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 2015, at 36.8%. Colorado had the lowest, at 17.9%. The median was 26.2%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest36.8Mississippi
Lowest17.9Colorado
Median26.251 states

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 31.9 %Alaska: 22 %Arizona: 24.7 %Arkansas: 34.2 %California: 20 %Colorado: 17.9 %Connecticut: 23.5 %Delaware: 29.4 %District of Columbia: 19.4 %Florida: 26.2 %Georgia: 27.3 %Hawaii: 22.5 %Idaho: 21.2 %Illinois: 24.8 %Indiana: 29.4 %Iowa: 26.3 %Kansas: 26.5 %Kentucky: 32.5 %Louisiana: 31.9 %Maine: 24.8 %Maryland: 24.1 %Massachusetts: 26.5 %Michigan: 25.5 %Minnesota: 21.8 %Mississippi: 36.8 %Missouri: 27 %Montana: 22.5 %Nebraska: 25.4 %Nevada: 24.7 %New Hampshire: 22.6 %New Jersey: 27.2 %New Mexico: 22.6 %New York: 29.3 %North Carolina: 26.2 %North Dakota: 26.8 %Ohio: 27 %Oklahoma: 33.2 %Oregon: 18.8 %Pennsylvania: 27.8 %Rhode Island: 28.1 %South Carolina: 26.7 %South Dakota: 21.4 %Tennessee: 30.4 %Texas: 29.5 %Utah: 20.3 %Vermont: 22.2 %Virginia: 25.2 %Washington: 19 %West Virginia: 30.8 %Wisconsin: 21.6 %Wyoming: 26.2 %
  • Under 22
  • 22 to 24
  • 24 to 26
  • 26 to 27
  • 27 to 29
  • 29 and over
%, 2015. 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, 2015

Mississippi: 36.8 %Mississippi36.8Arkansas: 34.2 %Arkansas34.2Oklahoma: 33.2 %Oklahoma33.2Kentucky: 32.5 %Kentucky32.5Alabama: 31.9 %Alabama31.9Louisiana: 31.9 %Louisiana31.9West Virginia: 30.8 %West Virginia30.8Tennessee: 30.4 %Tennessee30.4Texas: 29.5 %Texas29.5Delaware: 29.4 %Delaware29.4Indiana: 29.4 %Indiana29.4New York: 29.3 %New York29.3Rhode Island: 28.1 %Rhode Island28.1Pennsylvania: 27.8 %Pennsylvania27.8Georgia: 27.3 %Georgia27.3New Jersey: 27.2 %New Jersey27.2Missouri: 27 %Missouri27Ohio: 27 %Ohio27North Dakota: 26.8 %North Dakota26.8South Carolina: 26.7 %South Carolina26.7Kansas: 26.5 %Kansas26.5Massachusetts: 26.5 %Massachusetts26.5Iowa: 26.3 %Iowa26.3Florida: 26.2 %Florida26.2North Carolina: 26.2 %North Carolina26.2Wyoming: 26.2 %Wyoming26.2Michigan: 25.5 %Michigan25.5Nebraska: 25.4 %Nebraska25.4Virginia: 25.2 %Virginia25.2Illinois: 24.8 %Illinois24.8Maine: 24.8 %Maine24.8Arizona: 24.7 %Arizona24.7Nevada: 24.7 %Nevada24.7Maryland: 24.1 %Maryland24.1Connecticut: 23.5 %Connecticut23.5New Hampshire: 22.6 %New Hampshire22.6New Mexico: 22.6 %New Mexico22.6Hawaii: 22.5 %Hawaii22.5Montana: 22.5 %Montana22.5Vermont: 22.2 %Vermont22.2Alaska: 22 %Alaska22Minnesota: 21.8 %Minnesota21.8Wisconsin: 21.6 %Wisconsin21.6South Dakota: 21.4 %South Dakota21.4Idaho: 21.2 %Idaho21.2Utah: 20.3 %Utah20.3California: 20 %California20District of Columbia: 19.4 %District of Columbia19.4Washington: 19 %Washington19Oregon: 18.8 %Oregon18.8Colorado: 17.9 %Colorado17.9Mississippi: 36.8 %Mississippi36.8Arkansas: 34.2 %Arkansas34.2Oklahoma: 33.2 %Oklahoma33.2Kentucky: 32.5 %Kentucky32.5Alabama: 31.9 %Alabama31.9Louisiana: 31.9 %Louisiana31.9West Virginia: 30.8 %West Virginia30.8Tennessee: 30.4 %Tennessee30.4Texas: 29.5 %Texas29.5Delaware: 29.4 %Delaware29.4Indiana: 29.4 %Indiana29.4New York: 29.3 %New York29.3Rhode Island: 28.1 %Rhode Island28.1Pennsylvania: 27.8 %Pennsylvania27.8Georgia: 27.3 %Georgia27.3New Jersey: 27.2 %New Jersey27.2Missouri: 27 %Missouri27Ohio: 27 %Ohio27North Dakota: 26.8 %North Dakota26.8South Carolina: 26.7 %South Carolina26.7Kansas: 26.5 %Kansas26.5Massachusetts: 26.5 %Massachusetts26.5Iowa: 26.3 %Iowa26.3Florida: 26.2 %Florida26.2North Carolina: 26.2 %North Carolina26.2Wyoming: 26.2 %Wyoming26.2Michigan: 25.5 %Michigan25.5Nebraska: 25.4 %Nebraska25.4Virginia: 25.2 %Virginia25.2Illinois: 24.8 %Illinois24.8Maine: 24.8 %Maine24.8Arizona: 24.7 %Arizona24.7Nevada: 24.7 %Nevada24.7Maryland: 24.1 %Maryland24.1Connecticut: 23.5 %Connecticut23.5New Hampshire: 22.6 %New Hampshire22.6New Mexico: 22.6 %New Mexico22.6Hawaii: 22.5 %Hawaii22.5Montana: 22.5 %Montana22.5Vermont: 22.2 %Vermont22.2Alaska: 22 %Alaska22Minnesota: 21.8 %Minnesota21.8Wisconsin: 21.6 %Wisconsin21.6South Dakota: 21.4 %South Dakota21.4Idaho: 21.2 %Idaho21.2Utah: 20.3 %Utah20.3California: 20 %California20District of Columbia: 19.4 %District of Columbia19.4Washington: 19 %Washington19Oregon: 18.8 %Oregon18.8Colorado: 17.9 %Colorado17.9
%. 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

