Health and Healthcare

COVID-19: These Are the 5 Most Dangerous Counties in Your State

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The acceleration in the spread of COVID-19 in the United States in the past month is nothing short of astonishing. Confirmed cases now routinely rise by over 200,000 a day, on the way to what experts think will be 300,000. Fatal cases per day have risen to over 3,000, and experts fear that could surge in January. Currently, total confirmed cases in the United States stand at 18,184,737 and fatalities at 322,343.

Some parts of the country are much worse off than others. The states in the upper Midwest now are taking the brunt of the disease. This includes Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota and Wyoming. Case counts in states where the growth has slowed also have picked up. This includes, in particular, New York, which was hit worse than any other state in terms of deaths during a horrible period from late March through April. The state still has more fatal cases than any other at 36,147.

The effects of the disease on any area are measured in several ways. Among the most widely followed are confirmed cases per 100,000 people. This shows how deeply COVID-19 has spread in any given county. It also can be a sign of likely future spread because such a large portion of the population already has been affected.

Until vaccines can slow and eventually start to eliminate COVID-19, people have to be on guard for the spread of the disease in their own communities. 24/7 Wall St. has looked at each state to determine the counties where the confirmed cases per 100,000 are the highest. We also have shown a grimmer figure, which is deaths per 100,000.

The ways that people can protect themselves regardless of the intensity of the spread of the disease have changed very little since the start of the pandemic. Wear masks, social distance, wash hands and stay outside as much as possible when talking. Just as important, do not gather inside in groups of more than a few people.

COVID-19: This Is the Hardest Hit City in America

This list shows the five counties in each state where the cases per 100,000 are the highest. It provides an idea of which areas in a state are most dangerous in terms of the spread of the disease.

