By Luke Powers
The widespread prevalence of smoking, excessive alcohol use and overconsumption of fast food has contributed to a growing number of health issues in the U.S., such as cancers and heart disease. To combat these issues, people are encouraged to exercise, eat healthily and get regular check-ups with health professionals. However, some states are better than others at providing quality care and healthier lifestyle opportunities.
To highlight the states that are most supportive of residents improving their health and wellness and the ones that need to improve the most, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from the cost of a medical visit to the quality of public hospital systems to public health funding per capita.
If you want to help improve health and wellness in your community but don’t know where to start, check out our picks for the Best Charities for Health & Wellness in 2024.
Best States for Health & Wellness
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Score | Community Health Baselines Rank | Healthcare Access Rank | Personal Health & Wellness Activity Rank |
| 1 | Massachusetts | 65.45 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| 2 | Colorado | 62.57 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| 3 | Vermont | 62.37 | 11 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | California | 58.72 | 3 | 24 | 15 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 58.58 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
| 6 | Utah | 58.05 | 5 | 37 | 2 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 57.86 | 7 | 5 | 36 |
| 8 | Maryland | 57.53 | 10 | 6 | 29 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 57.20 | 21 | 3 | 14 |
| 10 | New York | 55.86 | 6 | 13 | 30 |
| 11 | Minnesota | 55.81 | 16 | 14 | 11 |
| 12 | Montana | 54.78 | 35 | 10 | 1 |
| 13 | Connecticut | 54.76 | 9 | 18 | 25 |
| 14 | Maine | 54.10 | 30 | 7 | 7 |
| 15 | Washington | 53.80 | 8 | 41 | 5 |
| 16 | Nebraska | 53.49 | 19 | 4 | 37 |
| 17 | Hawaii | 53.40 | 2 | 48 | 18 |
| 18 | South Dakota | 51.77 | 31 | 16 | 9 |
| 19 | Illinois | 51.56 | 14 | 23 | 32 |
| 20 | Michigan | 51.35 | 20 | 25 | 19 |
| 21 | Virginia | 51.03 | 15 | 35 | 20 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 50.87 | 32 | 21 | 12 |
| 23 | Wyoming | 50.61 | 34 | 19 | 10 |
| 24 | Oregon | 50.52 | 13 | 47 | 4 |
| 25 | Delaware | 50.12 | 17 | 22 | 31 |
| 26 | New Mexico | 49.88 | 24 | 15 | 27 |
| 27 | New Jersey | 47.96 | 18 | 34 | 39 |
| 28 | North Dakota | 47.70 | 29 | 20 | 33 |
| 29 | Kansas | 47.19 | 27 | 30 | 28 |
| 30 | Idaho | 47.08 | 23 | 44 | 13 |
| 31 | Iowa | 47.05 | 25 | 28 | 35 |
| 32 | Ohio | 46.73 | 39 | 17 | 24 |
| 33 | Missouri | 46.47 | 42 | 9 | 34 |
| 34 | Arizona | 45.96 | 22 | 45 | 16 |
| 35 | Alaska | 45.37 | 40 | 36 | 17 |
| 36 | Indiana | 44.80 | 33 | 31 | 40 |
| 37 | Florida | 42.98 | 28 | 46 | 21 |
| 38 | North Carolina | 42.41 | 36 | 42 | 26 |
| 39 | Texas | 41.62 | 41 | 40 | 23 |
| 40 | South Carolina | 41.05 | 37 | 39 | 42 |
| 41 | Alabama | 40.26 | 43 | 32 | 45 |
| 42 | Kentucky | 40.05 | 44 | 33 | 44 |
| 43 | Louisiana | 38.41 | 46 | 26 | 47 |
| 44 | Nevada | 38.38 | 26 | 49 | 43 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | 37.10 | 48 | 29 | 49 |
| 46 | Georgia | 36.39 | 38 | 50 | 38 |
| 47 | Tennessee | 35.95 | 45 | 43 | 41 |
| 48 | West Virginia | 35.76 | 50 | 11 | 46 |
| 49 | Arkansas | 35.61 | 47 | 38 | 48 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 32.57 | 49 | 27 | 50 |
The Views Expressed In This Article Belong Solely To The Original Author, And We Assume No Responsibility For Its Accuracy, Completeness, Or Any Consequences Arising From Its Use.
