Obesity Rate by US State

Written by Marko Visic, MPharm · Data: CDC, released September 24, 2026 · Reviewed October 2, 2026 · Not medical advice

Every state, every year from 2011 to 2025, straight from CDC’s newest state survey data. Pick a year to watch obesity spread across the map, or pick your state for its 15-year trend and age breakdown.

Highest, 202539.7%Alabama
Lowest, 202525.7%Colorado
States at 35%+21of 47 with 2025 data (0 in 2011)
Biggest rise since 2011+11.3points, North Dakota
Map of adult obesity prevalence by US state, 2025Alabama: 39.7% in 2025Alaska: 33.0% in 2025Arizona: 32.3% in 2025Arkansas: 36.7% in 2025California: no 2025 estimateColorado: 25.7% in 2025Connecticut: 30.4% in 2025Delaware: 36.3% in 2025Florida: 30.0% in 2025Georgia: 35.9% in 2025Hawaii: 26.4% in 2025Idaho: 32.6% in 2025Illinois: 33.7% in 2025Indiana: 37.5% in 2025Iowa: 36.9% in 2025Kansas: 37.3% in 2025Kentucky: 38.8% in 2025Louisiana: 35.6% in 2025Maine: 33.0% in 2025Maryland: 33.1% in 2025Massachusetts: 27.0% in 2025Michigan: 35.1% in 2025Minnesota: 33.1% in 2025Mississippi: no 2025 estimateMissouri: 36.6% in 2025Montana: 30.3% in 2025Nebraska: 36.0% in 2025Nevada: no 2025 estimateNew Hampshire: 31.6% in 2025New Jersey: 27.0% in 2025New Mexico: 35.3% in 2025New York: 28.5% in 2025North Carolina: 33.5% in 2025North Dakota: 39.1% in 2025Ohio: 36.0% in 2025Oklahoma: 38.1% in 2025Oregon: 32.7% in 2025Pennsylvania: 33.5% in 2025Rhode Island: 31.3% in 2025South Carolina: 36.5% in 2025South Dakota: 34.3% in 2025Tennessee: 37.9% in 2025Texas: 36.1% in 2025Utah: 29.8% in 2025Vermont: 29.1% in 2025Virginia: 34.2% in 2025Washington: 31.0% in 2025West Virginia: 37.4% in 2025Wisconsin: 36.6% in 2025Wyoming: 32.6% in 2025District of Columbia: 24.2% in 2025DC

2025: 21 of 47 states with an estimate had adult obesity of 35% or higher (3 without an estimate).

  • 20%–25%
  • 25%–30%
  • 30%–35%
  • 35%–40%
  • 40%+
  • No estimate

Source: CDC, Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (BRFSS) — retrieved Oct 2026. Tap or click a state, or pick one from the menu. Self-reported height and weight. Map boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Adult obesity in 2025 ranged from 25.7% in Colorado to 39.7% in Alabama, based on CDC’s survey of self-reported height and weight. 21 of the 47 states with a 2025 estimate were at 35% or higher, and none reached 40%. CDC had too little 2025 data for California, Mississippi and Nevada.

Source: CDC, Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (BRFSS 2025) — retrieved Oct 2026.

Most obese states in 2025

Alabama had the highest adult obesity rate in 2025 at 39.7% — roughly 2 in 5 adults. The rest of the top five were North Dakota (39.1%), Kentucky (38.8%), Oklahoma (38.1%) and Tennessee (37.9%). Most of the top 10 are in the South and Midwest, which CDC puts at 34.8% and 35.5% overall.

Top 10, 2025

  1. 1Alabama39.7%
  2. 2North Dakota39.1%
  3. 3Kentucky38.8%
  4. 4Oklahoma38.1%
  5. 5Tennessee37.9%
  6. 6Indiana37.5%
  7. 7West Virginia37.4%
  8. 8Kansas37.3%
  9. 9Iowa36.9%
  10. 10Arkansas36.7%

What the ranking can and can’t tell you

Neighboring ranks are often within each other’s 95% confidence intervals, so treat a one- or two-place gap as a tie. California, Mississippi and Nevada have no 2025 estimate; in 2024 Mississippi was 40.4% and West Virginia 41.4%, the only states above 40% that year.

