Data / Rankings / Adult obesity rate / US states

US states by adult obesity rate

Mississippi had the highest adult obesity rate of 51 states in 2018, at 39.5%. Colorado had the lowest, at 23%. The median was 30.9% and the figure for the United States was 30.9%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest39.5Mississippi
Lowest23Colorado
Median30.951 states
United States30.9History

All states, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

MississippiMississippi: 39.5 %39.5West VirginiaWest Virginia: 39.5 %39.5ArkansasArkansas: 37.1 %37.1LouisianaLouisiana: 36.8 %36.8KentuckyKentucky: 36.6 %36.6AlabamaAlabama: 36.2 %36.2IowaIowa: 35.3 %35.3North DakotaNorth Dakota: 35.1 %35.1MissouriMissouri: 35 %35OklahomaOklahoma: 34.8 %34.8TexasTexas: 34.8 %34.8KansasKansas: 34.4 %34.4TennesseeTennessee: 34.4 %34.4South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 34.3 %34.3IndianaIndiana: 34.1 %34.1NebraskaNebraska: 34.1 %34.1OhioOhio: 34 %34DelawareDelaware: 33.5 %33.5MichiganMichigan: 33 %33North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 33 %33GeorgiaGeorgia: 32.5 %32.5New MexicoNew Mexico: 32.3 %32.3WisconsinWisconsin: 32 %32IllinoisIllinois: 31.8 %31.8MarylandMaryland: 30.9 %30.9PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 30.9 %30.9FloridaFlorida: 30.7 %30.7MaineMaine: 30.4 %30.4VirginiaVirginia: 30.4 %30.4MinnesotaMinnesota: 30.1 %30.1South DakotaSouth Dakota: 30.1 %30.1OregonOregon: 29.9 %29.9New HampshireNew Hampshire: 29.6 %29.6AlaskaAlaska: 29.5 %29.5ArizonaArizona: 29.5 %29.5NevadaNevada: 29.5 %29.5WyomingWyoming: 29 %29WashingtonWashington: 28.7 %28.7IdahoIdaho: 28.4 %28.4UtahUtah: 27.8 %27.8Rhode IslandRhode Island: 27.7 %27.7New YorkNew York: 27.6 %27.6VermontVermont: 27.5 %27.5ConnecticutConnecticut: 27.4 %27.4MontanaMontana: 26.9 %26.9CaliforniaCalifornia: 25.8 %25.8MassachusettsMassachusetts: 25.7 %25.7New JerseyNew Jersey: 25.7 %25.7HawaiiHawaii: 24.9 %24.9District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 24.7 %24.7ColoradoColorado: 23 %23
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Mississippi39.5+2.2 pts
1West Virginia39.5+1.4 pts
3Arkansas37.1+2.1 pts
4Louisiana36.8+0.6 pts
5Kentucky36.6+2.3 pts
6Alabama36.2-0.1 pts
7Iowa35.3-1.1 pts
8North Dakota35.1+1.9 pts
9Missouri35+2.5 pts
10Oklahoma34.8-1.7 pts
10Texas34.8+1.8 pts
12Kansas34.4+2 pts
12Tennessee34.4+1.6 pts
14South Carolina34.3+0.2 pts
15Indiana34.1+0.5 pts
15Nebraska34.1+1.3 pts
17Ohio34+0.2 pts
18Delaware33.5+1.7 pts
19Michigan33+0.7 pts
19North Carolina33+0.9 pts
21Georgia32.5+0.9 pts
22New Mexico32.3+3.9 pts
23Wisconsin320 pts
24Illinois31.8+0.7 pts
25Maryland30.9-0.4 pts
25Pennsylvania30.9-0.7 pts
27Florida30.7+2.3 pts
28Maine30.4+1.3 pts
28Virginia30.4+0.3 pts
30Minnesota30.1+1.7 pts
30South Dakota30.1-1.8 pts
32Oregon29.9+0.5 pts
33New Hampshire29.6+1.5 pts
34Alaska29.5-4.7 pts
34Arizona29.50 pts
34Nevada29.5+2.8 pts
37Wyoming29+0.2 pts
38Washington28.7+1 pts
39Idaho28.4-0.9 pts
40Utah27.8+2.5 pts
41Rhode Island27.7-2.3 pts
42New York27.6+1.9 pts
43Vermont27.5-0.1 pts
44Connecticut27.4+0.5 pts
45Montana26.9+1.6 pts
46California25.8+0.7 pts
47Massachusetts25.7-0.2 pts
47New Jersey25.7-1.6 pts
49Hawaii24.9+1.1 pts
50District of Columbia24.7+1.7 pts
51Colorado23+0.4 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?

Mississippi, with 39.5% in 2018, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult obesity rate?

Colorado, with 23% in 2018.

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