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City With the Highest Obesity Rate in Every State

City With the Highest Obesity Rate in Every State

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The United States has many critical health issues but one of the more serious is obesity. According to the National Institute of Health, this epidemic emerged in Westernized countries during the 1980s where the percentage of overweight American adults was 13.4%. In just a few decades it climbed to 34.3% of adults. The rates for children during that same period skyrocketed as well with rates going from 5% to 17%. 

As of 2023, almost 42% of American adults are obese, with rates in all population groups climbing significantly. Rural areas see a sharper rise in weight-related issues, as well as certain populations of color who, in part due to structural barriers they face with healthy eating and a lack of opportunities for physical activities, experience the highest rates of increased weight.

These Americans are also at a greater risk of the conditions caused due to this chronic disease. Type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and certain types of cancer are all attributed to people at unhealthy weights. However, according to data from the CDC, it is also among the leading causes of preventable, premature death. Current statistics indicate that the country is becoming more obese.  

24/7 Tempo used five metrics to determine the city with the highest obesity rates in every state — adults who are obese, don’t exercise, report poor or fair health, have diabetes; and get less than seven hours of sleep a night. Of the 10 cities that graded the lowest in four categories, eight were in Southern states. Outlying cities were in California, Arizona, New Jersey, and Hawaii.

In the obesity category, seven Southern states were among the 10 most obese, with the remaining three cities in the Midwest states of Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. In the obesity and exercise categories, all 10 of the most obese cities exceeded the state average. Nine of 10 topped the state average in the health, diabetes, and sleep categories. (Also See The City That Hates Exercise the Most in Every State.)

Alabama: Montgomery

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

  • Adults who are obese: 44.40 (state: 39.3)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 29.00 (state: 27.8)
  • Report poor or fair health: 19.10 (state: 18.9)

Alaska: Fairbanks

Source: DMartinez-Photo / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 31.20% (state: 31.8%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.00% (state: 21.1%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.90% (state: 12.2%)

Arizona: Yuma

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 40.50% (state: 31.5%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 29.40% (state: 21.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 21.10% (state: 14.5%)

Arkansas: Pine Bluff

Source: Roland Klose, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 42.90% (state: 37.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 33.70% (state: 28.8%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 22.80% (state: 19.4%)

California: Merced

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 38.00% (state: 30.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 28.90% (state: 21.1%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 21.70% (state: 14.4%)

Colorado: Greeley

Source: Peter Romero, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 32.20% (state: 24.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 20.80% (state: 16.5%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.40% (state: 10.2%)

Connecticut: New Haven-Milford

Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 33.30% (state: 29.5%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.80% (state: 20.2%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.60% (state: 11.0%)

Delaware: Dover

Source: benkrut / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 39.10% (state: 36.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 27.60% (state: 23.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 14.60% (state: 12.8%)

Florida: Sebring-Avon Park

Source: Chuck Schultz from Anniston, AL, USA, upload by Herrick, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 39.10% (state: 28.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 29.60% (state: 25.8%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 19.20% (state: 13.3%)

Georgia: Albany

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 41.40% (state: 34.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 29.60% (state: 24.5%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 20.00% (state: 15.1%)

Hawaii: Urban Honolulu

Source: Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 24.30% (state: 25.0%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 19.80% (state: 18.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.40% (state: 10.3%)

Idaho: Pocatello

Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 36.30% (state: 31.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.70% (state: 19.7%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 13.60% (state: 11.8%)

Illinois: Rockford

Source: Cheri Alguire / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 40.90% (state: 32.5%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 26.90% (state: 24.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 15.50% (state: 12.3%)

Indiana: Kokomo

Source: davidwilson1949 / Flickr
  • Adults who are obese: 41.20% (state: 37.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 26.80% (state: 25.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 15.20% (state: 15.1%)

Iowa: Waterloo-Cedar Falls

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  • Adults who are obese: 39.30% (state: 37.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.00% (state: 22.7%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.10% (state: 12.0%)

Kansas: Topeka

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  • Adults who are obese: 37.50% (state: 35.8%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 22.30% (state: 21.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 13.10% (state: 12.8%)

Kentucky: Elizabethtown-Fort Knox

Source: cubby_t_bear / Flickr
  • Adults who are obese: 39.20% (state: 37.0%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 28.40% (state: 29.3%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 17.80% (state: 19.5%)

Louisiana: Alexandria

Source: OlegAlbinsky / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 43.20% (state: 38.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 32.30% (state: 28.2%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 18.60% (state: 19.0%)

Maine: Lewiston-Auburn

Source: Ray Tan / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 35.00% (state: 31.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 24.30% (state: 19.7%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 13.20% (state: 11.1%)

Maryland-West Virginia: Hagerstown-Martinsburg

Source: Darren Welch / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 37.70% (state: 30.9%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 27.00% (state: 20.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 15.10% (state: 10.6%)