21 states

had adult obesity of 35% or higher in 2025. In 2011 and 2012 there were none; the count peaked at 23 in 2023. Calculated from CDC BRFSS state estimates.

Least obese states in 2025

Colorado had the lowest adult obesity rate at 25.7%, about 1 in 4 adults. Hawaii (26.4%), New Jersey (27.0%) and Massachusetts (27.0%) followed. The District of Columbia, which isn’t a state, was lower still at 24.2%. Even the leanest state is far from lean: no state has been under 20% since the current method began in 2011 (the lowest was Colorado at 20.2% in 2015).

Lowest 10, 2025

  1. 1Colorado25.7%
  2. 2Hawaii26.4%
  3. 3New Jersey27.0%
  4. 4Massachusetts27.0%
  5. 5New York28.5%
  6. 6Vermont29.1%
  7. 7Utah29.8%
  8. 8Florida30.0%
  9. 9Montana30.3%
  10. 10Connecticut30.4%

By region, 2025 (CDC)

Midwest35.5%
South34.8%
West30.7%
Northeast29.6%

Obesity rate by state: full 2025 ranking

All 50 states, ranked by the share of adults with a BMI of 30 or higher in 2025. The 95% confidence interval is the survey’s margin of error: the true value is very likely inside that range. Change since 2011 is our subtraction of CDC’s two estimates, in percentage points. Want to know where your own number sits? Our BMI calculator takes a few seconds.

Adult obesity prevalence by state, 2025 (CDC BRFSS, self-reported)
RankState202595% CI2011Change (pts)
1Alabama39.7%37.7–41.732.0%+7.7
2North Dakota39.1%37.3–40.827.8%+11.3
3Kentucky38.8%37.1–40.630.4%+8.4
4Oklahoma38.1%36.3–39.931.1%+7.0
5Tennessee37.9%36.1–39.729.2%+8.7
6Indiana37.5%35.7–39.330.8%+6.7
7West Virginia37.4%35.6–39.332.4%+5.0
8Kansas37.3%36.0–38.629.6%+7.7
9Iowa36.9%35.7–38.229.0%+7.9
10Arkansas36.7%34.9–38.630.9%+5.8
11Missouri36.6%34.9–38.430.3%+6.3
11Wisconsin36.6%35.3–37.927.7%+8.9
13South Carolina36.5%33.6–39.530.8%+5.7
14Delaware36.3%34.1–38.528.8%+7.5
15Texas36.1%34.3–38.030.4%+5.7
16Nebraska36.0%34.3–37.628.4%+7.6
16Ohio36.0%34.5–37.629.6%+6.4
18Georgia35.9%34.2–37.728.0%+7.9
19Louisiana35.6%33.9–37.433.4%+2.2
20New Mexico35.3%32.9–37.726.3%+9.0
21Michigan35.1%33.8–36.431.3%+3.8
22South Dakota34.3%31.8–37.028.1%+6.2
23Virginia34.2%32.2–36.329.2%+5.0
24Illinois33.7%32.5–34.827.1%+6.6
25North Carolina33.5%31.5–35.529.1%+4.4
25Pennsylvania33.5%31.1–36.028.6%+4.9
27Maryland33.1%31.9–34.328.3%+4.8
27Minnesota33.1%32.0–34.125.7%+7.4
29Alaska33.0%31.2–35.027.4%+5.6
29Maine33.0%31.8–34.227.8%+5.2
31Oregon32.7%31.1–34.426.7%+6.0
32Idaho32.6%30.5–34.727.0%+5.6
32Wyoming32.6%30.8–34.525.0%+7.6
34Arizona32.3%30.1–34.525.1%+7.2
35New Hampshire31.6%29.6–33.626.2%+5.4
36Rhode Island31.3%29.6–33.025.4%+5.9
37Washington31.0%30.2–31.926.5%+4.5
38Connecticut30.4%28.9–31.924.5%+5.9
39Montana30.3%28.8–31.824.6%+5.7
40Florida30.0%28.4–31.626.6%+3.4
41Utah29.8%28.6–30.924.4%+5.4
42Vermont29.1%27.6–30.625.4%+3.7
43New York28.5%27.6–29.624.5%+4.0
44Massachusetts27.0%25.8–28.322.7%+4.3
44New Jersey27.0%25.4–28.723.7%+3.3
46Hawaii26.4%25.0–27.821.8%+4.6
47Colorado25.7%24.6–26.720.7%+5.0
–CaliforniaNo 2025 estimate2024: 29.1% (27.6–30.5)23.8%–
–MississippiNo 2025 estimate2024: 40.4% (38.1–42.7)34.9%–
–NevadaNo 2025 estimate2024: 34.2% (31.3–37.3)24.5%–
District of Columbia and territories
Area202595% CI or latest2011
District of Columbia24.2%21.9–26.523.7%
Guam39.6%31.0–48.927.4%
Puerto Rico35.9%33.3–38.726.3%
Virgin IslandsNo 2025 estimate2024: 37.7%–

