Data / Rankings / Adult cigarette smoking rate / US states

US states by adult smoking rate

West Virginia had the highest adult smoking rate of 49 states in 2023, at 20.4%. Utah had the lowest, at 5.9%. The median was 12.1%. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highest20.4West Virginia
Lowest5.9Utah
Median12.149 states

All states, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

West VirginiaWest Virginia: 20.4 %20.4TennesseeTennessee: 17 %17OklahomaOklahoma: 15.8 %15.8LouisianaLouisiana: 15.7 %15.7MississippiMississippi: 15.6 %15.6AlaskaAlaska: 15.3 %15.3MissouriMissouri: 15.3 %15.3South DakotaSouth Dakota: 15.2 %15.2ArkansasArkansas: 15 %15OhioOhio: 15 %15IndianaIndiana: 14.4 %14.4AlabamaAlabama: 14.2 %14.2NevadaNevada: 14.2 %14.2MaineMaine: 14 %14WyomingWyoming: 14 %14KansasKansas: 13.9 %13.9IowaIowa: 13.7 %13.7MichiganMichigan: 13.6 %13.6North DakotaNorth Dakota: 13.4 %13.4North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 13.2 %13.2MontanaMontana: 12.4 %12.4MinnesotaMinnesota: 12.2 %12.2New MexicoNew Mexico: 12.2 %12.2NebraskaNebraska: 12.1 %12.1South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 12.1 %12.1GeorgiaGeorgia: 12 %12WisconsinWisconsin: 12 %12DelawareDelaware: 11.4 %11.4TexasTexas: 11.3 %11.3VermontVermont: 11.3 %11.3VirginiaVirginia: 10.9 %10.9IllinoisIllinois: 10.8 %10.8OregonOregon: 10.6 %10.6FloridaFlorida: 10.5 %10.5IdahoIdaho: 10.4 %10.4New HampshireNew Hampshire: 10.4 %10.4ColoradoColorado: 10.2 %10.2ArizonaArizona: 10 %10District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 9.8 %9.8MassachusettsMassachusetts: 9.8 %9.8Rhode IslandRhode Island: 9.5 %9.5New YorkNew York: 9.3 %9.3MarylandMaryland: 9.1 %9.1New JerseyNew Jersey: 9.1 %9.1HawaiiHawaii: 9 %9WashingtonWashington: 9 %9CaliforniaCalifornia: 8.5 %8.5ConnecticutConnecticut: 8.4 %8.4UtahUtah: 5.9 %5.9
%. Source: CDC. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankStates2023 (%)Change on 2022
1West Virginia20.4-0.6 pts
2Tennessee17-1.5 pts
3Oklahoma15.8+0.2 pts
4Louisiana15.7-1 pts
5Mississippi15.6-1.8 pts
6Alaska15.3-0.6 pts
6Missouri15.3-1.5 pts
8South Dakota15.2+1.2 pts
9Arkansas15-3.7 pts
9Ohio15-2.1 pts
11Indiana14.4-1.8 pts
12Alabama14.2-1.4 pts
12Nevada14.2-0.6 pts
14Maine14-1 pts
14Wyoming14-1.5 pts
16Kansas13.9-0.6 pts
17Iowa13.7-1 pts
18Michigan13.6-1.6 pts
19North Dakota13.4-1.7 pts
20North Carolina13.2-1.3 pts
21Montana12.4-2.8 pts
22Minnesota12.2-0.8 pts
22New Mexico12.2-2.8 pts
24Nebraska12.1-0.9 pts
24South Carolina12.1-3.3 pts
26Georgia12-0.5 pts
26Wisconsin12-2.2 pts
28Delaware11.4-1.5 pts
29Texas11.3-0.5 pts
29Vermont11.3-1.7 pts
31Virginia10.9-1.2 pts
32Illinois10.8-1.6 pts
33Oregon10.6-1.8 pts
34Florida10.5-0.8 pts
35Idaho10.4-1.5 pts
35New Hampshire10.4-0.8 pts
37Colorado10.2-0.5 pts
38Arizona10-2.7 pts
39District of Columbia9.8-0.8 pts
39Massachusetts9.8-0.6 pts
41Rhode Island9.5-2.3 pts
42New York9.3-1.9 pts
43Maryland9.1-0.5 pts
43New Jersey9.1-1.3 pts
45Hawaii9-1 pts
45Washington9-1 pts
47California8.5-1.2 pts
48Connecticut8.4-1.6 pts
49Utah5.9-0.8 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. 2 states with data in other periods have no value for 2023 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), 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 20.4% in 2023, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest adult smoking rate?

Utah, with 5.9% in 2023.

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. 2 states have no value for 2023 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings