Data / Rankings / Adult obesity rate / US states

US states by adult obesity rate

Arkansas had the highest adult obesity rate of 51 states in 2014, at 35.9%. Colorado had the lowest, at 21.3%. The median was 29.6% and the figure for the United States was 28.9%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest35.9Arkansas
Lowest21.3Colorado
Median29.651 states
United States28.9History

All states, 2014

CSVChart (SVG)

ArkansasArkansas: 35.9 %35.9West VirginiaWest Virginia: 35.7 %35.7MississippiMississippi: 35.5 %35.5LouisianaLouisiana: 34.9 %34.9AlabamaAlabama: 33.5 %33.5OklahomaOklahoma: 33 %33IndianaIndiana: 32.7 %32.7OhioOhio: 32.6 %32.6North DakotaNorth Dakota: 32.2 %32.2South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 32.1 %32.1TexasTexas: 31.9 %31.9KentuckyKentucky: 31.6 %31.6KansasKansas: 31.3 %31.3TennesseeTennessee: 31.2 %31.2WisconsinWisconsin: 31.2 %31.2IowaIowa: 30.9 %30.9DelawareDelaware: 30.7 %30.7MichiganMichigan: 30.7 %30.7GeorgiaGeorgia: 30.5 %30.5MissouriMissouri: 30.2 %30.2NebraskaNebraska: 30.2 %30.2PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 30.2 %30.2South DakotaSouth Dakota: 29.8 %29.8AlaskaAlaska: 29.7 %29.7North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 29.7 %29.7MarylandMaryland: 29.6 %29.6WyomingWyoming: 29.5 %29.5IllinoisIllinois: 29.3 %29.3ArizonaArizona: 28.9 %28.9IdahoIdaho: 28.9 %28.9VirginiaVirginia: 28.5 %28.5New MexicoNew Mexico: 28.4 %28.4MaineMaine: 28.2 %28.2OregonOregon: 27.9 %27.9NevadaNevada: 27.7 %27.7MinnesotaMinnesota: 27.6 %27.6New HampshireNew Hampshire: 27.4 %27.4WashingtonWashington: 27.3 %27.3New YorkNew York: 27 %27Rhode IslandRhode Island: 27 %27New JerseyNew Jersey: 26.9 %26.9MontanaMontana: 26.4 %26.4ConnecticutConnecticut: 26.3 %26.3FloridaFlorida: 26.2 %26.2UtahUtah: 25.7 %25.7VermontVermont: 24.8 %24.8CaliforniaCalifornia: 24.7 %24.7MassachusettsMassachusetts: 23.3 %23.3HawaiiHawaii: 22.1 %22.1District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 21.7 %21.7ColoradoColorado: 21.3 %21.3
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2014 (%)Change on 2013
1Arkansas35.9+1.3 pts
2West Virginia35.7+0.6 pts
3Mississippi35.5+0.4 pts
4Louisiana34.9+1.8 pts
5Alabama33.5+1.1 pts
6Oklahoma33+0.5 pts
7Indiana32.7+0.9 pts
8Ohio32.6+2.2 pts
9North Dakota32.2+1.2 pts
10South Carolina32.1+0.4 pts
11Texas31.9+1 pts
12Kentucky31.6-1.6 pts
13Kansas31.3+1.3 pts
14Tennessee31.2-2.5 pts
14Wisconsin31.2+1.4 pts
16Iowa30.9-0.4 pts
17Delaware30.7-0.4 pts
17Michigan30.7-0.8 pts
19Georgia30.5+0.2 pts
20Missouri30.2-0.2 pts
20Nebraska30.2+0.6 pts
20Pennsylvania30.2+0.2 pts
23South Dakota29.8-0.1 pts
24Alaska29.7+1.3 pts
24North Carolina29.7+0.3 pts
26Maryland29.6+1.3 pts
27Wyoming29.5+1.7 pts
28Illinois29.3-0.1 pts
29Arizona28.9+2.1 pts
29Idaho28.9-0.7 pts
31Virginia28.5+1.3 pts
32New Mexico28.4+2 pts
33Maine28.2-0.7 pts
34Oregon27.9+1.4 pts
35Nevada27.7+1.5 pts
36Minnesota27.6+2.1 pts
37New Hampshire27.4+0.7 pts
38Washington27.3+0.1 pts
39New York27+1.6 pts
39Rhode Island27-0.3 pts
41New Jersey26.9+0.6 pts
42Montana26.4+1.8 pts
43Connecticut26.3+1.3 pts
44Florida26.2-0.2 pts
45Utah25.7+1.6 pts
46Vermont24.8+0.1 pts
47California24.7+0.6 pts
48Massachusetts23.3-0.3 pts
49Hawaii22.1+0.3 pts
50District of Columbia21.7-1.2 pts
51Colorado21.30 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage of adults aged 18 and over with obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or more calculated from self-reported height and weight. Crude prevalence, not age-adjusted.

United States: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey. Self-reported measurements give lower figures than measured surveys such as NHANES. The national figure pools respondents from the 50 states and DC; a state that did not meet BRFSS data standards in a year (California, Mississippi and Nevada in 2025) has no value and is left out of that year's national figure. Territories are not included. The series starts in 2011, when BRFSS changed its weighting and added cell phones, so earlier estimates are not comparable.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (hn4x-zwk7), percent of adults aged 18 years and older who have obesity, total. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/hn4x-zwk7.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid%3D%27Q036%27+AND+stratificationid1%3D%27OVERALL%27+AND+datavaluetypeid%3D%27VALUE%27. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which state has the highest adult obesity rate?

Arkansas, with 35.9% in 2014, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult obesity rate?

Colorado, with 21.3% in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (hn4x-zwk7), percent of adults aged 18 years and older who have obesity, total. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

US states: more rankings