
- The year is 2024. The CDC's adult obesity prevalence maps show 2025 survey data as of November 2026; this page moves to 2025 when those figures enter the site's dataset, so a state's figure here can differ from the one on the CDC map.
Questions about obesity rates by state
What is the most obese state?
West Virginia. In the CDC's 2024 survey, 41.4% of adults there had obesity, 7.2 percentage points above the US figure (34.2%). It is the only state above 40.4%; Mississippi1 is second.
What is the least obese state?
Colorado, at 25.0%, 9.2 percentage points below the US figure (34.2%). The District of Columbia is next (25.5%), but it is a single city; among the states, Massachusetts and Hawaii follow at 27.0%1.
What is the obesity rate in the United States?
The CDC summarizes its state survey with the median of the states and DC, 34.2%1 of adults in 2024. Half of the states are above that value and half below. It is not a single national estimate.
Why is Tennessee missing from the ranking?
The CDC's 2024 BRFSS prevalence data contain no estimate for Tennessee, so the ranking covers 501 places: 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Related rankings
Sources
- CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data; 2024 survey year. data.cdc.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B15003; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19013; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022; 2022 final mortality; released December 4, 2025. www.cdc.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.