Alabama
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Franklin 31,542 3,021 36 9,577.71 114
Jackson 52,094 4,689 31 9,001.04 60
DeKalb 71,200 6,408 51 9,000.00 72
Clarke 24,387 2,182 24 8,947.39 98
Marshall 95,145 8,380 71 8,807.61 75
Alaska
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Bethel 18,040 1,614 8 8,946.79 44
Anchorage 296,112 16,517 106 5,577.96 36
Kusilvak 8,198 429 3 5,232.98 37
Northwest Arctic 7,734 349 0 4,512.54 0
North Slope 9,797 430 2 4,389.10 20
Arizona
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Yuma 207,829 24,592 465 11,832.80 224
Santa Cruz 46,584 5,362 87 11,510.39 187
Apache 71,522 6,862 218 9,594.25 305
Navajo 108,705 10,301 300 9,476.11 276
Gila 53,400 4,005 119 7,500.00 223
Arkansas
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Lincoln 13,695 2,909 24 21,241.33 175
Jackson 17,225 3,166 19 18,380.26 110
Lee 9,398 1,410 22 15,003.19 234
Sevier 17,193 2,396 21 13,935.90 122
Chicot 10,826 1,441 30 13,310.55 277
California
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Lassen 31,185 3,595 7 11,527.98 22
Imperial 180,216 20,711 394 11,492.32 219
Kings 150,075 14,474 103 9,644.51 69
San Bernardino 2,135,413 159,883 1,327 7,487.22 62
Kern 883,053 55,118 481 6,241.75 54
Colorado
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Crowley 5,630 1,576 12 27,992.89 213
Bent 5,809 867 10 14,925.12 172
Logan 21,689 3,030 52 13,970.21 240
Lincoln 5,548 749 2 13,500.36 36
Fremont 47,002 4,012 14 8,535.81 30
Connecticut
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Fairfield 944,348 50,614 1,628 5,359.68 172
New Haven 859,339 41,723 1,425 4,855.24 166
Hartford 894,730 40,611 1,733 4,538.91 194
Windham 116,538 4,153 51 3,563.64 44
Litchfield 183,031 6,515 205 3,559.51 112
Delaware
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Sussex 219,540 13,460 284 6,131.00 129
New Castle 555,133 29,126 422 5,246.67 76
Kent 174,822 7,910 156 4,524.60 89
Florida
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Lafayette 8,744 1,403 20 16,045.29 229
Miami-Dade 2,715,516 274,117 4,066 10,094.47 150
Jackson 48,472 4,355 110 8,984.57 227
Union 15,239 1,365 65 8,957.28 427
Suwannee 43,924 3,680 93 8,378.11 212
Georgia
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Chattahoochee 10,767 2,129 3 19,773.38 28
Stewart 6,042 600 17 9,930.49 281
Whitfield 103,849 9,823 111 9,458.93 107
Hall 195,961 15,625 215 7,973.53 110
Echols 3,994 304 3 7,611.42 75
Hawaii
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Honolulu 987,638 17,054 218 1,726.75 22
Hawaii 197,658 1,803 44 912.18 22
Maui 165,281 899 17 543.92 10
Kauai 71,377 137 1 191.94 1
Idaho
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Madison 38,705 5,073 10 13,106.83 26
Cassia 23,615 2,449 19 10,370.53 80
Minidoka 20,615 1,953 22 9,473.68 107
Washington 10,025 925 14 9,226.93 140
Twin Falls 83,666 7,655 110 9,149.48 131
Illinois
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Fayette 21,724 2,502 46 11,517.22 212
Cass 12,665 1,425 28 11,251.48 221
Clinton 37,628 4,156 77 11,044.97 205
Effingham 34,174 3,607 49 10,554.81 143
Lawrence 16,189 1,703 24 10,519.49 148
Indiana
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Elkhart 203,604 21,706 294 10,660.89 144
Cass 38,084 3,921 36 10,295.66 95
Dubois 42,418 3,929 37 9,262.58 87
Marshall 46,595 4,215 65 9,046.04 139
Clinton 32,301 2,897 30 8,968.76 93
Iowa
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Buena Vista 20,260 3,535 22 17,448.17 109
Plymouth 25,039 3,238 46 12,931.83 184
Jones 20,568 2,521 38 12,256.90 185
Sioux 34,825 4,192 41 12,037.33 118
Henry 19,926 2,396 21 12,024.49 105
Kansas
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Norton 5,486 1,122 N/A 20,452.06 N/A
Ellsworth 6,293 921 N/A 14,635.31 N/A
Sheridan 2,506 319 N/A 12,729.45 N/A
Ford 34,484 4,302 N/A 12,475.35 N/A
Seward 22,692 2,540 N/A 11,193.37 N/A
Kentucky
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Lee 6,751 1,016 18 15,049.62 267
Elliott 7,517 743 1 9,884.26 13
Monroe 10,634 880 19 8,275.34 179
Marion 19,232 1,434 17 7,456.32 88
Warren 126,427 9,218 83 7,291.16 66
Louisiana
