Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a challenge for Americans nationwide. In fact, an estimated 129 million people have at least one major chronic disease, 42% of which have two or more, according to the CDC.
In some states, unhealthy lifestyle habits tend to be more common, making it more challenging for residents to prevent chronic disease. So, which states have the least healthy residents?
To find out, Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states across 21 key metrics. We found that Kentucky ranks #5 among the least healthy states.
Top 5 Least Healthy States:
- West Virginia: West Virginia is home to the highest percentage of adults who smoke (21%) and the highest percentage of obese adults (41%). West Virginia also has the highest rate of both diabetes deaths and drug overdose deaths.
- Mississippi: Mississippi residents have the highest rate of hypertension (43.9% of adults) and the shortest life expectancy (73.63 years). The Magnolia State also has the highest rate of deaths caused by cancer, hypertension, kidney disease and stroke.
- Tennessee: Tennessee has the highest rate of opioid misuse (3,743.97 per 100,000 adults) and prescription pain reliever misuse (3,190.88 per 100,000 adults) in the country.
- Arkansas: Arkansas has the second highest rate of chronic lower respiratory disease deaths (60.7 deaths per 100,000 state residents) and the second highest percentage of adults who smoke (18.7%). Arkansas also ranks second worst for both opioid and prescription pain reliever misuse.
- Kentucky: Kentucky has the third highest rate of both cancer deaths (178.27 deaths per 100,000 state residents) and drug overdose deaths (45.77 deaths per 100,000 state residents).
Key Takeaways
- West Virginia tops the list of states with the least healthy populations, while Hawaii ranks as the state with the healthiest residents.
- Eight of the top 10 least healthy states are in the South: West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
- Five of the top 10 healthiest states are on the East Coast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York.
- Mississippi ranks worst overall in our disease risk factors and prevalence category, West Virginia residents have the worst lifestyle habits and health outlook and Vermont is the worst state for substance abuse.
- At the county-level, Wayne County, Michigan, has the least healthy population, while Utah County, Utah, has the healthiest residents.
To see the full report, including the methodology, click here.
