The Healthiest States in America [2023 Study]
America isn't exactly known as the land of the healthy, but many still take care of themselves and actively try to live healthy lives. Health & wellness are no joke; maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes a disciplined commitment. However, everyone can benefit from getting in shape and feeling better about themselves.
At Ensō Superfoods, we take pride in helping people reach their nutritional goals, and we couldn't help but wonder how Americans across the country treat their health. We've compiled the fruit & vegetable consumption, obesity, and physical activity national statistics to understand America's healthiest (and unhealthiest) states, and the results may surprise you!
Interesting Findings
- The healthiest state in America, Vermont, also ranks as the highest fruit-consuming and physically active state.
- The neighboring states, New York and New Jersey, tie as the fifth least obese state.
- In comparison, Mississippi ranks as the most obese and least healthy state in America.
- Over 80% of Utah residents engage in physical activity during their leisure time–the most in America.
- The Northeast loves vegetables–Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts are the top three vegetable-consuming states.
- Montana ranks within the top 10 of every health category except for vegetable consumption.
Methodology
We analyzed CDC data surrounding health topics for adults. We ranked each data set, number one being the healthiest state, then combined the rankings to get an average ranking. We then gave a final ranking based on the average overall ranking. For states that didn't have available data in individual data sets, we took the overall average of the states with available data.
The data sets we analyzed are:
- CDC: The Percentage of Adults Report Consuming Fruit Less That One Time Daily
- State with no data available: New Jersey
- CDC: The Percentage of Adults Report Consuming Vegetables Less That One Time Daily
- State with no data available: New Jersey
- CDC: The Percent of Adults Who Have Obesity
- CDC: The percent of adults who achieve at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity and engage in muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week
- State with no data available: New Jersey
- CDC: The Percent of Adults Who Engage in No Leisure-Time Physical Activity
- State with no data available: New Jersey
Final Rankings
|
State |
Final Rank |
Average Rank |
|
Vermont |
1 |
3.2 |
|
District of Columbia |
2 |
4.2 |
|
Colorado |
3 |
6.8 |
|
New Hampshire |
4 |
7.8 |
|
Washington |
5 |
8.6 |
|
Oregon |
6 |
9.4 |
|
Minnesota |
7 |
10.2 |
|
Montana |
8 |
10.4 |
|
Connecticut |
9 |
10.6 |
|
Massachusetts |
10 |
11.4 |
|
Utah |
11 |
12 |
|
Idaho |
12 |
15.8 |
|
Florida |
13 |
16.2 |
|
New York |
14 |
16.6 |
|
Alaska |
15 |
17.4 |
|
Hawaii |
15 |
17.4 |
|
Maryland |
15 |
17.4 |
|
Rhode Island |
16 |
17.6 |
|
Arizona |
17 |
18.2 |
|
Maine |
18 |
18.4 |
|
New Jersey |
18 |
18.4 |
|
Virginia |
18 |
18.4 |
|
Wyoming |
18 |
18.4 |
|
California |
19 |
19.6 |
|
Pennsylvania |
20 |
19.8 |
|
Wisconsin |
21 |
20 |
|
North Carolina |
22 |
20.6 |
|
Delaware |
23 |
23.2 |
|
Michigan |
23 |
23.2 |
|
South Dakota |
23 |
23.2 |
|
Illinois |
24 |
23.6 |
|
New Mexico |
25 |
23.8 |
|
