Which states have the highest obesity rates?
Adult obesity in every state, on a map and ranked, with what the numbers mean and the simple checks that matter most.
Alabama had the highest adult obesity rate of any state with 2025 data, at 39.7%. North Dakota, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee were next. 21 states were at 35% or higher. Colorado had the lowest rate of any state (25.7%), and Washington, DC was lower still (24.2%). In the typical state, about 1 in 3 adults has obesity (median 33.6%).
- It’s common everywhere. Every state with 2025 data was above 25%. Only Washington, DC was below.
- The Midwest and South are highest. The Midwest averaged 35.5% and the South 34.8%, compared with 29.6% in the Northeast.
- The real number is likely higher. State maps use what people report. When height and weight are measured in person, 40.3% of US adults have obesity.
- Middle age is the peak. 46.4% of adults 40 to 59 have obesity, more than younger or older adults.
- Small changes count. The CDC says losing even 5% of your weight can improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2025, as used in the CDC Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (updated September 2026). California, Mississippi and Nevada: CDC lists insufficient data for 2025.
longevityclinicshub.comWhat the map shows
The highest rates run through the South and the middle of the country. Alabama, North Dakota, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee make up the top five. The lowest are in the West and Northeast: Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York.
Even the lowest states aren’t low. In Colorado, about 1 in 4 adults has obesity.
Compare what’s included and what it costs.
Every state, ranked
Click any column to sort. States with a LongevityClinicsHub city guide have a link to the clinics there.
| · | Typical state (median) | 33.6% |
| 1 | Alabama | 39.7% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 39.1% |
| 3 | Kentucky | 38.8% |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 38.1% |
| 5 | Tennessee | 37.9% |
| 6 | Indiana | 37.5% |
| 7 | West Virginia | 37.4% |
| 8 | Kansas | 37.3% |
| 9 | Iowa | 36.9% |
| 10 | Arkansas | 36.7% |
| 11 | Missouri | 36.6% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 36.6% |
| 13 | South Carolina | 36.5% |
| 14 | Delaware | 36.3% |
| 15 | Texas | 36.1% |
| 16 | Ohio | 36.0% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 36.0% |
| 18 | Georgia | 35.9% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 35.6% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 35.3% |
| 21 | Michigan | 35.1% |
| 22 | South Dakota | 34.3% |
| 23 | Virginia | 34.2% |
| 24 | Illinois | 33.7% |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 33.5% |
| 26 | North Carolina | 33.5% |
| 27 | Maryland | 33.1% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 33.1% |
| 29 | Alaska | 33.0% |
| 30 | Maine | 33.0% |
| 31 | Oregon | 32.7% |
| 32 | Wyoming | 32.6% |
| 33 | Idaho | 32.6% |
| 34 | Arizona | 32.3% |
| 35 | New Hampshire | 31.6% |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 31.3% |
| 37 | Washington | 31.0% |
| 38 | Connecticut | 30.4% |
| 39 | Montana | 30.3% |
| 40 | Florida | 30.0% |
| 41 | Utah | 29.8% |
| 42 | Vermont | 29.1% |
| 43 | New York | 28.5% |
| 44 | Massachusetts | 27.0% |
| 45 | New Jersey | 27.0% |
| 46 | Hawaii | 26.4% |
| 47 | Colorado | 25.7% |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 24.2% |
| – | California | 29.1% (2024) |
| – | Mississippi | 40.4% (2024) |
| – | Nevada | 34.3% (2024) |
*Likely range: the CDC’s 95% confidence interval. States whose ranges overlap may not truly differ. Rank 1 is the highest rate. California, Mississippi and Nevada show their 2024 rate and aren’t ranked.
Picture a room of 10 adults
Here’s what the national measured numbers look like in a room of 10 US adults.
Rounded from NCHS Data Brief No. 508: obesity 40.3% of adults, severe obesity (BMI 40 or higher) 9.4%. People with severe obesity are also counted in the first row.
longevityclinicshub.comPut another way: in most families and most offices, obesity is part of everyday life. That’s why it helps to talk about it plainly.
Why the state numbers look lower
The state map comes from a phone survey. People tell the CDC their height and weight. Numbers people report about themselves tend to come out lower than measured ones.
A separate CDC survey weighs and measures people in person. It finds a higher national rate: 40.3% of adults.
Sources: CDC BRFSS state median (self-reported, 2025); NCHS Data Brief No. 508 (measured, Aug 2021 to Aug 2023); CDC Adult Obesity Facts (measured, 1999 to 2000). Use the state map to compare states, and the measured number for the national picture.
longevityclinicshub.comBMI is like a smoke alarm. It’s quick and cheap, and it’s a useful first check. But it can go off for burnt toast, like a very muscular person, and it can’t tell you which room the fire is in. That’s why your doctor looks at other numbers too.
Three things people often think
Middle age is the peak
Obesity is most common between 40 and 59, in both men and women. It’s also the age when guidelines say to start yearly blood pressure checks.
Source: NCHS Data Brief No. 508.
longevityclinicshub.comHow it connects
Obesity rarely travels alone. It raises the odds of the quiet conditions that lead to the biggest causes of death.
See how those causes rank in what Americans die of.
How this has changed
In 2011, the typical state had an adult obesity rate of 27.8%. By 2025 it was 33.6%. The median dipped a little in 2025, but one year isn’t a trend, and three states had no 2025 data.
Source: CDC BRFSS, all states and DC (median). The CDC says estimates from 2011 on can’t be compared with earlier years because the survey method changed, so the chart starts in 2011.
longevityclinicshub.comWhat’s behind it
There’s no single cause. The CDC groups what drives obesity into five buckets, and most people have more than one at work at the same time.