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
East Carroll 7,225 913 14 12,636.68 194
East Feliciana 19,499 2,375 90 12,180.11 462
Madison 11,472 1,207 16 10,521.27 139
Franklin 20,322 1,929 73 9,492.18 359
Allen 25,661 2,346 71 9,142.28 277
Maine
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Androscoggin 107,444 2,152 42 2,002.90 39
Cumberland 290,944 5,745 83 1,974.61 29
York 203,102 3,773 48 1,857.69 24
Oxford 57,325 869 12 1,515.92 21
Franklin 30,019 384 5 1,279.19 17
Maryland
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Allegany 71,977 5,050 140 7,016.13 195
Somerset 25,737 1,577 16 6,127.37 62
Prince George’s 906,202 50,319 1,036 5,552.74 114
Baltimore city 614,700 29,331 664 4,771.60 108
Garrett 29,376 1,306 34 4,445.81 116
Massachusetts
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Essex 781,024 50,902 1,586 6,517.34 203
Suffolk 791,766 48,654 1,315 6,145.00 166
Nantucket 11,101 661 0 5,954.42 0
Bristol 558,905 29,428 995 5,265.30 178
Hampden 469,116 22,776 1,003 4,855.09 214
Michigan
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Dickinson 25,570 2,079 64 8,130.62 250
Delta 36,190 2,820 73 7,792.21 202
Iron 11,212 789 37 7,037.10 330
Menominee 23,234 1,571 23 6,761.64 99
Branch 43,584 2,903 57 6,660.70 131
Minnesota
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Nobles 21,839 3,463 43 15,856.95 197
Kandiyohi 42,658 5,214 55 12,222.79 129
Rock 9,413 998 10 10,602.36 106
Lyon 25,839 2,708 26 10,480.28 101
Stearns 156,819 16,422 159 10,471.95 101
Mississippi
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Issaquena 1,328 140 4 10,542.17 301
Neshoba 29,376 2,738 133 9,320.53 453
Bolivar 32,592 3,035 92 9,312.10 282
Montgomery 10,198 923 30 9,050.79 294
Winston 18,358 1,650 44 8,987.91 240
Missouri
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Sullivan 6,317 618 9 9,783.13 142
Cole 76,740 7,192 77 9,371.91 100
Perry 19,146 1,771 15 9,249.97 78
St. Francois 66,342 6,070 58 9,149.56 87
Madison 12,205 1,097 10 8,988.12 82
Montana
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Big Horn 13,376 2,011 57 15,034.39 426
Toole 4,976 670 8 13,464.63 161
Roosevelt 11,228 1,365 42 12,157.11 374
Powell 6,861 788 5 11,485.21 73
Rosebud 9,250 1,001 27 10,821.62 292
Nebraska
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Dakota 20,317 3,393 51 16,700.30 251
Colfax 10,760 1,396 17 12,973.98 158
Saline 14,288 1,684 3 11,786.11 21
Platte 33,063 3,413 39 10,322.72 118
Madison 35,164 3,623 36 10,303.15 102
Nevada
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Carson City 54,467 4,516 43 8,291.26 79
Washoe 450,486 32,830 407 7,287.69 90
Clark 2,141,574 153,951 2,162 7,188.68 101
Elko 52,252 3,637 32 6,960.50 61
Lander 5,746 360 6 6,265.23 104
New Hampshire
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Hillsborough 411,087 14,965 386 3,640.35 94
Rockingham 305,129 9,053 125 2,966.94 41
Merrimack 149,452 3,952 47 2,644.33 31
Belknap 60,640 1,523 41 2,511.54 68
Strafford 128,237 2,778 20 2,166.30 16
New Jersey
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Passaic 504,041 37,488 1,392 7,437.49 276
Union 553,066 34,251 1,504 6,192.93 272
Hudson 668,631 39,769 1,660 5,947.82 248
Essex 793,555 43,793 2,331 5,518.58 294
Camden 507,367 25,781 757 5,081.33 149
New Mexico
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
McKinley 72,849 9,044 323 12,414.72 443
Chaves 65,459 6,181 79 9,442.55 121
Luna 24,264 2,233 38 9,202.93 157
Lea 70,126 6,013 75 8,574.57 107
Curry 50,199 3,775 39 7,520.07 78
New York
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Rockland 323,686 25,275 563 7,808.49 174
Westchester 968,815 62,940 1,606 6,496.60 166
Richmond 474,101 30,505 847 6,434.28 179
Nassau 1,356,564 76,322 2,325 5,626.13 171
Orange 378,227 21,072 481 5,571.26 127
North Carolina
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Sampson 63,561 4,503 57 7,084.53 90
Avery 17,501 1,230 15 7,028.17 86
Greene 21,008 1,437 27 6,840.25 129
Scotland 35,262 2,372 51 6,726.79 145
Duplin 59,062 3,915 65 6,628.63 110
North Dakota
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Eddy 2,313 391 6 16,904.45 259