Georgia |
26 |
25 |
|
Nebraska |
27 |
26 |
|
Kansas |
28 |
27.6 |
|
South Carolina |
29 |
27.8 |
|
Tennessee |
30 |
28.4 |
|
Texas |
31 |
28.6 |
|
Nevada |
32 |
28.8 |
|
North Dakota |
33 |
29.2 |
|
Ohio |
33 |
29.2 |
|
Missouri |
34 |
29.4 |
|
Iowa |
35 |
30.8 |
|
Indiana |
36 |
32 |
|
Kentucky |
37 |
34.8 |
|
West Virginia |
38 |
35 |
|
Arkansas |
39 |
35.6 |
|
Alabama |
40 |
37.6 |
|
Oklahoma |
40 |
37.6 |
|
Louisiana |
41 |
39.6 |
|
Mississippi |
42 |
40.6 |
Consumption Rankings
|
State |
Fruit Consumption |
Vegetable Consumption |
|
Vermont |
1 |
2 |
|
District of Columbia |
6 |
6 |
|
Colorado |
13 |
15 |
|
New Hampshire |
7 |
4 |
|
Washington |
10 |
14 |
|
Oregon |
8 |
5 |
|
Minnesota |
5 |
22 |
|
Montana |
27 |
8 |
|
Connecticut |
3 |
18 |
|
Massachusetts |
2 |
3 |
|
Utah |
11 |
25 |
|
Idaho |
12 |
7 |
|
Florida |
17 |
25 |
|
New York |
4 |
28 |
|
Alaska |
33 |
14 |
|
Hawaii |
24 |
30 |
|
Maryland |
14 |
25 |
|
Rhode Island |
9 |
22 |
|
Arizona |
18 |
29 |
|
Maine |
5 |
1 |
|
New Jersey |
22 |
19 |
|
Virginia |
17 |
11 |
|
Wyoming |
31 |
12 |
|
California |
10 |
39 |
|
Pennsylvania |
15 |
17 |
|
Wisconsin |
19 |
34 |
|
North Carolina |
16 |
9 |
|
Delaware |
13 |
21 |
|
Michigan |
23 |
23 |
|
South Dakota |
20 |
10 |
|
Illinois |
17 |
37 |
|
New Mexico |
35 |
38 |
|
Georgia |
35 |
14 |
|
Nebraska |
21 |
24 |
|
Kansas |
29 |
19 |
|
South Carolina |
36 |
13 |
|
Tennessee |
34 |
14 |
|
Texas |
28 |
36 |
|
Nevada |
37 |
40 |
|
North Dakota |
26 |
31 |
|
Ohio |
32 |
20 |
|
Missouri |
31 |
14 |
|
Iowa |
25 |
33 |
|
Indiana |
30 |
25 |
|
Kentucky |
38 |
16 |
|
West Virginia |
40 |
17 |
|
Arkansas |
41 |
27 |
|
Alabama |
39 |
32 |
|
Oklahoma |
44 |
26 |
|
Louisiana |
42 |
41 |
|
Mississippi |
43 |
35 |
Fitness Ranking
|
State |
Obesity |
Meet Physical Activity Guidelines |
No Physical Activity During Leisure Time |
|
Vermont |
5 |
1 |
7 |
|
District of Columbia |
2 |
4 |
3 |
|
Colorado |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
New Hampshire |
14 |
6 |
8 |
|
Washington |
7 |
8 |
4 |
|
Oregon |
8 |
12 |
14 |
|
Minnesota |
7 |
11 |
6 |
|
Montana |
10 |
2 |
5 |
|
Connecticut |
13 |
7 |
12 |
|
Massachusetts |
3 |
25 |
24 |
|
Utah |
11 |
12 |
1 |
|
Idaho |
20 |
27 |
13 |
|
Florida |
9 |
5 |
25 |
|
New York |
5 |
17 |
29 |
|
Alaska |
22 |
10 |
8 |
|
Hawaii |
4 |
13 |
16 |
|
Maryland |
19 |
18 |
11 |
|
Rhode Island |
15 |
17 |
25 |
|
Arizona |
18 |
11 |
15 |
|
Maine |
19 |
32 |
35 |
|
New Jersey |
6 |
23 |
22 |
|
Virginia |
23 |
23 |
18 |
|
Wyoming |
17 |
15 |
17 |
|
California |
16 |
24 |
9 |
|
Pennsylvania |
21 |
26 |
20 |
|
Wisconsin |
23 |
14 |
10 |
|
North Carolina |
27 |
28 |
23 |
|
Delaware |
37 |
19 |
26 |
|
Michigan |
30 |
21 |
19 |
|
South Dakota |
26 |
26 |
34 |
|
Illinois |
24 |
20 |
20 |
|
New Mexico |
18 |
9 |
19 |
|
Georgia |
29 |
17 |
30 |
|
Nebraska |
28 |
30 |
27 |
|
Kansas |
31 |
31 |
28 |
|
South Carolina |
35 |
22 |
33 |
|
Tennessee |
33 |
26 |
35 |
|
Texas |
34 |
16 |
29 |
|
Nevada |
12 |
34 |
21 |
|
North Dakota |
25 |
33 |
31 |
|
Ohio |
32 |
30 |
32 |
|
Missouri |
28 |
38 |
36 |
|
Iowa |
37 |
34 |
25 |
|
Indiana |
39 |
29 |
37 |
|
Kentucky |
38 |
41 |
41 |
|
West Virginia |
42 |
38 |
38 |
|
Arkansas |
36 |
36 |
38 |
|
Alabama |
41 |
37 |
39 |
|
Oklahoma |
36 |
40 |
42 |
|
Louisiana |
40 |
35 |
40 |
|
Mississippi |
43 |
39 |
43 |