Poverty and High School Obesity in America

The following map indicates which states fall above the 2013 national averages for poverty and high school student obesity rates.

States with a poverty rate above the national average (15.2%):

  • Mississippi
  • New Mexico
  • Louisiana
  • Arkansas
  • Georgia
  • DC
  • Kentucky
  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • South Carolina
  • West Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Florida
  • Michigan
  • California
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Montana
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Iniana
  • Missouri
  • Nevada
  • Idaha

States with an obesity rate above the national average (12.7%):

  • Mississippi
  • New Mexico
  • Louisiana
  • Arkansas
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Alabama
  • South Carolina
  • West Virginia
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Michigan
  • Ohio
  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • Nebraska
  • Delaware
  • Vermont
  • North Dakota
  • Hawaii

States with both rates above the national averages:

  • Mississippi
  • New Mexico
  • Louisiana
  • Arkansas
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Alabama
  • South Carolina
  • West Virginia
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Michigan
  • Ohio
  • Missouri

States with both rates below the national averages:

  • New Hampshire
  • Alaska
  • Maryland
  • Connecticut
  • Wyoming
  • New Jersey
  • Virginia
  • Massachusetts
  • Utah
  • Wisconsin
  • Maine
  • South Dakota
  • Rhode Island
  • Illinois

States with no data for high school obesity rates:

  • California
  • Oregon
  • Indiana
  • Washington
  • Pennsylvania
  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Minnesota
  • District of Columbia

Poverty rate by state:

MISSISSIPPI – 24
NEW MEXICO – 21.9
LOUISIAN – 19.8
ARKANSAS – 19.7
GEORGIA – 19
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – 18.9
KENTUCKY – 18.8
ALABAMA – 18.7
ARIZONA – 18.6
SOUTH CAROLINA – 18.6
WEST VIRGINIA – 18.5
NORTH CAROLINA – 17.9
TENNESSEE – 17.8
TEXAS – 17.5
FLORIDA – 17
MICHIGAN – 17
CALIFORNIA – 16.8
OKLAHOMA – 16.8
OREGON – 16.7
MONTANA – 16.5
NEW YORK – 16
OHIO – 16
INDIANA – 15.9
MISSOURI – 15.9
NEVADA – 15.8
IDAHO – 15.6
ILLINOIS – 14.7
RHODE ISLAND – 14.3
SOUTH DAKOTA – 14.2
WASHINGTON – 14.1
KANSAS – 14
MAINE – 14
PENNSYLVANIA – 13.7
WISCONSIN – 13.5
NEBRASKA – 13.2
COLORADO – 13
IOWA – 12.7
UTAH – 12.7
DELAWARE – 12.4
VERMONT – 12.3
MASSACHUSETTS – 11.9
NORTH DAKOTA – 11.8
VIRGINIA – 11.7
NEW JERSEY – 11.4
MINNESOTA – 11.2
WYOMING – 10.9
HAWAII – 10.8
CONNECTICUT – 10.7
MARYLAND – 10.1
ALASKA – 9.3
NEW HAMPSHIRE – 8.7

Obesity by state:

MISSISSIPPI – 15
NEW MEXICO – 13
LOUISIANA – 14
ARKANSAS – 18
GEORGIA – 13
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – N/A
KENTUCKY – 18
ALABAMA – 17
ARIZONA – 11
SOUTH CAROLINA – 14
WEST VIRGINIA – 16
NORTH CAROLINA – 12
TENNESSEE – 17
TEXAS – 16
FLORIDA – 12
MICHIGAN – 13
CALIFORNIA – N/A
OKLAHOMA – 12
OREGON – N/A
MONTANA – 9
NEW YORK – 11
OHIO – 13
INDIANA – N/A
MISSOURI – 15
NEVADA – 11
IDAHO – 10
ILLINOIS – 12
RHODE ISLAND – 11
SOUTH DAKOTA – 12
WASHINGTON – N/A
KANSAS – 13
MAINE – 12
PENNSYLVANIA – N/A
WISCONSIN – 12
NEBRASKA – 13
COLORADO – N/A
IOWA – N/A
UTAH – 6
DELAWARE – 14
VERMONT – 13
MASSACHUSETTS – 10
NORTH DAKOTA – 14
VIRGINIA – 12
NEW JERSEY – 9
MINNESOTA – N/A
WYOMING – 11
HAWAII – 13
CONNECTICUT – 12
MARYLAND – 11
ALASKA – 12
NEW HAMPSHIRE – 11


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