Massachusetts-Connecticut: Worcester

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 30.30% (state: 24.5%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.80% (state: 19.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.00% (state: 10.8%)

Michigan: Saginaw

Source: ehrlif / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 42.90% (state: 35.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.60% (state: 20.2%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 15.90% (state: 14.7%)

Minnesota: St. Cloud

Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 34.80% (state: 30.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.50% (state: 18.7%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.60% (state: 10.0%)

Mississippi: Jackson

Source: traveler1116 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 39.30% (state: 39.9%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 27.60% (state: 28.9%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 17.70% (state: 18.7%)

Missouri-Illinois: Cape Girardeau

Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 40.10% (state: 34.2%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 25.80% (state: 24.9%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 15.50% (state: 15.2%)

Montana: Great Falls

Source: shanecotee / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 35.00% (state: 28.9%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.30% (state: 18.0%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.90% (state: 12.1%)

Nebraska: Grand Island

Source: Cheri Alguire / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 39.00% (state: 34.0%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 25.70% (state: 21.0%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.80% (state: 10.2%)

Nevada: Carson City

Source: johnrandallalves / Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 34.40% (state: 28.1%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.10% (state: 24.9%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 16.30% (state: 16.7%)

New Hampshire: Manchester-Nashua

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 29.20% (state: 30.5%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 19.90% (state: 18.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 10.90% (state: 10.8%)

New Jersey: Vineland-Bridgeton

Source: AUDREY SCRIPP / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 35.70% (state: 27.7%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 30.80% (state: 20.2%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 17.80% (state: 10.8%)

New Mexico: Farmington

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 35.00% (state: 31.7%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.90% (state: 22.5%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 17.70% (state: 13.8%)

New York: Binghamton

Source: DebraMillet / Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 35.40% (state: 26.5%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.70% (state: 25.2%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.40% (state: 11.8%)

North Carolina: Rocky Mount

Source: kkkkoly7 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 39.00% (state: 33.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 26.70% (state: 21.9%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 17.50% (state: 13.5%)

North Dakota-Minnesota: Grand Forks

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 35.90% (state: 33.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.40% (state: 24.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.60% (state: 11.6%)

Ohio: Mansfield

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 39.30% (state: 35.8%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 27.70% (state: 23.5%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 16.40% (state: 14.5%)

Oklahoma: Lawton

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 39.40% (state: 37.1%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 31.20% (state: 27.9%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 18.00% (state: 17.3%)

Oregon: Salem

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 35.50% (state: 28.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 20.70% (state: 17.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 15.30% (state: 12.7%)

Pennsylvania: Chambersburg-Waynesboro

Source: Pgiam / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 40.00% (state: 31.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 23.20% (state: 23.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 13.70% (state: 13.1%)

Rhode Island-Massachusetts: Providence-Warwick

Source: helenzhang / Flickr
  • Adults who are obese: 29.60% (state: 30.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 22.60% (state: 22.9%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.50% (state: 11.8%)

South Carolina: Florence

Source: Florence Conventions and Visitors Bureau, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Adults who are obese: 41.70% (state: 36.7%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 30.80% (state: 25.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 18.40% (state: 15.9%)

South Dakota: Rapid City

Source: James_Gabbert / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 32.80% (state: 33.4%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.30% (state: 21.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 10.80% (state: 10.4%)

Tennessee: Jackson

Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 40.70% (state: 35.8%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 27.10% (state: 23.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 18.00% (state: 15.7%)

Texas: Laredo

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 44.60% (state: 35.8%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 38.00% (state: 25.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 27.40% (state: 15.7%)

Utah: Ogden-Clearfield

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 32.70% (state: 29.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 17.90% (state: 16.3%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 11.40% (state: 10.9%)

Vermont: Burlington-South Burlington

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 24.40% (state: 26.3%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 15.20% (state: 17.1%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 9.10% (state: 10.6%)

Virginia: Richmond

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 36.20% (state: 32.4%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 22.00% (state: 20.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 13.80% (state: 12.4%)

Washington: Longview

Source: DC_Colombia / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 37.80% (state: 28.0%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 19.50% (state: 17.5%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 14.50% (state: 11.8%)

West Virginia: Beckley

Source: hkim39 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 41.80% (state: 39.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 30.50% (state: 27.4%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 21.70% (state: 20.0%)

Wisconsin: Racine

Source: vjaksic / iStock via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 36.10% (state: 32.7%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 21.30% (state: 19.8%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.70% (state: 12.4%)

Wyoming: Casper

Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
  • Adults who are obese: 34.00% (state: 30.6%)
  • Adults who don’t exercise: 25.00% (state: 21.6%)
  • Adults who report poor or fair health: 12.20% (state: 11.5%)
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