Diabetes, a potentially fatal condition that impacts how your body turns food into energy, has become a major health issue in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 133 million Americans have prediabetes or are diabetic. The CDC said that in the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with various forms of the disease has more than doubled. It is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC. (Read about all 15 leading causes of death in America.)
To determine the states with the highest rates of diabetes, 24/7 Tempo reviewed 2022 diabetes data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program. The data in the 2022 report is for 2019 and comes from the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Data from that report indicates a link between diabetes and elevated obesity rates, lack of physical activity, limited access to healthy foods, and lower median household income. Rural populations tend to have higher rates of diabetes than their urban counterparts.
Click here to see states with the highest rate of diabetes
Click here to see a detailed methodology
The 10 states with the highest prevalence of diabetes have rates exceeding 10%, above the national average of 9.40%. Of those 10 states, eight are in the South. (The outliers are West Virginia and Indiana.)
Mississippi ranks first in diabetes prevalence rate and also first in obesity rate and physical inactivity, and has the lowest median income. The state is second to last in access to healthy foods. Other states with the highest diabetes prevalence are Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Louisiana. (These are the most obese states in America.)
At the other end of the spectrum, the 10 states associated with healthier lifestyles have a lower prevalence of diabetes. These are Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
50. Montana
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 6.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 28.0% — 9th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 18.6% — the lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.3% — 21st highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 30.9% — 5th lowest
> Median household income: $60,560 — 12th lowest
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49. Colorado
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 6.6%
> Adult obesity rate: 23.6% — the lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 18.7% — 2nd lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.0% — 15th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 30.0% — 2nd lowest
> Median household income: $80,184 — 11th highest
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48. Wyoming
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 6.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.6% — 14th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 24.0% — 17th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.0% — 15th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.8% — 17th lowest
> Median household income: $68,002 — 20th highest
47. Alaska
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 7.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.7% — 19th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 21.6% — 8th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.9% — 17th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.3% — 14th lowest
> Median household income: $80,287 — 10th highest
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46. Vermont
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 7.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 27.1% — 7th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 19.3% — 5th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 3.0% — the lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 30.1% — 4th lowest
> Median household income: $67,674 — 21st highest
45. Massachusetts
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 7.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 25.4% — 2nd lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 26.0% — 24th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 3.9% — 6th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 34.3% — 20th lowest
> Median household income: $89,026 — 3rd highest
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44. Wisconsin
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 7.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.3% — 17th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 22.3% — 9th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.0% — 14th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 32.7% — 9th lowest
> Median household income: $67,080 — 24th highest
43. Oregon
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 7.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 28.8% — 11th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 23.5% — 14th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.7% — 11th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 32.8% — 11th lowest
> Median household income: $70,084 — 18th highest
42. Minnesota
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 7.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.0% — 16th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 19.7% — 6th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.7% — 20th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 29.1% — the lowest
> Median household income: $77,706 — 13th highest
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41. New Hampshire
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 8.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 32.1% — 25th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 21.1% — 7th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.2% — 7th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 35.3% — 25th highest
> Median household income: $83,449 — 7th highest
40. Connecticut
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 8.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.1% — 12th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 23.3% — 12th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.3% — 8th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.8% — 18th lowest
> Median household income: $83,572 — 6th highest
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39. North Dakota
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 8.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 35.8% — 10th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 27.9% — 14th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 6.9% — 24th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 32.8% — 10th lowest
> Median household income: $68,131 — 19th highest
38. Utah
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 8.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.9% — 15th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 18.7% — 3rd lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.8% — 21st lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 31.2% — 6th lowest
> Median household income: $79,133 — 12th highest
37. Washington
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 8.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 28.2% — 10th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 18.9% — 4th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.1% — 16th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 31.8% — 7th lowest
> Median household income: $82,400 — 8th highest
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36. Maine
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 8.7%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.4% — 20th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 29.5% — 9th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 3.5% — 3rd lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 34.5% — 23rd lowest
> Median household income: $63,182 — 17th lowest
35. Iowa
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.3% — 16th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 26.1% — 22nd highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.7% — 19th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.1% — 13th lowest
> Median household income: $65,429 — 23rd lowest
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34. Missouri
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.6% — 15th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 29.6% — 8th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.2% — 22nd highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 35.2% — 25th lowest
> Median household income: $61,043 — 13th lowest
33. Rhode Island
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.1% — 17th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 26.0% — 23rd highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.7% — 12th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 36.7% — 22nd highest
> Median household income: $74,489 — 15th highest
32. Nebraska
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.3% — 18th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 26.6% — 21st highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.6% — 18th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 32.3% — 8th lowest
> Median household income: $66,644 — 25th highest
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31. Idaho
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.5% — 13th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 23.3% — 13th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.9% — 16th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.4% — 15th lowest
> Median household income: $63,377 — 19th lowest
30. Pennsylvania
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 33.1% — 24th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 24.6% — 18th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.6% — 10th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.6% — 10th highest
> Median household income: $67,587 — 22nd highest
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29. Hawaii
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 25.5% — 4th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 23.9% — 16th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 5.4% — 17th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 43.2% — the highest
> Median household income: $88,005 — 4th highest
28. South Dakota
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 33.1% — 23rd highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 28.9% — 12th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.5% — 12th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 30.1% — 3rd lowest
> Median household income: $63,920 — 20th lowest
27. California
