Data / Rankings / Adult obesity rate / US states

US states by adult obesity rate

West Virginia had the highest adult obesity rate of 51 states in 2016, at 37.7%. Colorado had the lowest, at 22.3%. The median was 29.9% and the figure for the United States was 29.6%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest37.7West Virginia
Lowest22.3Colorado
Median29.951 states
United States29.6History

All states, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

West VirginiaWest Virginia: 37.7 %37.7MississippiMississippi: 37.3 %37.3AlabamaAlabama: 35.7 %35.7ArkansasArkansas: 35.7 %35.7LouisianaLouisiana: 35.5 %35.5TennesseeTennessee: 34.8 %34.8KentuckyKentucky: 34.2 %34.2TexasTexas: 33.7 %33.7OklahomaOklahoma: 32.8 %32.8IndianaIndiana: 32.5 %32.5MichiganMichigan: 32.5 %32.5South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 32.3 %32.3IowaIowa: 32 %32NebraskaNebraska: 32 %32North DakotaNorth Dakota: 31.9 %31.9North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 31.8 %31.8MissouriMissouri: 31.7 %31.7IllinoisIllinois: 31.6 %31.6OhioOhio: 31.5 %31.5AlaskaAlaska: 31.4 %31.4GeorgiaGeorgia: 31.4 %31.4KansasKansas: 31.2 %31.2DelawareDelaware: 30.7 %30.7WisconsinWisconsin: 30.7 %30.7PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 30.3 %30.3MaineMaine: 29.9 %29.9MarylandMaryland: 29.9 %29.9South DakotaSouth Dakota: 29.6 %29.6ArizonaArizona: 29 %29VirginiaVirginia: 29 %29OregonOregon: 28.7 %28.7WashingtonWashington: 28.6 %28.6New MexicoNew Mexico: 28.3 %28.3MinnesotaMinnesota: 27.8 %27.8WyomingWyoming: 27.7 %27.7FloridaFlorida: 27.4 %27.4IdahoIdaho: 27.4 %27.4New JerseyNew Jersey: 27.4 %27.4VermontVermont: 27.1 %27.1New HampshireNew Hampshire: 26.6 %26.6Rhode IslandRhode Island: 26.6 %26.6ConnecticutConnecticut: 26 %26NevadaNevada: 25.8 %25.8MontanaMontana: 25.5 %25.5New YorkNew York: 25.5 %25.5UtahUtah: 25.4 %25.4CaliforniaCalifornia: 25 %25HawaiiHawaii: 23.8 %23.8MassachusettsMassachusetts: 23.6 %23.6District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 22.6 %22.6ColoradoColorado: 22.3 %22.3
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2016 (%)Change on 2015
1West Virginia37.7+2.1 pts
2Mississippi37.3+1.7 pts
3Alabama35.7+0.1 pts
3Arkansas35.7+1.2 pts
5Louisiana35.5-0.7 pts
6Tennessee34.8+1 pts
7Kentucky34.2-0.4 pts
8Texas33.7+1.3 pts
9Oklahoma32.8-1.1 pts
10Indiana32.5+1.2 pts
10Michigan32.5+1.3 pts
12South Carolina32.3+0.6 pts
13Iowa32-0.1 pts
13Nebraska32+0.6 pts
15North Dakota31.9+0.9 pts
16North Carolina31.8+1.7 pts
17Missouri31.7-0.7 pts
18Illinois31.6+0.8 pts
19Ohio31.5+1.7 pts
20Alaska31.4+1.6 pts
20Georgia31.4+0.7 pts
22Kansas31.2-3 pts
23Delaware30.7+1 pts
23Wisconsin30.70 pts
25Pennsylvania30.3+0.3 pts
26Maine29.9-0.1 pts
26Maryland29.9+1 pts
28South Dakota29.6-0.8 pts
29Arizona29+0.6 pts
29Virginia29-0.2 pts
31Oregon28.7-1.4 pts
32Washington28.6+2.2 pts
33New Mexico28.3-0.5 pts
34Minnesota27.8+1.7 pts
35Wyoming27.7-1.3 pts
36Florida27.4+0.6 pts
36Idaho27.4-1.2 pts
36New Jersey27.4+1.8 pts
39Vermont27.1+2 pts
40New Hampshire26.6+0.3 pts
40Rhode Island26.6+0.6 pts
42Connecticut26+0.7 pts
43Nevada25.8-0.9 pts
44Montana25.5+1.9 pts
44New York25.5+0.5 pts
46Utah25.4+0.9 pts
47California25+0.8 pts
48Hawaii23.8+1.1 pts
49Massachusetts23.6-0.7 pts
50District of Columbia22.6+0.5 pts
51Colorado22.3+2.1 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?

West Virginia, with 37.7% in 2016, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult obesity rate?

Colorado, with 22.3% in 2016.

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