BALTIMORE — According to a new study that measures behavior, fitness infrastructure and health status factors, Maryland is the 9th healthiest state in the United States.
The study ranks all U.S. states and the District of Columbia against 13 contributing factors.
Maryland has 12.5% smokers, 14.5% binge drinkers, 31% obese and 50.6% aerobically active adults.
Adults in Mississippi, Kentucky and West Virginia have the unhealthiest people in the U.S., as they eat the lowest amount of fruits and vegetables, topping the smoker's charts, while only 1 in 4 adults work out twice a week.
The Healthiest States Index uses the latest available data from the U.S. Census and CDC published between 2015 and 2022.
50.6% of the adult population in Maryland is aerobically active for the recommended minimum of 150 minutes per week.
Maryland's numbers are slightly below the average when it comes to obesity, smoking and drinkers as well.
CDC data from March 2021 indicates that 68.63% of Maryland residents have excellent or a very good health status, while at least 7% are classed as being in poor health state.
For comparison, the national average for those with an excellent or a very good health status is 63.68%, and those with a poor health status average to 2.69% across all states.
Researchers at Barbend commissioned this study.
Here is how all the states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia ranked in BarBend's Healthiest States Index:
- District of Columbia
- Utah
- New Jersey
- Colorado
- California
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Washington
- Maryland
- Vermont
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- New York
- New Hampshire
- Arizona
- Nevada
- Rhode Island
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Florida
- Illinois
- New Mexico
- Wyoming
- Maine
- Montana
- Virginia
- Delaware
- Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Nebraska
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- Ohio
- Missouri
- Iowa
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Louisiana
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
