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CDC BRFSS data show age-adjusted diagnosed diabetes among U.S. adults ranged from 7.0% in Vermont to 14.6% in West Virginia in 2022, with a clear Deep South / Appalachian concentration.
Source: CDC U.S. Chronic Disease Indicators (CDI), data source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS); indicator "Diabetes among adults," Age-adjusted Prevalence, most recent available data year 2022. Dataset ID hksd-2xuw, CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. URL: https://data.cdc.gov/Chronic-Disease-Indicators/U-S-Chronic-Disease-Indicators/hksd-2xuw (API: https://data.cdc.gov/resource/hksd-2xuw.json). Values transcribed exactly from the CDC API on 2026-06-01. This BRFSS-based series underlies the CDC U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System (usdss.cdc.gov/diabetes).
Per-state values were pulled directly from the CDC U.S. Chronic Disease Indicators Socrata API (dataset hksd-2xuw), filtering question="Diabetes among adults", yearstart=2022, datavaluetype="Age-adjusted Prevalence", stratificationcategory1="Overall". This indicator's data source is BRFSS, the same survey that feeds the CDC U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System. 2022 is the most recent year available for this state-level indicator in CDI. The table reflects 50 states + DC; the U.S. national age-adjusted estimate (10.8%) and territories (Guam 21.5%, Puerto Rico 15.2%, U.S. Virgin Islands 12.5%) were returned by the API but are excluded from the 50-state ranking. Values are percentages of adults aged 18+ with diagnosed diabetes, age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Estimates are self-reported and exclude undiagnosed diabetes.
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In 2022, the age-adjusted share of U.S. adults with diagnosed diabetes ranged from 7.0% in Vermont to 14.6% in West Virginia — a more than two-fold spread across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national age-adjusted estimate was 10.8%, and the median state sat near 10.2%. These figures come from the CDC's U.S. Chronic Disease Indicators, built on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the same survey that powers the CDC U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System.
The high-prevalence states form a familiar band. West Virginia (14.6%), Arkansas (14.1%), Mississippi (13.9%), Alabama (13.6%), Texas (13.4%), Louisiana (13.3%), Tennessee (13.1%), and Kentucky (13.0%) cluster across Appalachia and the Deep South — the region often described as the "Diabetes Belt." Oklahoma (12.2%) and Delaware (11.9%) round out the top ten.
At the other end, the lowest-burden states sit in the Mountain West and Northern New England: Vermont (7.0%), Montana (7.1%), Colorado (7.6%), Wyoming (8.1%), South Dakota (8.1%), and New Hampshire (8.2%). These geographic patterns track closely with state-level differences in obesity, physical activity, age structure, income, and access to care, and they have been stable for many years rather than reflecting a single-year fluctuation.
Large, populous states land near the middle: California (10.7%), New York (10.0%), Florida (9.6%), and Illinois (10.8%). Among U.S. territories returned by the same dataset, prevalence ran notably higher — Guam at 21.5%, Puerto Rico at 15.2%, and the U.S. Virgin Islands at 12.5% — though territories are excluded from the 50-state ranking above.
These numbers describe diagnosed diabetes only. BRFSS is a self-reported telephone survey, so it depends on respondents knowing and recalling a clinician's diagnosis; adults with undiagnosed diabetes are not captured, meaning true prevalence is higher than shown. Because estimates are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population, they let you compare states fairly regardless of how old or young each state's population is — but age-adjusted values differ from the crude rates some other sources publish. Survey-based estimates also carry sampling uncertainty (confidence intervals), so small differences between adjacently ranked states may not be statistically meaningful. The data source for this CDC indicator changed to BRFSS with the 2022 release, so year-over-year comparisons with older Diabetes Atlas figures should be made cautiously.
*This study reports public health statistics only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for any questions about diabetes risk, screening, or care.*
% of adults (age-adjusted)
| # | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 51 | Vermont | 7 |
| 2 | 50 | Montana | 7.1 |
| 3 | 49 | Colorado | 7.6 |
| 4 | 47 | South Dakota | 8.1 |
| 5 | 47 | Wyoming | 8.1 |
| 6 | 46 | New Hampshire | 8.2 |
| 7 | 45 | Alaska | 8.5 |
| 8 | 42 | District of Columbia | 8.8 |
| 9 | 42 | Nevada | 8.8 |
| 10 | 42 | Washington | 8.8 |
Age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among adults aged 18+, 2022. Source: CDC U.S. Chronic Disease Indicators (dataset hksd-2xuw), data source BRFSS — https://data.cdc.gov/Chronic-Disease-Indicators/U-S-Chronic-Disease-Indicators/hksd-2xuw . 50 states + DC shown; ranked highest to lowest. National age-adjusted estimate: 10.8%.
Per-state values were pulled directly from the CDC U.S. Chronic Disease Indicators Socrata API (dataset hksd-2xuw), filtering question="Diabetes among adults", yearstart=2022, datavaluetype="Age-adjusted Prevalence", stratificationcategory1="Overall". This indicator's data source is BRFSS, the same survey that feeds the CDC U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System. 2022 is the most recent year available for this state-level indicator in CDI. The table reflects 50 states + DC; the U.S. national age-adjusted estimate (10.8%) and territories (Guam 21.5%, Puerto Rico 15.2%, U.S. Virgin Islands 12.5%) were returned by the API but are excluded from the 50-state ranking. Values are percentages of adults aged 18+ with diagnosed diabetes, age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Estimates are self-reported and exclude undiagnosed diabetes.
Data source: CDC U.S. Chronic Disease Indicators (CDI), data source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS); indicator "Diabetes among adults," Age-adjusted Prevalence, most recent available data year 2022. Dataset ID hksd-2xuw, CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. URL: https://data.cdc.gov/Chronic-Disease-Indicators/U-S-Chronic-Disease-Indicators/hksd-2xuw (API: https://data.cdc.gov/resource/hksd-2xuw.json). Values transcribed exactly from the CDC API on 2026-06-01. This BRFSS-based series underlies the CDC U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System (usdss.cdc.gov/diabetes).
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HealthVetted. (2026). Adult Diabetes Prevalence by U.S. State (2026). HealthVetted. https://healthvetted.com/research/us-diabetes-prevalence-by-state
"Adult Diabetes Prevalence by U.S. State (2026)." HealthVetted, 2026, https://healthvetted.com/research/us-diabetes-prevalence-by-state.
<p>Source: <a href="https://healthvetted.com/research/us-diabetes-prevalence-by-state">Adult Diabetes Prevalence by U.S. State (2026)</a> by <a href="https://healthvetted.com">HealthVetted</a>.</p>
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