Source: CDC, Adult Obesity Maps by State and Territory, 2011–2025 (data tables) — retrieved Oct 2026. Ranks (ties share a rank) and changes are our calculations.

How state obesity rates changed since 2011

In 2011 no state had an adult obesity rate of 35% or higher. By 2023, 23 did. The count rose almost every year in between, then sat at 19 in 2024 and 21 in 2025 — but those two years are missing a state each time (Tennessee in 2024; California, Mississippi and Nevada in 2025), so they aren’t a clean sign of a turnaround.

How the 50 states shifted between obesity bands, 2011 to 2025010203040502011: 10 states, 20% to under 25%2011: 28 states, 25% to under 30%2011: 12 states, 30% to under 35%020112012: 9 states, 20% to under 25%2012: 28 states, 25% to under 30%2012: 13 states, 30% to under 35%02013: 7 states, 20% to under 25%2013: 23 states, 25% to under 30%2013: 18 states, 30% to under 35%2013: 2 states, 35% to under 40%220132014: 5 states, 20% to under 25%2014: 23 states, 25% to under 30%2014: 19 states, 30% to under 35%2014: 3 states, 35% to under 40%32015: 6 states, 20% to under 25%2015: 19 states, 25% to under 30%2015: 21 states, 30% to under 35%2015: 4 states, 35% to under 40%420152016: 3 states, 20% to under 25%2016: 22 states, 25% to under 30%2016: 20 states, 30% to under 35%2016: 5 states, 35% to under 40%52017: 2 states, 20% to under 25%2017: 19 states, 25% to under 30%2017: 22 states, 30% to under 35%2017: 7 states, 35% to under 40%720172018: 2 states, 20% to under 25%2018: 17 states, 25% to under 30%2018: 22 states, 30% to under 35%2018: 9 states, 35% to under 40%92019: 1 states, 20% to under 25%2019: 13 states, 25% to under 30%2019: 23 states, 30% to under 35%2019: 11 states, 35% to under 40%2019: 1 states, 40% or higher2019: 1 states, no estimate1220192020: 3 states, 20% to under 25%2020: 11 states, 25% to under 30%2020: 20 states, 30% to under 35%2020: 16 states, 35% to under 40%162021: 8 states, 25% to under 30%2021: 22 states, 30% to under 35%2021: 17 states, 35% to under 40%2021: 2 states, 40% or higher2021: 1 states, no estimate1920212022: 6 states, 25% to under 30%2022: 22 states, 30% to under 35%2022: 19 states, 35% to under 40%2022: 3 states, 40% or higher222023: 1 states, 20% to under 25%2023: 7 states, 25% to under 30%2023: 17 states, 30% to under 35%2023: 20 states, 35% to under 40%2023: 3 states, 40% or higher2023: 2 states, no estimate2320232024: 8 states, 25% to under 30%2024: 22 states, 30% to under 35%2024: 17 states, 35% to under 40%2024: 2 states, 40% or higher2024: 1 states, no estimate192025: 7 states, 25% to under 30%2025: 19 states, 30% to under 35%2025: 21 states, 35% to under 40%2025: 3 states, no estimate212025Number of states in each band; top row: states at 35% or higher
  • Under 20%
  • 20%–25%
  • 25%–30%
  • 30%–35%
  • 35%–40%
  • 40%+
  • No estimate
How the 50 states shifted between obesity bands, 2011–2025 (bars: number of states in each band; top row: states at 35% or higher). Calculated from CDC BRFSS state estimates.

