Data / Rankings / Physical inactivity in adults / US states

US states by physical inactivity in adults

Mississippi had the highest physical inactivity in adults of 50 states in 2019, at 37.7%. Utah had the lowest, at 18.5%. The median was 26.4%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest37.7Mississippi
Lowest18.5Utah
Median26.450 states

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 31.5 %Alaska: 21.7 %Arizona: 24.1 %Arkansas: 31.2 %California: 22.4 %Colorado: 18.7 %Connecticut: 23.5 %Delaware: 26.6 %District of Columbia: 19 %Florida: 26.5 %Georgia: 27.9 %Hawaii: 24.4 %Idaho: 23.8 %Illinois: 25.6 %Indiana: 30.9 %Iowa: 26.5 %Kansas: 27.1 %Kentucky: 32.8 %Louisiana: 31.9 %Maine: 30.1 %Maryland: 23.4 %Massachusetts: 26.4 %Michigan: 25.4 %Minnesota: 19.9 %Mississippi: 37.7 %Missouri: 30.6 %Montana: 19.7 %Nebraska: 26.9 %Nevada: 25.8 %New Hampshire: 21.7 %New Mexico: 25.4 %New York: 27.2 %North Carolina: 26.3 %North Dakota: 28 %Ohio: 28.3 %Oklahoma: 34 %Oregon: 23.9 %Pennsylvania: 25.6 %Rhode Island: 26.5 %South Carolina: 28.8 %South Dakota: 30 %Tennessee: 30.1 %Texas: 27.2 %Utah: 18.5 %Vermont: 20 %Virginia: 25.3 %Washington: 19.2 %West Virginia: 31.2 %Wisconsin: 23.2 %Wyoming: 24.6 %
  • Under 22
  • 22 to 24
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  • 27 to 31
  • 31 and over
  • No data
%, 2019. Hatched areas have no value for this period. 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, 2019

Mississippi: 37.7 %Mississippi37.7Oklahoma: 34 %Oklahoma34Kentucky: 32.8 %Kentucky32.8Louisiana: 31.9 %Louisiana31.9Alabama: 31.5 %Alabama31.5Arkansas: 31.2 %Arkansas31.2West Virginia: 31.2 %West Virginia31.2Indiana: 30.9 %Indiana30.9Missouri: 30.6 %Missouri30.6Maine: 30.1 %Maine30.1Tennessee: 30.1 %Tennessee30.1South Dakota: 30 %South Dakota30South Carolina: 28.8 %South Carolina28.8Ohio: 28.3 %Ohio28.3North Dakota: 28 %North Dakota28Georgia: 27.9 %Georgia27.9New York: 27.2 %New York27.2Texas: 27.2 %Texas27.2Kansas: 27.1 %Kansas27.1Nebraska: 26.9 %Nebraska26.9Delaware: 26.6 %Delaware26.6Florida: 26.5 %Florida26.5Iowa: 26.5 %Iowa26.5Rhode Island: 26.5 %Rhode Island26.5Massachusetts: 26.4 %Massachusetts26.4North Carolina: 26.3 %North Carolina26.3Nevada: 25.8 %Nevada25.8Illinois: 25.6 %Illinois25.6Pennsylvania: 25.6 %Pennsylvania25.6Michigan: 25.4 %Michigan25.4New Mexico: 25.4 %New Mexico25.4Virginia: 25.3 %Virginia25.3Wyoming: 24.6 %Wyoming24.6Hawaii: 24.4 %Hawaii24.4Arizona: 24.1 %Arizona24.1Oregon: 23.9 %Oregon23.9Idaho: 23.8 %Idaho23.8Connecticut: 23.5 %Connecticut23.5Maryland: 23.4 %Maryland23.4Wisconsin: 23.2 %Wisconsin23.2California: 22.4 %California22.4Alaska: 21.7 %Alaska21.7New Hampshire: 21.7 %New Hampshire21.7Vermont: 20 %Vermont20Minnesota: 19.9 %Minnesota19.9Montana: 19.7 %Montana19.7Washington: 19.2 %Washington19.2District of Columbia: 19 %District of Columbia19Colorado: 18.7 %Colorado18.7Utah: 18.5 %Utah18.5Mississippi: 37.7 %Mississippi37.7Oklahoma: 34 %Oklahoma34Kentucky: 32.8 %Kentucky32.8Louisiana: 31.9 %Louisiana31.9Alabama: 31.5 %Alabama31.5Arkansas: 31.2 %Arkansas31.2West Virginia: 31.2 %West Virginia31.2Indiana: 30.9 %Indiana30.9Missouri: 30.6 %Missouri30.6Maine: 30.1 %Maine30.1Tennessee: 30.1 %Tennessee30.1South Dakota: 30 %South Dakota30South Carolina: 28.8 %South Carolina28.8Ohio: 28.3 %Ohio28.3North Dakota: 28 %North Dakota28Georgia: 27.9 %Georgia27.9New York: 27.2 %New York27.2Texas: 27.2 %Texas27.2Kansas: 27.1 %Kansas27.1Nebraska: 26.9 %Nebraska26.9Delaware: 26.6 %Delaware26.6Florida: 26.5 %Florida26.5Iowa: 26.5 %Iowa26.5Rhode Island: 26.5 %Rhode Island26.5Massachusetts: 26.4 %Massachusetts26.4North Carolina: 26.3 %North Carolina26.3Nevada: 25.8 %Nevada25.8Illinois: 25.6 %Illinois25.6Pennsylvania: 25.6 %Pennsylvania25.6Michigan: 25.4 %Michigan25.4New Mexico: 25.4 %New Mexico25.4Virginia: 25.3 %Virginia25.3Wyoming: 24.6 %Wyoming24.6Hawaii: 24.4 %Hawaii24.4Arizona: 24.1 %Arizona24.1Oregon: 23.9 %Oregon23.9Idaho: 23.8 %Idaho23.8Connecticut: 23.5 %Connecticut23.5Maryland: 23.4 %Maryland23.4Wisconsin: 23.2 %Wisconsin23.2California: 22.4 %California22.4Alaska: 21.7 %Alaska21.7New Hampshire: 21.7 %New Hampshire21.7Vermont: 20 %Vermont20Minnesota: 19.9 %Minnesota19.9Montana: 19.7 %Montana19.7Washington: 19.2 %Washington19.2District of Columbia: 19 %District of Columbia19Colorado: 18.7 %Colorado18.7Utah: 18.5 %Utah18.5
%. 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

