Data / Rankings / Physical inactivity in adults / US states

US states by physical inactivity in adults

Mississippi had the highest physical inactivity in adults of 51 states in 2014, at 31.6%. Colorado had the lowest, at 16.4%. The median was 22.7%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest31.6Mississippi
Lowest16.4Colorado
Median22.751 states

Map of states, 2014

Alabama: 27.6 %Alaska: 19.2 %Arizona: 21.2 %Arkansas: 30.7 %California: 21.7 %Colorado: 16.4 %Connecticut: 20.6 %Delaware: 24.9 %District of Columbia: 20.8 %Florida: 23.7 %Georgia: 23.6 %Hawaii: 19.6 %Idaho: 18.7 %Illinois: 23.9 %Indiana: 26.1 %Iowa: 22.7 %Kansas: 23.8 %Kentucky: 28.2 %Louisiana: 29.5 %Maine: 19.7 %Maryland: 21.4 %Massachusetts: 20.1 %Michigan: 25.5 %Minnesota: 20.2 %Mississippi: 31.6 %Missouri: 25 %Montana: 19.6 %Nebraska: 21.3 %Nevada: 22.5 %New Hampshire: 19.3 %New Jersey: 23.3 %New Mexico: 23.3 %New York: 25.9 %North Carolina: 23.2 %North Dakota: 21.3 %Ohio: 25 %Oklahoma: 28.3 %Oregon: 16.5 %Pennsylvania: 23.3 %Rhode Island: 22.5 %South Carolina: 25.3 %South Dakota: 21.2 %Tennessee: 26.8 %Texas: 27.6 %Utah: 16.8 %Vermont: 19 %Virginia: 23.5 %Washington: 18.1 %West Virginia: 28.7 %Wisconsin: 21.2 %Wyoming: 22.1 %
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 21
  • 21 to 23
  • 23 to 24
  • 24 to 27
  • 27 and over
%, 2014. Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2014