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 26.2% — 5th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 22.3% — 10th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 3.2% — 2nd lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 34.5% — 22nd lowest
> Median household income: $84,097 — 5th highest
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26. New York
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 27.2% — 8th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 27.0% — 18th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 2.4% —
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.9% — 8th highest
> Median household income: $75,157 — 14th highest
25. Florida
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 26.3% — 6th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 25.9% — 25th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.6% — 18th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.3% — 19th highest
> Median household income: $61,777 — 14th lowest
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24. Michigan
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 35.8% — 9th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 24.6% — 19th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 6.4% — 25th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 40.4% — 6th highest
> Median household income: $63,202 — 18th lowest
23. New Jersey
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 25.5% — 3rd lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 27.9% — 15th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 3.7% — 5th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.5% — 17th highest
> Median household income: $89,703 — 2nd highest
22. Kansas
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.7%
> Adult obesity rate: 35.6% — 11th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 26.7% — 20th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.4% — 13th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 34.0% — 19th lowest
> Median household income: $64,521 — 21st lowest
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21. Virginia
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.8% — 22nd lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 24.8% — 21st lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.4% — 9th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.6% — 11th highest
> Median household income: $80,615 — 9th highest
20. Arizona
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.9% — 23rd lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 23.6% — 15th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.7% — 10th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 34.9% — 24th lowest
> Median household income: $65,913 — 25th lowest
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19. Maryland
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 32.0% — 24th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 23.0% — 11th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 3.6% — 4th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.7% — 16th highest
> Median household income: $91,431 — the highest
18. Nevada
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 9.9%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.5% — 18th lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 25.6% — 24th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 6.1% — 23rd lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.3% — 20th highest
> Median household income: $65,686 — 24th lowest
17. Illinois
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 10.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.5% — 21st lowest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 25.1% — 22nd lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 4.8% — 13th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.5% — 16th lowest
> Median household income: $72,563 — 17th highest
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16. Ohio
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 10.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.6% — 14th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 27.6% — 16th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 6.9% — 23rd highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 40.6% — 5th highest
> Median household income: $61,938 — 15th lowest
15. North Carolina
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 10.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.0% — 21st highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 25.9% — 25th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.5% — 20th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 36.1% — 24th highest
> Median household income: $60,516 — 11th lowest
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14. New Mexico
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 10.9%
> Adult obesity rate: 32.2% — 25th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 24.8% — 20th lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 13.0% — the highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 33.1% — 12th lowest
> Median household income: $54,020 — 5th lowest
13. Delaware
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 10.9%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.2% — 19th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 25.3% — 23rd lowest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 6.3% — 24th lowest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 36.5% — 23rd highest
> Median household income: $72,724 — 16th highest
12. Oklahoma
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 37.1% — 4th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 33.4% — 2nd highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.9% — 8th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.5% — 18th highest
> Median household income: $56,956 — 8th lowest
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11. Georgia
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 33.4% — 22nd highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 27.4% — 17th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 10.0% — 4th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.3% — 12th highest
> Median household income: $65,030 — 22nd lowest
10. Indiana
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 35.4% — 13th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 30.6% — 6th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.7% — 11th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.0% — 14th highest
> Median household income: $61,944 — 16th lowest
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9. Louisiana
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 36.2% — 8th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 31.5% — 4th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 10.7% — 3rd highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.0% — 13th highest
> Median household income: $53,571 — 4th lowest
8. South Carolina
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 35.5% — 12th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 28.5% — 13th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 9.8% — 6th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 38.8% — 9th highest
> Median household income: $58,234 — 9th lowest
7. Kentucky
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.7%
> Adult obesity rate: 36.4% — 6th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 31.6% — 3rd highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 6.4% — 25th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 42.1% — 3rd highest
> Median household income: $55,454 — 7th lowest
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6. Texas
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 11.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 34.1% — 20th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 26.9% — 19th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.3% — 14th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 34.4% — 21st lowest
> Median household income: $67,321 — 23rd highest
5. Tennessee
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 12.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 36.6% — 5th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 29.0% — 11th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.9% — 7th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 40.8% — 4th highest
> Median household income: $58,516 — 10th lowest
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4. Arkansas
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 12.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 38.0% — 3rd highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 30.4% — 7th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 10.0% — 5th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.2% — 21st highest
> Median household income: $52,123 — 3rd lowest
3. Alabama
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 12.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 36.3% — 7th highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 30.8% — 5th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 8.8% — 9th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 39.6% — 7th highest
> Median household income: $54,943 — 6th lowest
2. West Virginia
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 13.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 39.7% — 2nd highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 29.5% — 10th highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 7.5% — 19th highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 42.5% — 2nd highest
> Median household income: $50,884 — 2nd lowest
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1. Mississippi
> Pct. of adults 20+ with diabetes: 13.3%
> Adult obesity rate: 41.2% — the highest
> Adults who don’t exercise regularly: 36.9% — the highest
> Pct. of adults with limited access to healthy foods: 11.4% — 2nd highest
> Adults who sleep <7 hrs a night: 37.8% — 15th highest
> Median household income: $49,111 — the lowest
Methodology
To determine the states with the highest rates of diabetes, 24/7 Tempo reviewed 2022 diabetes data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program. The data in the 2022 report is for 2019 and comes from the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Data on possible contributing factors such as obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, as well as physical inactivity, limited access to healthy foods, and annual household income, also came from the 2022 CHR report. Limited access to healthy foods measures the percentage of the population that is low-income and does not live close to a grocery store. Median household income comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey 2022 1-Year Estimates.
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