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 2018, at 25.2%. Utah had the lowest, at 9%. The median was 16.1%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest25.2West Virginia
Lowest9Utah
Median16.151 states

All states, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

West VirginiaWest Virginia: 25.2 %25.2KentuckyKentucky: 23.4 %23.4ArkansasArkansas: 22.7 %22.7IndianaIndiana: 21.1 %21.1TennesseeTennessee: 20.7 %20.7LouisianaLouisiana: 20.5 %20.5MississippiMississippi: 20.5 %20.5OhioOhio: 20.5 %20.5OklahomaOklahoma: 19.7 %19.7MissouriMissouri: 19.4 %19.4AlabamaAlabama: 19.2 %19.2AlaskaAlaska: 19.1 %19.1North DakotaNorth Dakota: 19.1 %19.1South DakotaSouth Dakota: 19 %19MichiganMichigan: 18.9 %18.9WyomingWyoming: 18.8 %18.8MontanaMontana: 18 %18South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 18 %18MaineMaine: 17.8 %17.8North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 17.4 %17.4KansasKansas: 17.2 %17.2PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 17 %17IowaIowa: 16.6 %16.6DelawareDelaware: 16.5 %16.5WisconsinWisconsin: 16.4 %16.4GeorgiaGeorgia: 16.1 %16.1NebraskaNebraska: 16 %16NevadaNevada: 15.7 %15.7New HampshireNew Hampshire: 15.6 %15.6OregonOregon: 15.6 %15.6IllinoisIllinois: 15.5 %15.5New MexicoNew Mexico: 15.2 %15.2MinnesotaMinnesota: 15.1 %15.1VirginiaVirginia: 15 %15IdahoIdaho: 14.7 %14.7Rhode IslandRhode Island: 14.6 %14.6ColoradoColorado: 14.5 %14.5FloridaFlorida: 14.5 %14.5TexasTexas: 14.4 %14.4ArizonaArizona: 14 %14District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 13.8 %13.8VermontVermont: 13.7 %13.7HawaiiHawaii: 13.4 %13.4MassachusettsMassachusetts: 13.4 %13.4New JerseyNew Jersey: 13.1 %13.1New YorkNew York: 12.8 %12.8MarylandMaryland: 12.6 %12.6ConnecticutConnecticut: 12.2 %12.2WashingtonWashington: 12 %12CaliforniaCalifornia: 11.2 %11.2UtahUtah: 9 %9
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2018 (%)Change on 2017
1West Virginia25.2-0.8 pts
2Kentucky23.4-1.2 pts
3Arkansas22.7+0.4 pts
4Indiana21.1-0.7 pts
5Tennessee20.7-1.9 pts
6Louisiana20.5-2.5 pts
6Mississippi20.5-1.7 pts
6Ohio20.5-0.6 pts
9Oklahoma19.7-0.5 pts
10Missouri19.4-1.4 pts
11Alabama19.2-1.7 pts
12Alaska19.1-1.9 pts
12North Dakota19.1+0.8 pts
14South Dakota19-0.3 pts
15Michigan18.9-0.4 pts
16Wyoming18.8+0.1 pts
17Montana18+0.8 pts
17South Carolina18-0.8 pts
19Maine17.8+0.5 pts
20North Carolina17.4+0.2 pts
21Kansas17.2-0.2 pts
22Pennsylvania17-1.8 pts
23Iowa16.6-0.5 pts
24Delaware16.5-0.5 pts
25Wisconsin16.4+0.4 pts
26Georgia16.1-1.3 pts
27Nebraska16+0.6 pts
28Nevada15.7-1.9 pts
29New Hampshire15.6-0.1 pts
29Oregon15.6-0.5 pts
31Illinois15.50 pts
32New Mexico15.2-2.3 pts
33Minnesota15.1+0.6 pts
34Virginia15-1.4 pts
35Idaho14.7+0.3 pts
36Rhode Island14.6-0.4 pts
37Colorado14.5-0.1 pts
37Florida14.5-1.6 pts
39Texas14.4-1.3 pts
40Arizona14-1.6 pts
41District of Columbia13.8-0.6 pts
42Vermont13.7-2.1 pts
43Hawaii13.4+0.6 pts
43Massachusetts13.4-0.3 pts
45New Jersey13.1-0.6 pts
46New York12.8-1.3 pts
47Maryland12.6-1.2 pts
48Connecticut12.2-0.5 pts
49Washington12-1.5 pts
50California11.2-0.1 pts
51Utah9+0.1 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 25.2% in 2018, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult smoking rate?

Utah, with 9% in 2018.

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