TO YOUR HEALTH

Healthiest and Least Healthy States in America Revealed

The pictures at the opposite ends of the spectrum are wildly different.

The most and least healthy states in the U.S. have been identified using new data that synthesizes dozens of social and economic indicators. The United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings 2025 Annual Report was published on Thursday to provide a comprehensive picture of national and state-by-state well-being. Each state was ranked on 50 weighted measures split into five different categories, which the report says are “Social and Economic Factors, Physical Environment, Behaviors, Clinical Care, and Health Outcomes.” At the top of the pile, from first to fifth, were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Utah. Meanwhile, at the bottom, from 46th to 50th, were West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and finally Louisiana. Overall, southern states tended to fare worse, while those on the East and West coasts were better off. New Hampshire clinched the top spot for the fourth consecutive year, thanks to its “Low prevalence of non-medical drug use, high prevalence of high school completion and low prevalence of adults using e-cigarettes.” Meanwhile, Louisiana took the 50th spot also for the fourth year running, due to its “High economic hardship index score, high homicide rate and high incidence of chlamydia.”