Introduction
Between 2012-2021, the United States saw a large decline in the average quantity of smokers nationally. The data provided below is based on percentages of adults who reported to have smoked at least one-hundred cigarettes during their lifetimes and still smoke daily.
In 2012, for example, there was only one state where fewer than 12% of the total population were smokers. This state was Utah, and in 2021, it still ranks as one of the states with the least amount of total smokers, although the percentage has further decreased.
The majority of the states with a total population of everyday smokers less than 12.4% are along the Northeastern United States and the West Coast. Regionally, almost every state with a percentage of every-day smokers greater than 18.5% is located West of the Appalachian Mountains between Michigan and Florida.
Learn more about the smoking rates by state by exploring the data in the charts.
| # | State | Smoking Population | Youth Smoking Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 22.6% | 13.5% |
| 2 | Kentucky | 21.4% | 8.9% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 20.5% | 9.7% |
| 4 | Mississippi | 20.1% | 6.6% |
| 5 | Tennessee | 19.5% | 7.1% |
| 6 | Indiana | 19.4% | |
| 7 | Ohio | 19.3% | 4.9% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 19.1% | 9.1% |
| 9 | Alabama | 18.5% | 7.1% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 18.5% | |
| 11 | Michigan | 18.4% | 4.5% |
| 12 | Louisiana | 18.3% | 8.4% |
| 13 | South Carolina | 18.1% | 5.9% |
| 14 | Alaska | 18% | 8.4% |
| 15 | Missouri | 17.8% | 6.5% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 17.8% | 12% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 17.4% | 8.3% |
| 18 | Kansas | 16.6% | 5.8% |
| 19 | Maine | 16.5% | 6.8% |
| 20 | North Carolina | 16.5% | 8.3% |
| 21 | Montana | 16.4% | 7.7% |
| 22 | New Mexico | 16.1% | 8.9% |
| 23 | Georgia | 15.8% | 4% |
| 24 | Iowa | 15.8% | 6.7% |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 15.8% | 6.6% |
| 26 | Wisconsin | 15.5% | 5.7% |
| 27 | Delaware | 15.1% | |
| 28 | Florida | 14.7% | 4.8% |
| 29 | Nevada | 14.2% | 3.6% |
| 30 | Nebraska | 13.9% | 4.2% |
| 31 | New Hampshire | 13.9% | 5.5% |
| 32 | Minnesota | 13.8% | |
| 33 | Idaho | 13.6% | 5.3% |
| 34 | Virginia | 13.6% | 5.5% |
| 35 | Rhode Island | 13.5% | 4.2% |
| 36 | Oregon | 13.3% | |
| 37 | Vermont | 13.3% | 6.9% |
| 38 | Texas | 13.2% | 4.9% |
| 39 | Arizona | 13.1% | 5.3% |
| 40 | Illinois | 12.7% | 4.7% |
| 41 | Colorado | 12.4% | 5.3% |
| 42 | New York | 12% | 4.2% |
| 43 | Connecticut | 11.8% | 3.7% |
| 44 | Hawaii | 11.6% | 5.3% |
| 45 | Washington | 11.5% | |
| 46 | District of Columbia | 11.3% | |
| 47 | Massachusetts | 11.1% | 5% |
| 48 | Maryland | 10.9% | 5% |
| 49 | New Jersey | 10.8% | 3.8% |
| 50 | California | 8.9% | |
| 51 | Utah | 8.2% | 2.2% |
Smoking Population by State
Alabama
Smoking Population
18.5%
Ranked in the US
#9
Youth Smoking Population
7.1%
Ranked in the US
#12
Alaska
Smoking Population
18%
Ranked in the US
#14
Youth Smoking Population
8.4%
Ranked in the US
#7
Arizona
Smoking Population
13.1%
Ranked in the US
#39
Youth Smoking Population
5.3%
Ranked in the US
#25
Arkansas
Smoking Population
20.5%
Ranked in the US
#3
Youth Smoking Population
9.7%
Ranked in the US
#3
California
Smoking Population
8.9%
Ranked in the US
#50
Colorado
Smoking Population
12.4%
Ranked in the US
#41
Youth Smoking Population
5.3%
Ranked in the US
#26
Connecticut
Smoking Population
11.8%
Ranked in the US
#43
Youth Smoking Population
3.7%
Ranked in the US
#41
Delaware
Smoking Population
15.1%
Ranked in the US
#27
District of Columbia
Smoking Population
11.3%
Ranked in the US
#46
Florida
Smoking Population
14.7%
Ranked in the US
#28
Youth Smoking Population
4.8%
Ranked in the US
#33
Georgia
Smoking Population
15.8%
Ranked in the US
#23
Youth Smoking Population
4%
Ranked in the US
#39
Hawaii
Smoking Population
11.6%
Ranked in the US
#44
Youth Smoking Population
