11.29.16

U.S. States and Communities Ranked by Incidence of Diabetes

New research, part of the Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being series, examines the incidence of diabetes within all 50 states and across 190 U.S. communities.

Since 2008, when Gallup and Sharecare began tracking diabetes in the U.S., an estimated 2 million more adults are reporting that they have been diagnosed with the disease. Additionally, the obesity rate, a significant risk factor for diabetes, has climbed by almost 3 points since 2008, to reach 28.3% nationally in 2016.

Utah, Rhode Island, and Colorado are the states with the lowest incidence of diabetes within their populations, with less than 8% of their adult populations having been diagnosed with the disease.  Boulder, Colorado, Bellingham, Washington, and Fort Collins, Colorado lead the community rankings with the lowest reported levels of the disease.

Alabama and West Virginia are the states with the highest diabetes prevalence, both with more than 16% of their residents diagnosed with diabetes. The communities of Mobile, Alabama and Charleston, West Virginia place last in the nation, with more than 17% of their respective adult populations having the disease.

The report also highlights hospitals and health systems which have implemented innovative diabetes management programs to ensure patients have better health outcomes and better quality of life.

To view the full rankings, download a copy of the report today. You can also subscribe to content from the Well-Being Index; by subscribing, we’ll let you know when we release new reports and insights from the Well-Being Index.