North Dakota rose the most, up 11.3 percentage points from 2011 to 2025, followed by New Mexico (+9.0) and Wisconsin (+8.9). The smallest rises among states with both years were Florida (+3.4), New Jersey (+3.3) and Louisiana (+2.2). Every one of the 47 states with estimates in both years is higher in 2025 than in 2011.

One year’s move is rarely meaningful on its own. West Virginia, for example, went from 41.4% in 2024 to 37.4% in 2025; a drop that size needs another year of data before anyone should call it a trend. CDC also warns that estimates from before 2011 used a different method and shouldn’t be compared with these.

Obesity by age in each state

Middle age is where obesity peaks. CDC says adults 40–59 are about 36% more likely to have obesity than adults 18–39 and about 25% more likely than adults 60 and older. In every one of the 47 states with all three age estimates, the 40–59 group had the highest rate; North Dakota topped that age group at 47.6%.

Adult obesity by age group and state, 2025 (CDC BRFSS)
State18–3940–5960+
Alabama38.1%46.2%35.4%
Alaska29.9%37.9%31.7%
Arizona29.6%36.6%31.3%
Arkansas32.8%44.3%34.2%
Californian/an/an/a
Colorado21.1%29.5%27.4%
Connecticut27.8%34.9%28.9%
Delaware33.4%42.9%33.6%
Florida24.6%38.3%27.8%
Georgia30.2%44.4%34.6%
Hawaii28.9%29.9%21.2%
Idaho30.5%36.8%30.8%
Illinois28.2%39.4%34.0%
Indiana32.9%47.3%33.4%
Iowa30.4%44.6%37.0%
Kansas34.1%43.2%35.5%
Kentucky35.3%46.0%36.0%
Louisiana30.0%43.4%34.4%
Maine29.2%38.1%32.0%
Maryland30.2%38.4%30.9%
Massachusetts23.2%32.3%26.6%
Michigan30.6%41.0%34.7%
Minnesota28.8%38.5%32.5%
Mississippin/an/an/a
Missouri33.4%42.6%34.7%
Montana22.8%37.0%31.9%
Nebraska29.3%43.3%37.1%
Nevadan/an/an/a
New Hampshire27.3%38.9%29.4%
New Jersey23.7%31.7%26.0%
New Mexico37.3%40.3%28.6%
New York24.5%33.8%28.1%
North Carolina27.8%40.9%33.1%
North Dakota35.6%47.6%35.5%
Ohio32.1%41.4%35.1%
Oklahoma36.7%41.5%36.2%
Oregon30.7%36.1%31.5%
Pennsylvania27.8%40.8%32.9%
Rhode Island28.7%33.4%32.1%
South Carolina29.6%46.9%34.2%
South Dakota26.0%43.9%35.0%
Tennessee35.6%46.0%32.7%
Texas32.2%43.6%33.0%
Utah25.2%36.4%29.2%
Vermont24.4%35.5%28.2%
Virginia29.8%40.1%33.7%
Washington27.4%36.2%30.0%
West Virginia32.3%45.3%36.0%
Wisconsin31.3%42.9%36.3%
Wyoming29.9%36.8%31.6%

Source: CDC, Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps, obesity by age (BRFSS 2025) — retrieved Oct 2026. n/a = insufficient data. Confidence intervals are in the download.

Education follows the same pattern nationally: CDC’s 2025 survey found 38.1% obesity among adults without a high school diploma, 35.1% with a diploma, 36.8% with some college and 27.8% among college graduates.

Why state numbers are lower than the national 40.3%

The state maps rely on what people say they weigh; the national figure comes from a scale. CDC’s state data come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a phone survey where adults report their own height and weight. The national 40.3% comes from NHANES, where trained staff measure people. Self-reported surveys come in lower: Gallup’s self-reported national rate for 2025 was 37.0% (Gallup), against the measured 40.3%.

