Data / Rankings / Physical inactivity in adults / US states

US states by physical inactivity in adults

Kentucky had the highest physical inactivity in adults of 51 states in 2017, at 34.4%. Washington had the lowest, at 19.2%. The median was 25.6%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest34.4Kentucky
Lowest19.2Washington
Median25.651 states

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 32 %Alaska: 20.6 %Arizona: 25 %Arkansas: 32.6 %California: 20 %Colorado: 19.4 %Connecticut: 24 %Delaware: 31 %District of Columbia: 24.3 %Florida: 29.2 %Georgia: 31 %Hawaii: 23.5 %Idaho: 24.2 %Illinois: 24 %Indiana: 29.8 %Iowa: 25 %Kansas: 27.9 %Kentucky: 34.4 %Louisiana: 31.8 %Maine: 25.2 %Maryland: 25.6 %Massachusetts: 24.8 %Michigan: 27.2 %Minnesota: 24.6 %Mississippi: 33.2 %Missouri: 29.2 %Montana: 25 %Nebraska: 25.4 %Nevada: 28 %New Hampshire: 23.9 %New Jersey: 29 %New Mexico: 24.5 %New York: 27.2 %North Carolina: 25.6 %North Dakota: 27.6 %Ohio: 29.6 %Oklahoma: 32.4 %Oregon: 21.4 %Pennsylvania: 24.9 %Rhode Island: 26.3 %South Carolina: 28.4 %South Dakota: 24.9 %Tennessee: 30.6 %Texas: 32.1 %Utah: 21.1 %Vermont: 21.6 %Virginia: 26 %Washington: 19.2 %West Virginia: 31.6 %Wisconsin: 22.4 %Wyoming: 25.7 %
  • Under 24
  • 24 to 25
  • 25 to 26
  • 26 to 28
  • 28 to 31
  • 31 and over
%, 2017. 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, 2017

Kentucky: 34.4 %Kentucky34.4Mississippi: 33.2 %Mississippi33.2Arkansas: 32.6 %Arkansas32.6Oklahoma: 32.4 %Oklahoma32.4Texas: 32.1 %Texas32.1Alabama: 32 %Alabama32Louisiana: 31.8 %Louisiana31.8West Virginia: 31.6 %West Virginia31.6Delaware: 31 %Delaware31Georgia: 31 %Georgia31Tennessee: 30.6 %Tennessee30.6Indiana: 29.8 %Indiana29.8Ohio: 29.6 %Ohio29.6Florida: 29.2 %Florida29.2Missouri: 29.2 %Missouri29.2New Jersey: 29 %New Jersey29South Carolina: 28.4 %South Carolina28.4Nevada: 28 %Nevada28Kansas: 27.9 %Kansas27.9North Dakota: 27.6 %North Dakota27.6Michigan: 27.2 %Michigan27.2New York: 27.2 %New York27.2Rhode Island: 26.3 %Rhode Island26.3Virginia: 26 %Virginia26Wyoming: 25.7 %Wyoming25.7Maryland: 25.6 %Maryland25.6North Carolina: 25.6 %North Carolina25.6Nebraska: 25.4 %Nebraska25.4Maine: 25.2 %Maine25.2Arizona: 25 %Arizona25Iowa: 25 %Iowa25Montana: 25 %Montana25Pennsylvania: 24.9 %Pennsylvania24.9South Dakota: 24.9 %South Dakota24.9Massachusetts: 24.8 %Massachusetts24.8Minnesota: 24.6 %Minnesota24.6New Mexico: 24.5 %New Mexico24.5District of Columbia: 24.3 %District of Columbia24.3Idaho: 24.2 %Idaho24.2Connecticut: 24 %Connecticut24Illinois: 24 %Illinois24New Hampshire: 23.9 %New Hampshire23.9Hawaii: 23.5 %Hawaii23.5Wisconsin: 22.4 %Wisconsin22.4Vermont: 21.6 %Vermont21.6Oregon: 21.4 %Oregon21.4Utah: 21.1 %Utah21.1Alaska: 20.6 %Alaska20.6California: 20 %California20Colorado: 19.4 %Colorado19.4Washington: 19.2 %Washington19.2Kentucky: 34.4 %Kentucky34.4Mississippi: 33.2 %Mississippi33.2Arkansas: 32.6 %Arkansas32.6Oklahoma: 32.4 %Oklahoma32.4Texas: 32.1 %Texas32.1Alabama: 32 %Alabama32Louisiana: 31.8 %Louisiana31.8West Virginia: 31.6 %West Virginia31.6Delaware: 31 %Delaware31Georgia: 31 %Georgia31Tennessee: 30.6 %Tennessee30.6Indiana: 29.8 %Indiana29.8Ohio: 29.6 %Ohio29.6Florida: 29.2 %Florida29.2Missouri: 29.2 %Missouri29.2New Jersey: 29 %New Jersey29South Carolina: 28.4 %South Carolina28.4Nevada: 28 %Nevada28Kansas: 27.9 %Kansas27.9North Dakota: 27.6 %North Dakota27.6Michigan: 27.2 %Michigan27.2New York: 27.2 %New York27.2Rhode Island: 26.3 %Rhode Island26.3Virginia: 26 %Virginia26Wyoming: 25.7 %Wyoming25.7Maryland: 25.6 %Maryland25.6North Carolina: 25.6 %North Carolina25.6Nebraska: 25.4 %Nebraska25.4Maine: 25.2 %Maine25.2Arizona: 25 %Arizona25Iowa: 25 %Iowa25Montana: 25 %Montana25Pennsylvania: 24.9 %Pennsylvania24.9South Dakota: 24.9 %South Dakota24.9Massachusetts: 24.8 %Massachusetts24.8Minnesota: 24.6 %Minnesota24.6New Mexico: 24.5 %New Mexico24.5District of Columbia: 24.3 %District of Columbia24.3Idaho: 24.2 %Idaho24.2Connecticut: 24 %Connecticut24Illinois: 24 %Illinois24New Hampshire: 23.9 %New Hampshire23.9Hawaii: 23.5 %Hawaii23.5Wisconsin: 22.4 %Wisconsin22.4Vermont: 21.6 %Vermont21.6Oregon: 21.4 %Oregon21.4Utah: 21.1 %Utah21.1Alaska: 20.6 %Alaska20.6California: 20 %California20Colorado: 19.4 %Colorado19.4Washington: 19.2 %Washington19.2
%. 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

