Data / Rankings / Adult cigarette smoking rate / US states

US states by adult smoking rate

West Virginia had the highest adult smoking rate of 51 states in 2016, at 24.8%. Utah had the lowest, at 8.8%. The median was 17.1%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest24.8West Virginia
Lowest8.8Utah
Median17.151 states

All states, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

West VirginiaWest Virginia: 24.8 %24.8KentuckyKentucky: 24.5 %24.5ArkansasArkansas: 23.6 %23.6LouisianaLouisiana: 22.8 %22.8MississippiMississippi: 22.7 %22.7OhioOhio: 22.5 %22.5MissouriMissouri: 22.1 %22.1TennesseeTennessee: 22.1 %22.1AlabamaAlabama: 21.5 %21.5IndianaIndiana: 21.1 %21.1MichiganMichigan: 20.4 %20.4South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 20 %20MaineMaine: 19.8 %19.8North DakotaNorth Dakota: 19.8 %19.8OklahomaOklahoma: 19.6 %19.6AlaskaAlaska: 19 %19WyomingWyoming: 19 %19MontanaMontana: 18.5 %18.5South DakotaSouth Dakota: 18.1 %18.1New HampshireNew Hampshire: 18 %18PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 18 %18GeorgiaGeorgia: 17.9 %17.9North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 17.9 %17.9DelawareDelaware: 17.7 %17.7KansasKansas: 17.2 %17.2WisconsinWisconsin: 17.1 %17.1NebraskaNebraska: 17 %17VermontVermont: 17 %17IowaIowa: 16.7 %16.7New MexicoNew Mexico: 16.6 %16.6NevadaNevada: 16.5 %16.5OregonOregon: 16.2 %16.2IllinoisIllinois: 15.8 %15.8ColoradoColorado: 15.6 %15.6FloridaFlorida: 15.5 %15.5VirginiaVirginia: 15.3 %15.3MinnesotaMinnesota: 15.2 %15.2ArizonaArizona: 14.7 %14.7District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 14.7 %14.7IdahoIdaho: 14.5 %14.5Rhode IslandRhode Island: 14.4 %14.4TexasTexas: 14.3 %14.3New YorkNew York: 14.2 %14.2New JerseyNew Jersey: 14 %14WashingtonWashington: 14 %14MarylandMaryland: 13.7 %13.7MassachusettsMassachusetts: 13.6 %13.6ConnecticutConnecticut: 13.4 %13.4HawaiiHawaii: 13 %13CaliforniaCalifornia: 11 %11UtahUtah: 8.8 %8.8
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2016 (%)Change on 2015
1West Virginia24.8-0.9 pts
2Kentucky24.5-1.5 pts
3Arkansas23.6-1.3 pts
4Louisiana22.8+0.9 pts
5Mississippi22.7+0.1 pts
6Ohio22.5+0.9 pts
7Missouri22.1-0.2 pts
7Tennessee22.1+0.2 pts
9Alabama21.5+0.1 pts
10Indiana21.1+0.5 pts
11Michigan20.4-0.3 pts
12South Carolina20+0.3 pts
13Maine19.8+0.3 pts
13North Dakota19.8+1.1 pts
15Oklahoma19.6-2.6 pts
16Alaska19-0.1 pts
16Wyoming19-0.1 pts
18Montana18.5-0.4 pts
19South Dakota18.1-2 pts
20New Hampshire18+2.1 pts
20Pennsylvania18-0.1 pts
22Georgia17.9+0.2 pts
22North Carolina17.9-1.1 pts
24Delaware17.7+0.3 pts
25Kansas17.2-0.5 pts
26Wisconsin17.1-0.2 pts
27Nebraska17-0.1 pts
27Vermont17+1 pts
29Iowa16.7-1.4 pts
30New Mexico16.6-0.9 pts
31Nevada16.5-1.1 pts
32Oregon16.2-0.9 pts
33Illinois15.8+0.7 pts
34Colorado15.60 pts
35Florida15.5-0.3 pts
36Virginia15.3-1.2 pts
37Minnesota15.2-1 pts
38Arizona14.7+0.7 pts
38District of Columbia14.7-1.3 pts
40Idaho14.5+0.7 pts
41Rhode Island14.4-1.1 pts
42Texas14.3-0.9 pts
43New York14.2-1 pts
44New Jersey14+0.5 pts
44Washington14-1 pts
46Maryland13.7-1.4 pts
47Massachusetts13.6-0.4 pts
48Connecticut13.4-0.1 pts
49Hawaii13-1.1 pts
50California11-0.7 pts
51Utah8.8-0.3 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?

West Virginia, with 24.8% in 2016, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult smoking rate?

Utah, with 8.8% in 2016.

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