Foster 3,290 534 19 16,231.00 578
Morton 30,544 4,532 84 14,837.61 275
Walsh 10,802 1,564 21 14,478.80 194
Burleigh 93,737 13,366 160 14,259.04 171
Ohio
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Marion 65,344 6,289 93 9,624.45 142
Pickaway 57,420 5,492 50 9,564.61 87
Mercer 40,806 3,700 76 9,067.29 186
Putnam 33,969 3,054 62 8,990.55 183
Darke 51,734 3,786 74 7,318.20 143
Oklahoma
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Alfalfa 5,857 855 3 14,597.92 51
Texas 21,121 2,829 15 13,394.25 71
Woodward 20,967 2,302 10 10,979.16 48
Okfuskee 12,115 1,281 15 10,573.67 124
Craig 14,493 1,317 5 9,087.15 34
Oregon
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Malheur 30,431 2,739 49 9,000.69 161
Morrow 11,215 774 7 6,901.47 62
Umatilla 76,898 5,164 54 6,715.39 70
Jefferson 23,143 1,259 14 5,440.09 60
Marion 335,553 12,543 195 3,738.01 58
Pennsylvania
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Mifflin 46,362 3,034 92 6,544.15 198
Cambria 134,550 7,958 198 5,914.53 147
Blair 123,842 6,988 142 5,642.67 115
Huntingdon 45,421 2,550 76 5,614.14 167
Lebanon 138,674 7,693 141 5,547.54 102
Rhode Island
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Providence 634,533 51,871 N/A 8,174.67 N/A
Kent 163,861 8,436 N/A 5,148.27 N/A
Bristol 48,900 1,816 N/A 3,713.70 N/A
Washington 126,242 3,713 N/A 2,941.18 N/A
Newport 83,075 1,965 N/A 2,365.33 N/A
South Carolina
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Pickens 122,746 8,955 129 7,295.55 105
Newberry 38,068 2,585 70 6,790.48 184
Dillon 30,871 2,067 54 6,695.60 175
Greenville 498,402 32,207 464 6,462.05 93
Marlboro 27,131 1,749 23 6,446.50 85
South Dakota
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Bon Homme 6,969 1,427 21 20,476.39 301
Dewey 5,779 1,170 7 20,245.72 121
Buffalo 2,053 401 10 19,532.39 487
Aurora 2,759 391 7 14,171.80 254
Beadle 18,374 2,426 32 13,203.44 174
Tennessee
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Trousdale 9,573 2,074 12 21,665.10 125
Lake 7,526 1,340 12 17,804.94 159
Wayne 16,649 2,241 16 13,460.27 96
Haywood 17,779 2,008 34 11,294.22 191
Obion 30,520 3,335 67 10,927.26 220
Texas
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Childress 7,226 1,149 6 15,900.91 83
Hale 34,113 4,841 114 14,191.07 334
Crockett 3,633 486 8 13,377.37 220
Lubbock 301,454 38,890 502 12,900.81 167
Culberson 2,241 288 3 12,851.41 134
Utah
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Utah 590,440 58,955 186 9,984.93 32
Wasatch 30,523 2,814 15 9,219.28 49
Salt Lake 1,120,805 95,917 487 8,557.87 43
San Juan 15,281 1,275 32 8,343.69 209
Summit 40,511 2,695 5 6,652.51 12
Vermont
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Washington 58,477 848 6 1,450.14 10
Chittenden 162,052 2,330 57 1,437.81 35
Essex 6,208 75 0 1,208.12 0
Bennington 35,920 379 2 1,055.12 6
Orange 28,937 295 1 1,019.46 3
Virginia
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Galax 6,638 731 31 11,012.35 467
Greensville 11,659 976 16 8,371.22 137
Radford 17,630 1,389 7 7,878.62 40
Franklin 8,211 629 17 7,660.46 207
Harrisonburg 53,391 4,063 40 7,609.90 75
Washington
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Franklin 90,660 8,161 76 9,001.76 84
Adams 19,452 1,549 16 7,963.19 82
Yakima 249,325 17,438 305 6,994.08 122
Chelan 75,757 4,483 33 5,917.60 44
Douglas 41,371 2,396 14 5,791.50 34
West Virginia
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Mineral 27,278 1,989 55 7,291.59 202
Marshall 31,645 1,781 48 5,628.06 152
Grant 11,641 651 16 5,592.30 137
Hancock 29,680 1,546 20 5,208.90 67
Ohio 42,547 2,214 31 5,203.66 73
Wisconsin
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Menominee 4,579 685 10 14,959.60 218
Dodge 87,776 10,017 107 11,412.00 122
Jackson 20,506 2,227 13 10,860.24 63
Shawano 41,009 4,025 54 9,814.92 132
Fond du Lac 102,315 9,942 61 9,717.05 60
Wyoming
County Population Cases Deaths Cases per 100k Deaths per 100k
Fremont 40,076 3,814 54 9,516.92 135
Albany 38,102 3,380 9 8,870.93 24
Teton 23,059 2,002 2 8,682.08 9
Washakie 8,129 699 11 8,598.84 135
Campbell 47,708 3,917 22 8,210.36 46

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