5.3%
Ranked in the US
#27
Idaho
Smoking Population
13.6%
Ranked in the US
#33
Youth Smoking Population
5.3%
Ranked in the US
#28
Illinois
Smoking Population
12.7%
Ranked in the US
#40
Youth Smoking Population
4.7%
Ranked in the US
#34
Indiana
Smoking Population
19.4%
Ranked in the US
#6
Iowa
Smoking Population
15.8%
Ranked in the US
#24
Youth Smoking Population
6.7%
Ranked in the US
#16
Kansas
Smoking Population
16.6%
Ranked in the US
#18
Youth Smoking Population
5.8%
Ranked in the US
#21
Kentucky
Smoking Population
21.4%
Ranked in the US
#2
Youth Smoking Population
8.9%
Ranked in the US
#5
Louisiana
Smoking Population
18.3%
Ranked in the US
#12
Youth Smoking Population
8.4%
Ranked in the US
#8
Maine
Smoking Population
16.5%
Ranked in the US
#19
Youth Smoking Population
6.8%
Ranked in the US
#15
Maryland
Smoking Population
10.9%
Ranked in the US
#48
Youth Smoking Population
5%
Ranked in the US
#29
Massachusetts
Smoking Population
11.1%
Ranked in the US
#47
Youth Smoking Population
5%
Ranked in the US
#30
Michigan
Smoking Population
18.4%
Ranked in the US
#11
Youth Smoking Population
4.5%
Ranked in the US
#35
Minnesota
Smoking Population
13.8%
Ranked in the US
#32
Mississippi
Smoking Population
20.1%
Ranked in the US
#4
Youth Smoking Population
6.6%
Ranked in the US
#17
Missouri
Smoking Population
17.8%
Ranked in the US
#15
Youth Smoking Population
6.5%
Ranked in the US
#19
Montana
Smoking Population
16.4%
Ranked in the US
#21
Youth Smoking Population
7.7%
Ranked in the US
#11
Nebraska
Smoking Population
13.9%
Ranked in the US
#30
Youth Smoking Population
4.2%
Ranked in the US
#36
Nevada
Smoking Population
14.2%
Ranked in the US
#29
Youth Smoking Population
3.6%
Ranked in the US
#42
New Hampshire
Smoking Population
13.9%
Ranked in the US
#31
Youth Smoking Population
5.5%
Ranked in the US
#23
New Jersey
Smoking Population
10.8%
Ranked in the US
#49
Youth Smoking Population
3.8%
Ranked in the US
#40
New Mexico
Smoking Population
16.1%
Ranked in the US
#22
Youth Smoking Population
8.9%
Ranked in the US
#6
New York
Smoking Population
12%
Ranked in the US
#42
Youth Smoking Population
4.2%
Ranked in the US
#37
North Carolina
Smoking Population
16.5%
Ranked in the US
#20
Youth Smoking Population
8.3%
Ranked in the US
#9
North Dakota
Smoking Population
17.4%
Ranked in the US
#17
Youth Smoking Population
8.3%
Ranked in the US
#10
Ohio
Smoking Population
19.3%
Ranked in the US
#7
Youth Smoking Population
4.9%
Ranked in the US
#31
Oklahoma
Smoking Population
19.1%
Ranked in the US
#8
Youth Smoking Population
9.1%
Ranked in the US
#4
Oregon
Smoking Population
13.3%
Ranked in the US
#36
Pennsylvania
Smoking Population
15.8%
Ranked in the US
#25
Youth Smoking Population
6.6%
Ranked in the US
#18
Rhode Island
Smoking Population
13.5%
Ranked in the US
#35
Youth Smoking Population
4.2%
Ranked in the US
#38
South Carolina
Smoking Population
18.1%
Ranked in the US
#13
Youth Smoking Population
5.9%
Ranked in the US
#20
South Dakota
Smoking Population
17.8%
Ranked in the US
#16
Youth Smoking Population
12%
Ranked in the US
#2
Tennessee
Smoking Population
19.5%
Ranked in the US
#5
Youth Smoking Population
7.1%
Ranked in the US
#13
Texas
Smoking Population
13.2%
Ranked in the US
#38
Youth Smoking Population
4.9%
Ranked in the US
#32
Utah
Smoking Population
8.2%
Ranked in the US
#51
Youth Smoking Population
2.2%
Ranked in the US
#43
Vermont
Smoking Population
13.3%
Ranked in the US
#37
Youth Smoking Population
6.9%
Ranked in the US
#14
Virginia
Smoking Population
13.6%
Ranked in the US
#34
Youth Smoking Population
5.5%
Ranked in the US
#24
Washington
Smoking Population
11.5%
Ranked in the US
#45
West Virginia
Smoking Population
22.6%
Ranked in the US
#1
Youth Smoking Population
13.5%
Ranked in the US
#1
Wisconsin
Smoking Population
15.5%
Ranked in the US
#26
Youth Smoking Population
5.7%
Ranked in the US
#22
Wyoming
Smoking Population
18.5%
Ranked in the US
#10
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