5 healthiest states in 2025 — and the least healthy: United Health Foundation

The United Health Foundation released its 2025 “America’s Health Rankings Annual Report,” Jan. 8, presenting a wave of optimistic health signals, but disparities persist.

The organization analyzed 99 measures from 31 sources, relying on the most recent data, as of Oct. 17, 2025, except for data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, which was released Dec. 2, 2025. The report based rankings for the “healthiest” and “least healthy” states on “social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care and behaviors and health outcomes.”

Here are the five healthiest states:

1. New Hampshire

2. Massachusetts

3. Vermont

4. Connecticut

5. Utah

Here are the five least healthy states:

1. Louisiana

2. Arkansas

3. Mississippi

4. Alabama

5. West Virginia

And here are seven other things to know from the report:

1. Between 2022 and 2023, life expectancy improved, with premature deaths dropping 8%. This resulted in 7,862 years lost before age 75 per 100,000 people, down from 8,522 in 2022.

2. The number of mental health providers increased 57% between September 2018 and September 2025, with a 5% increase from 2024 to 2025.

3. Preventive cancer screening rates have been improving in 47 states and Washington, D.C.

4. The percentage of adults with at least three chronic conditions have increased across age ranges. Adults ages 18 to 44 years old were hit the hardest, though, presenting a 17% increase between 2023 and 2024. The most common documented chronic condition was arthritis, followed by depression.

5. The homeless population increased 16% between 2023 and 2024. Illinois saw a 114% increase, the steepest nationwide.

6. Drug death rates improved for the first time since 2018. However, rates were still significantly higher among the American Indian/Alaska Native population, those in West Virginia, the 35- to 44-year-old population and males.

7. While rural communities saw significant boosts across some clinical care and behavioral measures, the improvement in cancer screenings was more minimal compared to metropolitan areas. A lack of physical activity was still greater in rural communities, but the percentage of adults reporting no activity beyond their jobs decreased more substantially.

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