Self-reported state survey versus measured national survey State maps use height and weight people report on the phone. The national figure comes from people weighed and measured in an exam. State maps (BRFSS) National exam (NHANES) Phone survey: people report height and weight 24.2–39.7% 2025, by state or DC Exam: staff measure height and weight 40.3% 2021–2023, adults 20+
Two CDC surveys, two methods. State estimates: BRFSS 2025. National measured estimate: NHANES August 2021–August 2023, adults 20 and older (NCHS Data Brief 508).

That’s why you shouldn’t set a state’s figure next to the national one and conclude the state is better than average. Compare states with states, and use the measured number for the country as a whole — our US obesity statistics page has the full measured trend since 1960.

States with no 2025 estimate

CDC publishes a state’s figure only when the survey has enough responses to be reliable (at least 50, with a relative standard error under 30%). For 2025 that rules out California, Mississippi and Nevada. Their latest published figures: California 29.1% in 2024; Mississippi 40.4% in 2024; Nevada 34.2% in 2024. We show those in the ranking table, clearly labelled, rather than mixing years into the 2025 ranks. Earlier one-year gaps: New Jersey (2019), Florida (2021), Kentucky and Pennsylvania (2023) and Tennessee (2024).

How to use this data

Comparing your state with its neighbors. Use the map’s year slider to see when your state crossed 30% or 35%, then the state menu for its full trend. Texas is a good example: 30.4% in 2011, 36.1% in 2025 (95% CI 34.3–38.0), and by age in 2025 32.2% of 18–39-year-olds, 43.6% of 40–59-year-olds and 33.0% of those 60 and older.

Checking a ranking you saw elsewhere. Many “most obese states” lists still use 2023 or 2024 data, or blend obesity with other health measures. If a number doesn’t match the table above, check its year and source.

Reports, classes and articles. Download the full table below and cite CDC as the source. For your own weight status, use the BMI chart or the BMI categories guide instead — a state average says nothing about any one person.

FAQ

Which state has the highest obesity rate?

Alabama, at 39.7% of adults in 2025 (95% CI 37.7–41.7). Mississippi has no 2025 estimate; it was 40.4% in 2024, the highest among states with data that year after West Virginia (41.4%).

Which state has the lowest obesity rate?

Colorado, at 25.7% in 2025. The District of Columbia was lower at 24.2% but isn’t a state.

How many states have an obesity rate above 35%?

21 states in 2025, out of the 47 with an estimate. None did in 2011 or 2012; the first year any state did was 2013.

Is obesity going down in any state?

Not in a way the data can confirm yet. Every state with estimates in both 2011 and 2025 is higher now, and single-year changes are usually within the survey’s margin of error.

Why is the national obesity rate higher than every state’s?

Different surveys. The 40.3% national figure is measured by CDC staff; state figures are self-reported by phone, and self-reported surveys come in lower than measured ones. See the explanation above.

Why is there no 2025 data for California, Mississippi and Nevada?

CDC didn’t have enough reliable survey responses from those states for 2025, so it published no estimate. Their 2024 figures were California 29.1%; Mississippi 40.4%; Nevada 34.2%.

Methodology and sources

Every state value on this page comes from CDC’s Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps, released September 24, 2026: the data tables for 2011–2025 and the 2025 tables by age. Obesity means a BMI of 30 or higher, calculated from self-reported height and weight; pregnant women and implausible records are excluded by CDC. We checked our copy against CDC’s 2025 CSV (all 54 rows match) and against CDC’s own summary counts. Ranks, changes since 2011 and the count of states at 35% or higher are our calculations from those values.

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps. Updated September 24, 2026.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Maps by State and Territory, 2011–2025 (PDF, includes data tables).
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of Obesity by State and Territory, BRFSS, 2025 (CSV).
  4. Emmerich SD, et al. Obesity and severe obesity prevalence in adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 508.

Download: state obesity rates 2011–2025 (CSV) · 2025 by age group (CSV). Free to reuse with credit to CDC and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0 for our compilation). Next update: when CDC publishes 2026 state data, expected around September 2027.

This page describes populations, not individuals. It is not medical advice.

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