RankStates2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Mississippi36.8+5.2 pts
2Arkansas34.2+3.5 pts
3Oklahoma33.2+4.9 pts
4Kentucky32.5+4.3 pts
5Alabama31.9+4.3 pts
5Louisiana31.9+2.4 pts
7West Virginia30.8+2.1 pts
8Tennessee30.4+3.6 pts
9Texas29.5+1.9 pts
10Delaware29.4+4.5 pts
10Indiana29.4+3.3 pts
12New York29.3+3.4 pts
13Rhode Island28.1+5.6 pts
14Pennsylvania27.8+4.5 pts
15Georgia27.3+3.7 pts
16New Jersey27.2+3.9 pts
17Missouri27+2 pts
17Ohio27+2 pts
19North Dakota26.8+5.5 pts
20South Carolina26.7+1.4 pts
21Kansas26.5+2.7 pts
21Massachusetts26.5+6.4 pts
23Iowa26.3+3.6 pts
24Florida26.2+2.5 pts
24North Carolina26.2+3 pts
24Wyoming26.2+4.1 pts
27Michigan25.50 pts
28Nebraska25.4+4.1 pts
29Virginia25.2+1.7 pts
30Illinois24.8+0.9 pts
30Maine24.8+5.1 pts
32Arizona24.7+3.5 pts
32Nevada24.7+2.2 pts
34Maryland24.1+2.7 pts
35Connecticut23.5+2.9 pts
36New Hampshire22.6+3.3 pts
36New Mexico22.6-0.7 pts
38Hawaii22.5+2.9 pts
38Montana22.5+2.9 pts
40Vermont22.2+3.2 pts
41Alaska22+2.8 pts
42Minnesota21.8+1.6 pts
43Wisconsin21.6+0.4 pts
44South Dakota21.4+0.2 pts
45Idaho21.2+2.5 pts
46Utah20.3+3.5 pts
47California20-1.7 pts
48District of Columbia19.4-1.4 pts
49Washington19+0.9 pts
50Oregon18.8+2.3 pts
51Colorado17.9+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, 2015) [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, 2015. 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=2015. 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, 2015. 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=2015.

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, 2015 [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=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_physical_2015,
  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, 2015}},
  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=2015. 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, 2015
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=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2015.
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 36.8% in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest physical inactivity in adults?

Colorado, with 17.9% in 2015.

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