Data / Rankings / Adult cigarette smoking rate / US states

US states by adult smoking rate

Kentucky had the highest adult smoking rate of 51 states in 2015, at 26%. Utah had the lowest, at 9.1%. The median was 17.5%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest26Kentucky
Lowest9.1Utah
Median17.551 states

All states, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

KentuckyKentucky: 26 %26West VirginiaWest Virginia: 25.7 %25.7ArkansasArkansas: 24.9 %24.9MississippiMississippi: 22.6 %22.6MissouriMissouri: 22.3 %22.3OklahomaOklahoma: 22.2 %22.2LouisianaLouisiana: 21.9 %21.9TennesseeTennessee: 21.9 %21.9OhioOhio: 21.6 %21.6AlabamaAlabama: 21.4 %21.4MichiganMichigan: 20.7 %20.7IndianaIndiana: 20.6 %20.6South DakotaSouth Dakota: 20.1 %20.1South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 19.7 %19.7MaineMaine: 19.5 %19.5AlaskaAlaska: 19.1 %19.1WyomingWyoming: 19.1 %19.1North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 19 %19MontanaMontana: 18.9 %18.9North DakotaNorth Dakota: 18.7 %18.7IowaIowa: 18.1 %18.1PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 18.1 %18.1GeorgiaGeorgia: 17.7 %17.7KansasKansas: 17.7 %17.7NevadaNevada: 17.6 %17.6New MexicoNew Mexico: 17.5 %17.5DelawareDelaware: 17.4 %17.4WisconsinWisconsin: 17.3 %17.3NebraskaNebraska: 17.1 %17.1OregonOregon: 17.1 %17.1VirginiaVirginia: 16.5 %16.5MinnesotaMinnesota: 16.2 %16.2District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 16 %16VermontVermont: 16 %16New HampshireNew Hampshire: 15.9 %15.9FloridaFlorida: 15.8 %15.8ColoradoColorado: 15.6 %15.6Rhode IslandRhode Island: 15.5 %15.5New YorkNew York: 15.2 %15.2TexasTexas: 15.2 %15.2IllinoisIllinois: 15.1 %15.1MarylandMaryland: 15.1 %15.1WashingtonWashington: 15 %15HawaiiHawaii: 14.1 %14.1ArizonaArizona: 14 %14MassachusettsMassachusetts: 14 %14IdahoIdaho: 13.8 %13.8ConnecticutConnecticut: 13.5 %13.5New JerseyNew Jersey: 13.5 %13.5CaliforniaCalifornia: 11.7 %11.7UtahUtah: 9.1 %9.1
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Kentucky26-0.2 pts
2West Virginia25.7-1 pts
3Arkansas24.9+0.2 pts
4Mississippi22.6-0.4 pts
5Missouri22.3+1.7 pts
6Oklahoma22.2+1.1 pts
7Louisiana21.9-2.1 pts
7Tennessee21.9-2.3 pts
9Ohio21.6+0.6 pts
10Alabama21.4+0.3 pts
11Michigan20.7-0.5 pts
12Indiana20.6-2.3 pts
13South Dakota20.1+1.5 pts
14South Carolina19.7-1.8 pts
15Maine19.5+0.2 pts
16Alaska19.1-0.8 pts
16Wyoming19.1-0.4 pts
18North Carolina19-0.1 pts
19Montana18.9-1 pts
20North Dakota18.7-1.2 pts
21Iowa18.1-0.4 pts
21Pennsylvania18.1-1.8 pts
23Georgia17.7+0.3 pts
23Kansas17.7-0.4 pts
25Nevada17.6+0.6 pts
26New Mexico17.5-1.7 pts
27Delaware17.4-2.5 pts
28Wisconsin17.3-0.1 pts
29Nebraska17.1-0.2 pts
29Oregon17.1+0.1 pts
31Virginia16.5-3 pts
32Minnesota16.2-0.1 pts
33District of Columbia16-0.4 pts
33Vermont16-0.4 pts
35New Hampshire15.9-1.6 pts
36Florida15.8-1.9 pts
37Colorado15.6-0.1 pts
38Rhode Island15.5-0.8 pts
39New York15.2+0.8 pts
39Texas15.2+0.7 pts
41Illinois15.1-1.4 pts
41Maryland15.1+0.5 pts
43Washington15-0.3 pts
44Hawaii14.10 pts
45Arizona14-2.5 pts
45Massachusetts14-0.7 pts
47Idaho13.8-2.1 pts
48Connecticut13.5-1.9 pts
48New Jersey13.5-1.6 pts
50California11.7-1.2 pts
51Utah9.1-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who currently smoke cigarettes: they have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and now smoke every day or on some days. Crude prevalence, not age-adjusted.

United States: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), states and DC only. BRFSS publishes the median of the states rather than a national prevalence, so no national value is served. E-cigarettes and other tobacco products are not counted. The series starts in 2011, when BRFSS changed its methods.

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), adults who are current smokers, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid%3D%27_RFSMOK3%27+AND+responseid%3D%27RESP046%27+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which state has the highest adult smoking rate?

Kentucky, with 26% in 2015, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult smoking rate?

Utah, with 9.1% 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), adults who are current smokers, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

US states: more rankings