That last bucket is one reason researchers look at obesity state by state: food prices, walkable streets and income vary a lot from place to place. Still, the map shows where rates are higher, not why any one state is higher.
The everyday habits, in numbers
There’s some good news in there. The share of calories from ultra-processed food has dipped a little, from 55.8% in 2013 to 2014 to 53.0% in 2021 to 2023.
Is obesity still rising?
Measured nationally, it climbed for two decades, then leveled off.
Over the past decade, the overall rate hasn’t changed in a meaningful way. But severe obesity (a BMI of 40 or higher) kept climbing, from 7.7% to 9.7% of adults (age-adjusted, 2013 to 2014 versus 2021 to 2023). So the overall share has held steady, but more people are at the highest end.
It’s also costly. Obesity accounts for about $173 billion a year in US medical costs, and adults with obesity spend about $1,861 more on medical care each year (in 2019 dollars).
When to get checked
Here’s what US guidelines say for adults. Your doctor may suggest more, based on your history.
| Check | Why it matters | Who and how often |
|---|---|---|
| Weight and BMI | Obesity | At your checkups. Adults with a BMI of 30 or higher should be offered or referred to an intensive program on diet, activity and behavior. (USPSTF, 2018; an update is in progress) |
| A1c or fasting glucose | Prediabetes and diabetes | Adults 35 to 70 with overweight or obesity. (USPSTF, 2021) |
| Blood pressure check | High blood pressure | Every year from age 40, or if at higher risk. Every 3 to 5 years from 18 to 39 if your last reading was normal. (USPSTF, 2021) |
| Cholesterol and heart risk check | Heart disease and stroke | Adults 40 to 75 with a risk factor: your doctor estimates your 10-year heart risk, and a statin is recommended if it’s 10% or higher. (USPSTF, 2022) |
| Body composition (DEXA) or waist size | Where your weight sits, and how much is muscle | Ask your doctor. There’s no USPSTF guideline. |
Source: US Preventive Services Task Force statements, with their years in the table.
What you can do about it
Start with your regular doctor. They can check your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, and point you to programs that help. The guidelines above say they should.
Longevity care can add to that, with body composition scans, closer tracking of metabolic numbers and a plan you can stick to. If you’re curious, read biomarker testing vs. your annual physical or see clinics near you.
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LongevityClinicsHub. (2026, October). Which states have the highest obesity rates? https://longevityclinicshub.com/learn/obesity-by-state/ (Data: CDC.) Common questions
Which state has the highest obesity rate?
Alabama, at 39.7% of adults in 2025, among states with 2025 data. Mississippi had the highest rate in 2024 (40.4%) but has no 2025 estimate.
Which state has the lowest obesity rate?
Colorado, at 25.7% of adults in 2025. Washington, DC was lower, at 24.2%.
What percentage of US adults have obesity?
40.3%, based on measured height and weight from August 2021 to August 2023. Using self-reported data, the typical state was at 33.6% in 2025.
What causes obesity?
There’s no single cause. The CDC lists everyday habits (eating patterns, activity, sleep, screen time), long-term stress, some health conditions and medicines, genes, and the place you live, like access to affordable healthy food and safe places to be active.
Is obesity still rising in the US?
The overall rate rose from 30.5% in 1999 to 2000 to 41.9% in 2017 to March 2020, then leveled off (40.3% in 2021 to 2023). Severe obesity is still rising, from 7.7% to 9.7% over the past decade.
Why are California, Mississippi and Nevada missing?
The CDC lists “insufficient data” for them in 2025, so there’s no reliable 2025 estimate. The table shows their 2024 rates instead: California 29.1%, Mississippi 40.4% and Nevada 34.3%.
What counts as obesity?
For adults, a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Severe obesity is a BMI of 40 or higher. BMI is a screening measure, so your doctor may look at other numbers too.
Why is this data from 2025?
It’s the newest available. The survey runs all year, and the CDC published the 2025 state numbers in September 2026.
Is obesity going down?
Not clearly. The typical state’s rate rose from 27.8% in 2011 to 34.3% in 2023, then dipped to 33.6% in 2025. One year isn’t a trend, and three states had no 2025 data.
Prepared by the LongevityClinicsHub editorial team. How we research and source these guides.
Enter your ZIP code and we’ll point you at the nearest city we’ve researched.
Sources
- CDC, Risk Factors for Obesity (updated Nov 14, 2025).
- NCHS, Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults, Aug 2021 to Aug 2023. Data Brief No. 536 (Aug 2025).
- CDC MMWR, Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations, United States, 2019 (Jan 2022).
- NCHS, Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over, 2020. Data Brief No. 443 (Aug 2022).
- CDC, Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (updated Sep 24, 2026), and the 2025 state values behind them from BRFSS.
- NCHS, Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021 to August 2023. Data Brief No. 508 (Sep 2024).
- CDC, Adult Obesity Facts (trend, related conditions and costs).
- CDC, About Body Mass Index (BMI) (Dec 2025) and Losing Weight (Jan 2025).
- US Preventive Services Task Force: Weight Loss to Prevent Obesity-Related Morbidity and Mortality in Adults (2018), Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes (2021), Hypertension in Adults (2021), Statin Use for Primary Prevention (2022).
- Our math: state ranks (by the published rate, ties broken on the CDC’s unrounded estimate), the count of states at 35% or higher, the room of 10 figures, and “1 in 3” and “1 in 4” from the rates above.
This guide is independent editorial content, written to orient, not to diagnose. It is not medical advice, and it is no substitute for a conversation with a licensed physician who knows your history. Where we describe what clinics claim, the claim belongs to the clinic.
Educational reading, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own health.