Which states have the poorest health?

Asked by: Favian Gulgowski  |  Last update: June 5, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (18 votes)

5 top states where people are in poor health
  • Arkansas: 23.94% (up 2.10 percentage points)
  • Mississippi: 20.32% (up 0.92 percentage points) ...
  • Nevada: 20.64% (up 2.38 percentage points)
  • New Mexico: 20.72% (up 1.64 percentage points)
  • West Virginia: 23.30% (up 1.64 percentage points)

What state ranks lowest in healthcare?

Minnesota is the best state for healthcare when it comes to affordability and quality and Mississippi is the worst, according to WalletHub's 2024 ranking published July 29.

What state has the lowest health?

The two least healthy states are West Virginia and Kentucky, with both scoring 40 out of 100. Kentucky has a slightly higher PM2. 5 concentration (8.21) and obesity prevalence (40.3%), as well as the highest percentage of adults with no physical leisure-time activity (34.77%).

What state is #1 in healthcare?

Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Iowa, and Connecticut are the top-ranked states according to the 2020 Scorecard, which assesses all 50 states and the District of Columbia on more than 45 measures of access to health care, quality of care, service use and costs of care, health outcomes, and income-based health care ...

What states have low-income healthcare?

Three states (New York, Minnesota, and Oregon) have Basic Health Programs (BHPs). BHPs are not the same as additional state-funded subsidies, but they provide very comprehensive health coverage, with free or very low premiums, to residents with income up to 200% of FPL.

A look at the best and worst states for health care in retirement

17 related questions found

What is the best state to live in for low-income?

Oklahoma consistently ranks as one of the states with the most affordable housing costs. The state also has a number of financial assistance programs through staples like SNAP and WIC, as well as local nonprofit Bethel Foundation for single mothers and young children.

Which state has most uninsured health?

Texas is home to the country's largest share of Americans under 65 without health insurance, according to new Census Bureau data, with 18.8% of residents uninsured as of 2022.

What state is #1 in quality of life?

Overall, the study ranked Massachusetts as the best place to live in the U.S. thanks in part to the state's education and health, (where it ranked first in the country), and their quality of life, (where it ranked sixth). Other states that rounded out the top five were Florida, New Jersey, Utah and New Hampshire.

What state has the cheapest healthcare?

  • Hawaii. #1 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • Vermont. #2 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • Massachusetts. #3 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • Iowa. #4 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • South Dakota. #5 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • Rhode Island. #6 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • Minnesota. #6 in Health Care Affordability. ...
  • Maine.

What are the hardest states to get Medicaid?

The 10 most deficient state programs have overall scores ranging from between 317.8 and 379.1 of the total 1000 points. The worst, in order from 50th to 41st, are in Mississippi, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Indiana, South Carolina, Colorado, Alabama, and Missouri.

What is the most unhealthy state in the US?

A 2023 report by The Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group, also found that the U.S. has the highest rate of people diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses when compared to other wealthy nations. As for the unhealthiest state in America, West Virginia claims the No. 1 spot.

Where does Florida rank in healthcare?

#36 in our 2023 State Rankings

The 2023 Scorecard on State Health System Performance identifies a range of health care system deficiencies, and how they have been exacerbated by the pandemic. See why Florida ranked #36 this year.

What US state is the healthiest?

Hawaii Is Ranked the Healthiest State, According to New 2023 Health Index. Low disease rates, citizen well-being, and solid healthcare all contribute.

What state has the most health issues?

West Virginia comes in as the most unhealthy state considering a number of factors like extremely high rates of tobacco use and drug overdoses alongside already high rates of diabetes. Other Southern states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana also mirror these high rates of tobacco use and diabetes.

What is the best state to live in?

The top 10 best states to live in are:
  • Massachusetts.
  • Florida.
  • New Jersey.
  • Utah.
  • New Hampshire.
  • Idaho.
  • Pennsylvania.
  • Wisconsin.

What US state has the best healthcare?

  • Hawaii. #1 in Health Care. #34 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Massachusetts. #2 in Health Care. #10 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Connecticut. #3 in Health Care. #20 in Best States Overall. ...
  • New Jersey. #4 in Health Care. ...
  • Rhode Island. #5 in Health Care. ...
  • California. #6 in Health Care. ...
  • Maryland. #7 in Health Care. ...
  • New York. #8 in Health Care.

Who spends the least on healthcare?

The countries with the lowest governmental health expenditure include South Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh. In 2021 the U.S. national health expenditure was at an all-time high. However, the projections indicate that total health expenditures will increase even more.

What state has the highest medical bills?

5 Most Expensive States for Healthcare
  • Alaska. If you're living in Alaska, you're probably feeling the pressure of high healthcare costs. ...
  • Vermont. Vermont has the highest cost in the country of silver plan insurance premium coverage. ...
  • South Dakota. ...
  • Wyoming. ...
  • West Virginia. ...
  • Maryland. ...
  • Arkansas.

What is the least desirable state to live in?

They all have their own charm and challenges, but some are more of a challenge than others when it comes to living standards, weather, job opportunities, and overall happiness. However, states such as New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma are frequently among the lowest ranking on those metrics.

What is the cleanest state in America?

The cleanest states
  1. 1. California Cleanliness Score: 7.36. California is the cleanest state overall with a cleanliness score of 7.36. ...
  2. HawaiiCleanliness Score: 6.94. Hawaii claims second place with a cleanliness score of 6.94. ...
  3. WashingtonCleanliness Score: 6.40.

What state will be the best in the future?

  1. Utah. Utah will be the nation's No. 1 state to live in 2032. ...
  2. Minnesota. Full-time employment: 8. Economic confidence: 1. ...
  3. Colorado. Full-time employment: 10. ...
  4. Nebraska. Full-time employment: 2. ...
  5. North Dakota. Full-time employment: 1. ...
  6. Virginia. Full-time employment: 9. ...
  7. Iowa. Full-time employment: 6. ...
  8. Hawaii. Full-time employment: 47.

What happens in America if you can't afford healthcare?

Americans are no longer taxed for not carrying health insurance. Medical debt contributes to a large number of bankruptcies in America. Access to quality primary care is critical, but doctors have the right to refuse patients without insurance or who are able to pay out-of-pocket expenses.

Which race has the least health insurance?

Uninsured Rates Vary Across and Within Racial and Ethnic Groups. Uninsured rates are higher among Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), Black, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) people than among Asian, white, and multiracial people. (See Figure 1.)