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 2020, at 22.6%. Utah had the lowest, at 8.2%. The median was 15.5%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest22.6West Virginia
Lowest8.2Utah
Median15.551 states

All states, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

West VirginiaWest Virginia: 22.6 %22.6KentuckyKentucky: 21.4 %21.4ArkansasArkansas: 20.5 %20.5MississippiMississippi: 20.1 %20.1TennesseeTennessee: 19.5 %19.5IndianaIndiana: 19.4 %19.4OhioOhio: 19.3 %19.3OklahomaOklahoma: 19.1 %19.1AlabamaAlabama: 18.5 %18.5WyomingWyoming: 18.5 %18.5MichiganMichigan: 18.4 %18.4LouisianaLouisiana: 18.3 %18.3South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 18.1 %18.1AlaskaAlaska: 18 %18MissouriMissouri: 17.8 %17.8South DakotaSouth Dakota: 17.8 %17.8North DakotaNorth Dakota: 17.4 %17.4KansasKansas: 16.6 %16.6MaineMaine: 16.5 %16.5North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 16.5 %16.5MontanaMontana: 16.4 %16.4New MexicoNew Mexico: 16.1 %16.1GeorgiaGeorgia: 15.8 %15.8IowaIowa: 15.8 %15.8PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 15.8 %15.8WisconsinWisconsin: 15.5 %15.5DelawareDelaware: 15.1 %15.1FloridaFlorida: 14.7 %14.7NevadaNevada: 14.2 %14.2NebraskaNebraska: 13.9 %13.9New HampshireNew Hampshire: 13.9 %13.9MinnesotaMinnesota: 13.8 %13.8IdahoIdaho: 13.6 %13.6VirginiaVirginia: 13.6 %13.6Rhode IslandRhode Island: 13.5 %13.5OregonOregon: 13.4 %13.4VermontVermont: 13.3 %13.3TexasTexas: 13.2 %13.2ArizonaArizona: 13.1 %13.1IllinoisIllinois: 12.7 %12.7ColoradoColorado: 12.4 %12.4New YorkNew York: 12 %12ConnecticutConnecticut: 11.8 %11.8HawaiiHawaii: 11.6 %11.6WashingtonWashington: 11.5 %11.5District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 11.3 %11.3MassachusettsMassachusetts: 11.1 %11.1MarylandMaryland: 10.9 %10.9New JerseyNew Jersey: 10.8 %10.8CaliforniaCalifornia: 8.9 %8.9UtahUtah: 8.2 %8.2
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2020 (%)Change on 2019
1West Virginia22.6-1.2 pts
2Kentucky21.4-2.2 pts
3Arkansas20.5+0.3 pts
4Mississippi20.1-0.3 pts
5Tennessee19.5-0.4 pts
6Indiana19.4+0.2 pts
7Ohio19.3-1.5 pts
8Oklahoma19.1+0.2 pts
9Alabama18.5-1.7 pts
9Wyoming18.5+0.1 pts
11Michigan18.4-0.3 pts
12Louisiana18.3-3.6 pts
13South Carolina18.1+0.5 pts
14Alaska18+0.6 pts
15Missouri17.8-1.8 pts
15South Dakota17.8-0.5 pts
17North Dakota17.4+0.4 pts
18Kansas16.6+0.4 pts
19Maine16.5-1.1 pts
19North Carolina16.5-2 pts
21Montana16.4-0.2 pts
22New Mexico16.1+0.1 pts
23Georgia15.8-0.5 pts
23Iowa15.8-0.6 pts
23Pennsylvania15.8-1.5 pts
26Wisconsin15.5+0.1 pts
27Delaware15.1-0.8 pts
28Florida14.7-0.1 pts
29Nevada14.2-1.5 pts
30Nebraska13.9-0.8 pts
30New Hampshire13.9-2 pts
32Minnesota13.8-0.8 pts
33Idaho13.6-1.7 pts
33Virginia13.6-0.4 pts
35Rhode Island13.5+0.2 pts
36Oregon13.4-1.1 pts
37Vermont13.3-1.8 pts
38Texas13.2-1.5 pts
39Arizona13.1-1.8 pts
40Illinois12.7-1.8 pts
41Colorado12.4-1.1 pts
42New York12-0.6 pts
43Connecticut11.8-0.3 pts
44Hawaii11.6-0.7 pts
45Washington11.5-1.1 pts
46District of Columbia11.3-1.4 pts
47Massachusetts11.1-0.9 pts
48Maryland10.9-1.8 pts
49New Jersey10.8n/a
50California8.9-1.1 pts
51Utah8.2+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 22.6% in 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult smoking rate?

Utah, with 8.2% in 2020.

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