Mississippi: 31.6 %Mississippi31.6Arkansas: 30.7 %Arkansas30.7Louisiana: 29.5 %Louisiana29.5West Virginia: 28.7 %West Virginia28.7Oklahoma: 28.3 %Oklahoma28.3Kentucky: 28.2 %Kentucky28.2Alabama: 27.6 %Alabama27.6Texas: 27.6 %Texas27.6Tennessee: 26.8 %Tennessee26.8Indiana: 26.1 %Indiana26.1New York: 25.9 %New York25.9Michigan: 25.5 %Michigan25.5South Carolina: 25.3 %South Carolina25.3Missouri: 25 %Missouri25Ohio: 25 %Ohio25Delaware: 24.9 %Delaware24.9Illinois: 23.9 %Illinois23.9Kansas: 23.8 %Kansas23.8Florida: 23.7 %Florida23.7Georgia: 23.6 %Georgia23.6Virginia: 23.5 %Virginia23.5New Jersey: 23.3 %New Jersey23.3New Mexico: 23.3 %New Mexico23.3Pennsylvania: 23.3 %Pennsylvania23.3North Carolina: 23.2 %North Carolina23.2Iowa: 22.7 %Iowa22.7Nevada: 22.5 %Nevada22.5Rhode Island: 22.5 %Rhode Island22.5Wyoming: 22.1 %Wyoming22.1California: 21.7 %California21.7Maryland: 21.4 %Maryland21.4Nebraska: 21.3 %Nebraska21.3North Dakota: 21.3 %North Dakota21.3Arizona: 21.2 %Arizona21.2South Dakota: 21.2 %South Dakota21.2Wisconsin: 21.2 %Wisconsin21.2District of Columbia: 20.8 %District of Columbia20.8Connecticut: 20.6 %Connecticut20.6Minnesota: 20.2 %Minnesota20.2Massachusetts: 20.1 %Massachusetts20.1Maine: 19.7 %Maine19.7Hawaii: 19.6 %Hawaii19.6Montana: 19.6 %Montana19.6New Hampshire: 19.3 %New Hampshire19.3Alaska: 19.2 %Alaska19.2Vermont: 19 %Vermont19Idaho: 18.7 %Idaho18.7Washington: 18.1 %Washington18.1Utah: 16.8 %Utah16.8Oregon: 16.5 %Oregon16.5Colorado: 16.4 %Colorado16.4Mississippi: 31.6 %Mississippi31.6Arkansas: 30.7 %Arkansas30.7Louisiana: 29.5 %Louisiana29.5West Virginia: 28.7 %West Virginia28.7Oklahoma: 28.3 %Oklahoma28.3Kentucky: 28.2 %Kentucky28.2Alabama: 27.6 %Alabama27.6Texas: 27.6 %Texas27.6Tennessee: 26.8 %Tennessee26.8Indiana: 26.1 %Indiana26.1New York: 25.9 %New York25.9Michigan: 25.5 %Michigan25.5South Carolina: 25.3 %South Carolina25.3Missouri: 25 %Missouri25Ohio: 25 %Ohio25Delaware: 24.9 %Delaware24.9Illinois: 23.9 %Illinois23.9Kansas: 23.8 %Kansas23.8Florida: 23.7 %Florida23.7Georgia: 23.6 %Georgia23.6Virginia: 23.5 %Virginia23.5New Jersey: 23.3 %New Jersey23.3New Mexico: 23.3 %New Mexico23.3Pennsylvania: 23.3 %Pennsylvania23.3North Carolina: 23.2 %North Carolina23.2Iowa: 22.7 %Iowa22.7Nevada: 22.5 %Nevada22.5Rhode Island: 22.5 %Rhode Island22.5Wyoming: 22.1 %Wyoming22.1California: 21.7 %California21.7Maryland: 21.4 %Maryland21.4Nebraska: 21.3 %Nebraska21.3North Dakota: 21.3 %North Dakota21.3Arizona: 21.2 %Arizona21.2South Dakota: 21.2 %South Dakota21.2Wisconsin: 21.2 %Wisconsin21.2District of Columbia: 20.8 %District of Columbia20.8Connecticut: 20.6 %Connecticut20.6Minnesota: 20.2 %Minnesota20.2Massachusetts: 20.1 %Massachusetts20.1Maine: 19.7 %Maine19.7Hawaii: 19.6 %Hawaii19.6Montana: 19.6 %Montana19.6New Hampshire: 19.3 %New Hampshire19.3Alaska: 19.2 %Alaska19.2Vermont: 19 %Vermont19Idaho: 18.7 %Idaho18.7Washington: 18.1 %Washington18.1Utah: 16.8 %Utah16.8Oregon: 16.5 %Oregon16.5Colorado: 16.4 %Colorado16.4
%. Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2014 (%)Change on 2013
1Mississippi31.6-6.5 pts
2Arkansas30.7-3.7 pts
3Louisiana29.5-2.7 pts
4West Virginia28.7-2.7 pts
5Oklahoma28.3-4.7 pts
6Kentucky28.2-2 pts
7Alabama27.6-3.9 pts
7Texas27.6-2.5 pts
9Tennessee26.8-10.4 pts
10Indiana26.1-5 pts
11New York25.9-0.8 pts
12Michigan25.5+1.1 pts
13South Carolina25.3-1.6 pts
14Missouri25-3.3 pts
14Ohio25-3.5 pts
16Delaware24.9-2.9 pts
17Illinois23.9-1.2 pts
18Kansas23.8-2.7 pts
19Florida23.7-4 pts
20Georgia23.6-3.6 pts
21Virginia23.5-2 pts
22New Jersey23.3-3.5 pts
22New Mexico23.3-1 pts
22Pennsylvania23.3-3 pts
25North Carolina23.2-3.4 pts
26Iowa22.7-5.8 pts
27Nevada22.5-1.2 pts
27Rhode Island22.5-4.4 pts
29Wyoming22.1-3 pts
30California21.7+0.3 pts
31Maryland21.4-3.9 pts
32Nebraska21.3-4 pts
32North Dakota21.3-6.3 pts
34Arizona21.2-4 pts
34South Dakota21.2-2.7 pts
34Wisconsin21.2-2.6 pts
37District of Columbia20.8+1.3 pts
38Connecticut20.6-4.3 pts
39Minnesota20.2-3.3 pts
40Massachusetts20.1-3.4 pts
41Maine19.7-3.6 pts
42Hawaii19.6-2.5 pts
42Montana19.6-2.9 pts
44New Hampshire19.3-3.1 pts
45Alaska19.2-3.1 pts
46Vermont19-1.5 pts
47Idaho18.7-5 pts
48Washington18.1-1.9 pts
49Utah16.8-3.8 pts
50Oregon16.5-2.1 pts
51Colorado16.4-1.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who did no physical activity or exercise outside their regular job in the past month, such as running, golf, gardening or walking for exercise. Crude prevalence, not age-adjusted.

CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey of adults, crude prevalence. States and DC only: BRFSS publishes the median of the states rather than a national prevalence, so no national value is served. A state that did not meet BRFSS data standards in a year has no value, and CDC withholds estimates from fewer than 50 respondents or with a relative standard error above 0.3. The dataset also publishes 95% confidence intervals. The series starts in 2011, when BRFSS changed its weighting and added cell phones. BRFSS variable _TOTINDA, adults who answered no to any physical activity in the past month.

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). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall (US states by physical inactivity in adults, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27

MLA 9

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall, US states by physical inactivity in adults, 2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Sept. 2026, https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2026. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. US states by physical inactivity in adults, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2014.

Harvard

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2026) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall, US states by physical inactivity in adults, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_physical_2014,
  author = {{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}},
  title = {{Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall: US states by physical inactivity in adults, 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2014. Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?\%24order=\%3Aid\&\%24limit=50000\&\%24where=questionid+in+\%28\%27\_TOTINDA\%27\%29+AND+responseid+in+\%28\%27RESP054\%27\%29+AND+breakoutid\%3D\%27BO1\%27+AND+data\_value\_type\%3D\%27Crude+Prevalence\%27. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
TI  - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall: US states by physical inactivity in adults, 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/15
PB  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_TOTINDA%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP054%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.
ER  -
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Rank US states by physical inactivity in adults using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest physical inactivity in adults?

Mississippi, with 31.6% in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest physical inactivity in adults?

Colorado, with 16.4% 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, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), physical inactivity in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings