Health and Wellness Review

What percentage of adults in each state have smoked cigarettes in the past month? Well, "Tobacco Country" may still be alive and well!

Kentucky and West Virginia lead the pack, with about 1 in 3 adults smoking cigarettes.

States with most cigarette use

1. Kentucky: 33%
2. West Virginia: 32%
3. Oklahoma: 31% 
4. Missouri: 31%
5. South Dakota: 30%
6. Arkansas: 30% 
7. Ohio: 29%
8. Louisiana: 29% 
9. Mississippi: 28%
10. Tennessee: 28%

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In 1900, the average American household included 4.9 people. By 1950, that number had dropped to 3.7. In 2000, the typical US household was comprised of 2.6 individuals – half the size of a household 100 years earlier.

Not surprisingly, recent decades have seen a major increase in people living alone. Today, over half of American adults live either by themselves or with one other person.

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Not everyone visits the dentist as often as they should

These numbers represent the percent of respondents in each state who visited the dentist or dental clinic within the past year.

Most dental visits

1. Connecticut: 81%
2. Minnesota: 80%
3. Massachusetts: 79%
4. Rhode Island: 79%
5. New Hampshire: 78%
6. Wisconsin: 78%
7. Delaware: 77%
8. Michigan: 77%
9. Maryland: 76%
10. New Jersey: 76%

Fewest dental visits

1. Mississippi: 59%
2. Arkansas: 61%
3. Texas: 61%
4. Oklahoma: 61%
5. West Virginia: 63%
6. Missouri: 64%
7. Nevada: 64%
8. Montana: 66%
9. Indiana: 67%
10. Idaho: 68%

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Most obese US states

1. Mississippi: 26 %
2. West Virginia: 25 %
3. Michigan: 24 %
4. Kentucky: 24 %
5. Texas: 24 %
6. Indiana: 24 %
7. Alabama: 23 %
8. Louisiana: 23 %
9. Missouri: 23 %
10. Tennessee: 23 %

Least obese US states

1. Colorado: 14 %
2. Massachusetts: 16 %
3. Vermont: 17 %
4. Rhode Island: 17 %
5. Connecticut: 17 %
6. Hawaii: 18 %
7. Montana: 18 %
8. Utah: 18 %
9. Arizona: 18 %
10. Florida: 18 %

View the complete statistics

By The Numbers

These numbers represent the percent of respondents in each state who report having participated in any physical activities over the past month.

Most active states

1. Minnesota: 84.1%
2. Utah: 83.1%
3. Oregon: 82.8%
4. Washington: 82.7%
5. Vermont: 81.8%
6. Wisconsin: 81.5%
7. New Hampshire: 81.4%
8. Colorado: 81.2%
9. Montana: 81.1%
10. Connecticut: 81.1%

Least active states

1. Mississippi: 68.6%
2. Kentucky: 70.1%
3. Louisiana: 70.2%
4. Alabama: 70.3%
5. Tennessee: 70.3%
6. Oklahoma: 72.2%
7. New York: 73.4%
8. Arkansas: 73.4%
9. Texas: 73.8%
10. Georgia: 74.2%

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Grocery spending is a significant expense

How much a person spends on groceries each week has a lot to do with one's household type.

People with kids spend less money per person on food, whereas people living alone spend more. (Of course, it's a lot easier to go out to eat if you don't have kids to worry about!

Weekly household spending on food:

• Average $40
• With kids $30
• No kids $50
• Women living alone $50
• Men living alone $60

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By The Numbers: Montana driving is far more dangerous than Vermont

These numbers represent the number of motor vehicle deaths per 100 million miles driven.

States with the highest motor vehicle death rates

1. Montana: 2.5
2. Mississippi: 2.4
3. South Dakota: 2.4
4. Arizona: 2.2
5. Arkansas: 2.1
6. Idaho: 2.1
7. Louisiana: 2.1
8. Kentucky: 2.0
9. Nevada: 2.0
10. South Carolina: 2.0

States with the lowest motor vehicle death rates

1. Vermont: 0.7
2. Massachusetts: 0.9
3. New Jersey: 1.0
4. New Hampshire: 1.0
5. Connecticut: 1.0
6. Minnesota: 1.1
7. Indiana: 1.1
8. Washington: 1.1
9. New York: 1.1
10. Virginia: 1.2

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By The Numbers

Do you know how much you spend on what? The average American spends one-third of what they make on housing, and another fifth on transportation and gas.

These numbers represent what percentage of their annual take the average American spends on various necessities and luxuries.

• Housing 32%
• Transportation 18%
• Food 13% (at home 7.7%, out 5.6%)
• Health care 6%
• Entertainment 5%
• Gas 4%
• Education 2%
• Alcohol 1%

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It’s twice as easy to find a dentist in DC than SC

When it comes to access to dental care, all states are not equal — it’s much easier to find a dentist in some areas. These numbers reflect the number of dentists per 1000 residents in each state.

States with the most dentists

1. DC: 1.044
2. New Jersey: 0.808
3. Massachusetts: 0.804
4. Hawaii: 0.782
5. Connecticut: 0.756
6. New York: 0.753
7. Maryland: 0.744
8. California: 0.739
9. Alaska: 0.738
10. Washington: 0.677

States with the fewest dentists

1. Mississippi: 0.397
2. Arkansas: 0.403
3. New Mexico: 0.431
4. Alabama: 0.432
5. Georgia: 0.444
6. South Dakota: 0.445
7. Delaware: 0.447
8. North Carolina: 0.449
9. Louisiana: 0.451
10. South Carolina: 0.458

The weighted average across the US is 0.6 dentists per 1,000 people, meaning each dentist is responsible for the oral health of almost 1700 people!

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Who’s eating their vegetables?

These numbers represent the percentage of adults in each state who consume fruits and vegetables five or more times per day.

1. Vermont: 33%
2. Connecticut: 30%
3. Massachusetts: 29% 
4. Maryland: 29%
5. New Hampshire: 28%
6. Hawaii: 28% 
7. Rhode Island: 27%
8. Maine: 27% 
9. California: 27%
10. New Jersey: 26%