Key figures from the map
- West Virginia has the highest obesity rate on the map, 41%, and the fewest gyms, 3.1 per 100,000 people.
- Massachusetts has the most gyms, 10.6 per 100,000, and an obesity rate of 27%.
- Colorado and Hawaii have the lowest obesity rates, both 25%.
- The map gives the US obesity rate as 33%. A red line encloses the states above the median, mostly in the Midwest and South, plus Alaska.
All figures are from the graphic, which cites worldpopulationreview.com for obesity rates and veridion.com for gym counts (data sources 2024).
US obesity statistics infographic in text, every state
Title: Gyms vs. Obesity, with “per 100k inhabitants” under Gyms and “Rates” under Obesity. Each state shows its obesity rate in a round badge and its number of gyms per 100,000 inhabitants beside the state abbreviation. State colour runs from cream (3.1 gyms) to purple (10.1 gyms). A balance scale with a dumbbell on one side and a cheeseburger on the other sits under the map.
| State | Obesity rate | Gyms per 100k inhabitants |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 40% | 4.3 |
| Alaska (AK) | 34% | 6.4 |
| Arizona (AZ) | 31% | 7.0 |
| Arkansas (AR) | 39% | 4.0 |
| California (CA) | 28% | 8.8 |
| Colorado (CO) | 25% | 9.9 |
| Connecticut (CT) | 30% | 8.2 |
| Delaware (DE) | 34% | 8.3 |
| Florida (FL) | 28% | 7.8 |
| Georgia (GA) | 34% | 5.9 |
| Hawaii (HI) | 25% | 8.4 |
| Idaho (ID) | 32% | 6.4 |
| Illinois (IL) | 34% | 6.2 |
| Indiana (IN) | 36% | 4.3 |
| Iowa (IA) | 36% | 5.0 |
| Kansas (KS) | 36% | 5.1 |
| Kentucky (KY) | 40% | 4.2 |
| Louisiana (LA) | 39% | 4.4 |
| Maine (ME) | 32% | 6.8 |
| Maryland (MD) | 34% | 6.3 |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 27% | 10.6 |
| Michigan (MI) | 34% | 5.0 |
| Minnesota (MN) | 32% | 5.7 |
| Mississippi (MS) | 39% | 3.5 |
| Missouri (MO) | 34% | 5.2 |
| Montana (MT) | 32% | 7.8 |
| Nebraska (NE) | 36% | 5.1 |
| Nevada (NV) | 31% | 6.9 |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 31% | 9.3 |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 28% | 7.3 |
| New Mexico (NM) | 35% | 5.4 |
| New York (NY) | 29% | 7.9 |
| North Carolina (NC) | 36% | 5.8 |
| North Dakota (ND) | 35% | 4.9 |
| Ohio (OH) | 38% | 5.2 |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 39% | 5.7 |
| Oregon (OR) | 30% | 7.8 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 33% | 5.7 |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 30% | 7.5 |
| South Carolina (SC) | 36% | 5.1 |
| South Dakota (SD) | 38% | 4.8 |
| Tennessee (TN) | 35% | 5.1 |
| Texas (TX) | 36% | 5.9 |
| Utah (UT) | 31% | 6.9 |
| Vermont (VT) | 29% | 8.7 |
| Virginia (VA) | 34% | 6.2 |
| Washington (WA) | 29% | 6.7 |
| West Virginia (WV) | 41% | 3.1 |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 34% | 5.2 |
| Wyoming (WY) | 32% | 9.0 |
Annotations: “Massachusetts has the most gyms per 100k people” (with its 10.6 circled) and “West Virginia has the highest obesity rate and the lowest nuber of gyms per 100k people (3.1)” (spelling as printed). Legend: Utah used as the example (31% obesity rate, 6.9 gyms per 100k), colour scale 3.1 to 10.1, red line “Median line for obesity rate”, “US Obesity rate 33%”. Footer: Data sources (2024) worldpopulationreview.com, veridion.com. Design by quickdata.ro.
How the two measures line up
Across the 50 states, the two columns move strongly in opposite directions. Using the figures printed on the map, the correlation between gyms per 100,000 people and obesity rate is minus 0.87 (our arithmetic). The six states with the highest rates, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, all have fewer than 6 gyms per 100,000, while the four lowest, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California, all have more than 8.
A correlation like this does not show that gyms lower obesity. The map does not account for income, age, education or other factors that differ between states. The CDC reports, for example, that obesity prevalence differs by education level and by race and ethnicity [2].
What the CDC data says
The CDC defines adult obesity as a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher [2]. Its national survey measured obesity prevalence among US adults aged 20 and over at 41.9% in 2017 to March 2020 [2]. That is a different survey from the state figures: the CDC’s state maps are based on self-reported weight and height [3], so the two are not directly comparable.
For state rates, the CDC uses the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). In its 2023 maps, three states (Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia) had an obesity prevalence of 40% or more, and Colorado and the District of Columbia were between 20% and 25% [4]. The Midwest (36.0%) and South (34.7%) had the highest regional prevalence, followed by the West (29.1%) and the Northeast (28.6%) [4]. In the CDC’s 2025 maps, no state had a prevalence of 40% or higher [3].
Notes on this infographic
- The obesity rates come from worldpopulationreview.com, not directly from the CDC, and the graphic does not say which survey year they describe. They differ in places from the CDC’s 2023 BRFSS results: the map shows Arkansas and Mississippi at 39% and Kentucky and Alabama at 40%, while the CDC put Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia in the 40% or higher group [4].
- The colour scale tops out at 10.1 gyms, but Massachusetts is printed as 10.6, which is above the scale.
- Voronoi’s text for this chart gives Massachusetts an obesity rate of 31% [1]; the graphic shows 27%. We transcribe the graphic.
- Gym figures match the dataset Veridion published with the chart, rounded to one decimal place [1].
- Rates are for adults. The District of Columbia is not shown.
Questions about gyms and obesity in US states
Which US state has the highest obesity rate?
West Virginia has the highest obesity rate on the map, 41%, and also the fewest gyms, 3.1 per 100,000 people. Kentucky and Alabama follow at 40%. The rates come from worldpopulationreview.com and the graphic does not say which survey year they describe. In the CDC's 2023 maps, Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia were the three states with an obesity prevalence of 40% or more [4].
Which US state has the most gyms per person?
Massachusetts has the most gyms, 10.6 per 100,000 people, with an obesity rate of 27% on the graphic. Its figure sits above the top of the map's colour scale, which ends at 10.1. Voronoi's text for this chart gives Massachusetts an obesity rate of 31% [1], but the graphic shows 27%. Colorado comes next with 9.9 gyms per 100,000.
Do states with more gyms have lower obesity rates?
Yes, on the map's figures the two move strongly in opposite directions, with a correlation of minus 0.87 between gyms per 100,000 people and obesity rate. The six states with the highest rates all have fewer than 6 gyms per 100,000, while Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California all have more than 8. This does not show that gyms lower obesity, because the map does not account for income, age, education or other factors.
What is the adult obesity rate in the US?
The map gives the US obesity rate as 33%. The CDC's national survey measured obesity among US adults aged 20 and over at 41.9% in 2017 to March 2020 [2]. The two are not directly comparable, because the CDC's state maps are based on self-reported weight and height [3]. The CDC defines adult obesity as a body mass index of 30.0 or higher [2].
Sources
- Veridion, Gyms vs. Obesity in US, Voronoi by Visual Capitalist, 19 February 2025. The publisher’s post of this graphic, with the gym dataset.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adult Obesity Facts.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (2025 maps).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (2023 maps, archived copy of 24 October 2024).
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