RankStates2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Kentucky34.4+4.6 pts
2Mississippi33.2+2.9 pts
3Arkansas32.6+0.1 pts
4Oklahoma32.4+3.9 pts
5Texas32.1+6.9 pts
6Alabama32+2.6 pts
7Louisiana31.8+2.7 pts
8West Virginia31.6+3.1 pts
9Delaware31+4.4 pts
9Georgia31+1.6 pts
11Tennessee30.6+2.2 pts
12Indiana29.8+3 pts
13Ohio29.6+3.7 pts
14Florida29.2-0.6 pts
14Missouri29.2+4.3 pts
16New Jersey29-0.8 pts
17South Carolina28.4+1.5 pts
18Nevada28+3.3 pts
19Kansas27.9+4.4 pts
20North Dakota27.6+5.4 pts
21Michigan27.2+3.3 pts
21New York27.2+0.9 pts
23Rhode Island26.3+1.9 pts
24Virginia26+2.7 pts
25Wyoming25.7+2.6 pts
26Maryland25.6+2.4 pts
26North Carolina25.6+2.3 pts
28Nebraska25.4+3 pts
29Maine25.2+4.6 pts
30Arizona25+1.9 pts
30Iowa25+2.3 pts
30Montana25+5.1 pts
33Pennsylvania24.9+2 pts
33South Dakota24.9+6 pts
35Massachusetts24.8+4.8 pts
36Minnesota24.6+6.6 pts
37New Mexico24.5+4.2 pts
38District of Columbia24.3+8.1 pts
39Idaho24.2+4 pts
40Connecticut24+2.7 pts
40Illinois24+0.1 pts
42New Hampshire23.9+4.6 pts
43Hawaii23.5+2.7 pts
44Wisconsin22.4+2.4 pts
45Vermont21.6+2.1 pts
46Oregon21.4+4.2 pts
47Utah21.1+5.4 pts
48Alaska20.6+1.5 pts
49California20-0.5 pts
50Colorado19.4+3.6 pts
51Washington19.2+1.6 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, 2017) [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, 2017. 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=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

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, 2017 [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=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_physical_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2017.
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?

Kentucky, with 34.4% in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest physical inactivity in adults?

Washington, with 19.2% in 2017.

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.

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