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Mississippi37.7+5.7 pts
2Oklahoma34+6.8 pts
3Kentucky32.8+0.4 pts
4Louisiana31.9+1.1 pts
5Alabama31.5+0.8 pts
6Arkansas31.2+0.2 pts
6West Virginia31.2+3 pts
8Indiana30.9+3.5 pts
9Missouri30.6+4.5 pts
10Maine30.1+7.6 pts
10Tennessee30.1-0.8 pts
12South Dakota30+6 pts
13South Carolina28.8+2.1 pts
14Ohio28.3+2.9 pts
15North Dakota28+5.7 pts
16Georgia27.9+1.7 pts
17New York27.2+3.4 pts
17Texas27.2+1.6 pts
19Kansas27.1+4.6 pts
20Nebraska26.9+3.1 pts
21Delaware26.6-0.2 pts
22Florida26.5-0.3 pts
22Iowa26.5+3.6 pts
22Rhode Island26.5+1.2 pts
25Massachusetts26.4+4 pts
26North Carolina26.3+2.4 pts
27Nevada25.8+0.8 pts
28Illinois25.6+1 pts
28Pennsylvania25.6+1.6 pts
30Michigan25.4+1.6 pts
30New Mexico25.4+3.2 pts
32Virginia25.3+3.3 pts
33Wyoming24.6+2.9 pts
34Hawaii24.4+4.5 pts
35Arizona24.1+2 pts
36Oregon23.9+4.6 pts
37Idaho23.8+3.3 pts
38Connecticut23.5+1.1 pts
39Maryland23.4+0.4 pts
40Wisconsin23.2+1.4 pts
41California22.4+1.4 pts
42Alaska21.7+2.1 pts
42New Hampshire21.7+0.2 pts
44Vermont20+1.1 pts
45Minnesota19.9-0.6 pts
46Montana19.7-3 pts
47Washington19.2+1.6 pts
48District of Columbia19-0.6 pts
49Colorado18.7+2.3 pts
50Utah18.5+1 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. 1 states with data in other periods have no value for 2019 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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, 2019) [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, 2019. 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=2019. 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, 2019. 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=2019.

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, 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_physical_2019,
  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, 2019}},
  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=2019. 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, 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-physical-inactivity-rate/us-states?period=2019.
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 37.7% in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest physical inactivity in adults?

Utah, with 18.5% in 2019.

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. 1 states have no value for 2019 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings