Frequent physical distress among adults

US estimate 12.8% (95% interval 12.6–13.0), age-adjusted 12.1% (11.8–12.3). Published in the 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 releases.

Population: All Adults
Case definition period: Past 30 days
Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted)

14.8%median county, 2025middle half 13.4%–16.4%

2,956counties with a 2025 estimaterange 8.8%–22.7%

Frequent physical distress among adults: CDC's PLACES 2025 release estimates 12.8% nationally (95% confidence interval 12.6–13.0%), or 12.1% age-adjusted, from 2023 BRFSS responses.

Across the 2,956 counties with a 2025 estimate, the median county is 14.8% and the middle half of counties fall between 13.4% and 16.4%; the full range runs from 8.8% to 22.7%. Population-weighted state figures computed by this site (no interval) range from 9.2% (District of Columbia) to 17.3% (West Virginia).

CDC advises that areas may be compared on individual measures but that the estimates should not be used to rank overall health; the county lists below are ordered by point estimate and every row carries its 95% confidence interval.

CDC's definition

A multi-level regression and post-stratification approach was applied to BRFSS and ACS data to compute a detailed probability among adults who reported 14 or more days, during the past 30 days, that their physical health (including physical illness and injury) was not good. The probability was then applied to the detailed population estimates at the appropriate geographic level to generate the prevalence. The 95% confidence interval was derived using Monte Carlo simulation.

CDC's notes: None

Quoted from CDC's PLACES measure definitions (cdc.gov/places/measure-definitions). BRFSS is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the telephone survey the model is trained on.

National distribution across counties

8.8%15.8%22.7%

Crude county point estimates in the 2025 release, 24 equal bins. Deciles: 10th 12.3%, 25th 13.4%, median 14.8%, 75th 16.4%, 90th 17.8%. Counties without a 2025 estimate (Kentucky, Pennsylvania and the states without the social-needs module) are excluded here.

By state

Crude prevalence is the estimated share of all adults. Age-adjusted prevalence is standardised to the 2000 US standard population so that areas with different age structures can be compared. CDC: "Age-adjusted estimates are only available at the county and place-level."

State	State figure, crude (site aggregate)	Lowest county	Highest county	Counties
West Virginia	17.3%	12.9%	22.4%	55
Arkansas	15.6%	12.5%	20.5%	75
New Mexico	15.5%	9.6%	22.2%	33
Kentucky (2024 release)	15.2%	10.6%	24.4%	120*
Louisiana	15.2%	13.2%	20.7%	64
Nevada	14.9%	14.0%	20.0%	17
Tennessee	14.9%	10.9%	22.7%	95
Mississippi	14.8%	11.4%	19.6%	82
Florida	14.3%	11.9%	19.5%	67
Maine	14.3%	12.0%	18.2%	16
Oklahoma	14.3%	12.2%	19.1%	77
Alabama	14.2%	11.3%	19.9%	67
Missouri	14.2%	11.9%	21.0%	115
Michigan	14.0%	10.8%	19.0%	83
Montana	14.0%	10.8%	20.7%	56
South Carolina	14.0%	11.4%	18.7%	46
Ohio	13.9%	9.8%	18.5%	88
Indiana	13.8%	9.6%	18.7%	92
Oregon	13.8%	12.0%	17.8%	36
Idaho	13.6%	11.2%	18.4%	44
Georgia	13.5%	10.4%	20.6%	159
California	13.4%	10.1%	18.3%	58
Delaware	13.3%	12.3%	14.8%	3
Wyoming	13.3%	10.1%	15.6%	23
Pennsylvania (2024 release)	13.2%	9.9%	17.5%	67*
Rhode Island	13.2%	11.3%	14.0%	5
Texas	13.2%	10.2%	21.4%	253
Alaska	13.1%	11.4%	22.4%	30
Arizona	13.0%	11.8%	20.4%	15
Wisconsin	12.9%	10.4%	18.3%	72
New York	12.8%	10.5%	16.8%	62
Virginia	12.8%	8.8%	19.4%	133
Iowa	12.7%	10.0%	16.2%	99
North Carolina	12.7%	9.5%	18.0%	100
Vermont	12.5%	10.7%	16.7%	14
Connecticut	12.4%	10.9%	13.9%	9
Washington	12.4%	9.7%	17.9%	39
Hawaii	12.3%	11.6%	18.1%	5
Kansas	12.3%	9.6%	16.3%	105
Massachusetts	12.3%	10.0%	16.0%	14
South Dakota	12.3%	9.7%	22.5%	66
Illinois	12.2%	10.2%	17.8%	102
New Jersey	12.2%	10.3%	16.0%	21
Utah	12.2%	10.6%	18.6%	29
Maryland	12.0%	9.5%	16.3%	24
Colorado	11.9%	9.6%	17.8%	64
New Hampshire	11.7%	11.1%	14.8%	10
Nebraska	11.6%	10.0%	15.5%	93
North Dakota	11.4%	9.6%	21.4%	53
Minnesota	11.3%	9.8%	18.0%	87
District of Columbia	9.2%	9.2%	9.2%	1

State	State figure, age-adjusted (site aggregate)	Counties
West Virginia	16.0%	55
Arkansas	14.8%	75
New Mexico	14.7%	33
Louisiana	14.5%	64
Kentucky (2024 release)	14.4%	120*
Nevada	14.2%	17
Tennessee	14.2%	95
Mississippi	14.0%	82
Oklahoma	13.8%	77
Alabama	13.4%	67
Missouri	13.4%	115
Indiana	13.2%	92
Florida	13.1%	67
Idaho	13.1%	44
Michigan	13.1%	83
Montana	13.1%	56
Oregon	13.1%	36
South Carolina	13.1%	46
California	13.0%	58
Georgia	13.0%	159
Maine	13.0%	16
Ohio	13.0%	88
Texas	13.0%	253
Alaska	12.9%	30
Wyoming	12.5%	23
Pennsylvania (2024 release)	12.4%	67*
Rhode Island	12.4%	5
Utah	12.4%	29
Arizona	12.3%	15
Delaware	12.3%	3
Virginia	12.2%	133
New York	12.1%	62
Wisconsin	12.1%	72
Iowa	12.0%	99
North Carolina	12.0%	100
Washington	11.9%	39
Kansas	11.8%	105
Connecticut	11.7%	9
South Dakota	11.7%	66
Colorado	11.6%	64
Illinois	11.6%	102
Massachusetts	11.6%	14
Hawaii	11.5%	5
Vermont	11.5%	14
New Jersey	11.4%	21
Maryland	11.3%	24
North Dakota	11.1%	53
Nebraska	11.0%	93
New Hampshire	10.8%	10
Minnesota	10.7%	87
District of Columbia	9.6%	1

State figures are population-weighted county estimates computed by this site (PLACES publishes no state row) and carry no interval; they are listed by point estimate, which is not a ranking of states' health. Lowest and highest county columns are crude point estimates. * This measure was not published for the state in the 2025 release; its figure, county count and county range come from the release in brackets, the most recent that has them.

Highest county estimates

County	Crude	95% interval
Hancock County, TN	22.7%	19.7–26.1
Oglala Lakota County, SD	22.5%	19.8–25.5
Kusilvak Census Area, AK	22.4%	19.6–25.6
Mingo County, WV	22.4%	19.6–25.8
McKinley County, NM	22.2%	19.5–24.9
McDowell County, WV	22.2%	19.6–25.0
Calhoun County, WV	22.0%	19.1–25.0
Todd County, SD	21.8%	18.8–24.9
Sioux County, ND	21.4%	18.8–24.4
Dimmit County, TX	21.4%	18.7–24.2
Hickory County, MO	21.0%	18.3–23.9
Zavala County, TX	20.9%	18.8–23.0
Webster County, WV	20.9%	18.1–24.1
Tensas Parish, LA	20.7%	18.2–23.5
Glacier County, MT	20.7%	18.0–23.2
Lake County, TN	20.7%	18.1–23.4
Randolph County, GA	20.6%	18.0–23.4
Claiborne Parish, LA	20.6%	18.1–23.5
Jim Hogg County, TX	20.6%	18.4–22.8
Lincoln County, WV	20.6%	18.0–23.4

County	Age-adj.	95% interval
Oglala Lakota County, SD	23.6%	20.8–26.6
Kusilvak Census Area, AK	23.2%	20.4–26.4
Todd County, SD	22.7%	19.7–25.9
McKinley County, NM	21.8%	19.3–24.6
Sioux County, ND	21.4%	18.8–24.3
Dimmit County, TX	20.8%	18.0–23.7
Hancock County, TN	20.6%	17.9–23.8
Zavala County, TX	20.6%	18.4–22.8
McDowell County, WV	20.4%	17.9–23.1
Mingo County, WV	20.4%	17.9–23.5
Bethel Census Area, AK	20.2%	17.8–23.1
East Carroll Parish, LA	20.2%	17.6–22.9
Glacier County, MT	20.2%	17.6–22.9
Starr County, TX	20.2%	17.4–23.1
Lake County, TN	20.1%	17.6–22.8
Zapata County, TX	19.9%	17.0–23.0
Jim Hogg County, TX	19.7%	17.6–22.0
Buffalo County, SD	19.5%	17.0–22.1
Corson County, SD	19.5%	17.1–22.1
Apache County, AZ	19.4%	17.1–21.9

Lowest county estimates

County	Crude	95% interval
Arlington County, VA	8.8%	7.6–10.2
Falls Church city, VA	9.2%	7.9–10.7
District of Columbia, DC	9.2%	8.0–10.6
Wake County, NC	9.5%	8.2–11.0
Howard County, MD	9.5%	8.2–10.9
Los Alamos County, NM	9.6%	8.2–11.2
Cass County, ND	9.6%	8.3–11.2
Johnson County, KS	9.6%	8.2–11.1
Hamilton County, IN	9.6%	8.1–11.3
Douglas County, CO	9.6%	8.1–11.4
King County, WA	9.7%	8.7–10.9
Lincoln County, SD	9.7%	8.2–11.3
Delaware County, OH	9.8%	8.4–11.4
Hennepin County, MN	9.8%	8.5–11.2
Loudoun County, VA	9.9%	8.5–11.4
Carver County, MN	9.9%	8.4–11.5
Brookings County, SD	10.0%	8.5–11.5
Sarpy County, NE	10.0%	8.5–11.6
Orange County, NC	10.0%	8.5–11.7
Washington County, MN	10.0%	8.4–11.6

County	Age-adj.	95% interval
Falls Church city, VA	8.7%	7.5–10.1
Howard County, MD	8.9%	7.7–10.3
Arlington County, VA	9.0%	7.7–10.4
Los Alamos County, NM	9.0%	7.6–10.4
Johnson County, KS	9.1%	7.8–10.5
Hamilton County, IN	9.1%	7.8–10.7
Douglas County, CO	9.1%	7.7–10.9
Wake County, NC	9.2%	7.9–10.7
Carver County, MN	9.2%	7.9–10.8
Delaware County, OH	9.3%	7.9–10.8
Washington County, MN	9.3%	7.9–10.8
Lincoln County, SD	9.4%	7.9–10.9
Morris County, NJ	9.4%	8.0–10.8
Hennepin County, MN	9.4%	8.2–10.8
Teton County, WY	9.6%	8.0–11.2
King County, WA	9.6%	8.6–10.8
Loudoun County, VA	9.6%	8.3–11.0
Somerset County, NJ	9.6%	8.4–10.8
Bergen County, NJ	9.6%	8.4–11.2
Middlesex County, MA	9.6%	8.3–11.0

Twenty counties at each end by point estimate. Small counties have wide intervals; many of these intervals overlap one another, so the order within each list is not a meaningful ranking. CDC: "the data should not be used for ranking the overall health of any county, place, census tract, or ZCTA."

National estimate by release

Release	Crude	Age-adjusted	BRFSS year
2022 release	10.0% 9.8–10.2	9.4%	2020
2023 release	10.9% 10.7–11.1	10.3%	2021
2024 release	12.7% 12.4–12.9	12.0%	2022
2025 release	12.8% 12.6–13.0	12.1%	2023

CDC's US row from each release's county file, for reference. Survey questions and modelling details change between releases; see the release pages.

Questions and answers

How does PLACES define "frequent physical distress among adults"?

A multi-level regression and post-stratification approach was applied to BRFSS and ACS data to compute a detailed probability among adults who reported 14 or more days, during the past 30 days, that their physical health (including physical illness and injury) was not good. The probability was then applied to the detailed population estimates at the appropriate geographic level to generate the prevalence. The 95% confidence interval was derived using Monte Carlo simulation. Population: All Adults. Time period of case definition: Past 30 days.

What is the national estimate for frequent Physical Distress?

12.8% (95% confidence interval 12.6–13.0%) crude and 12.1% age-adjusted in the 2025 release.

Which counties have the highest and lowest estimates?

The highest county point estimate is 22.7% (Hancock County, TN) and the lowest 8.8% (Arlington County, VA). Because the intervals for neighbouring positions usually overlap, the lists are a reference for point estimates, not a ranking.

Is a higher figure better or worse?

This site does not grade measures. CDC groups them as health outcomes, prevention, health risk behaviors, disability, health status and health-related social needs; for prevention measures such as checkups and screening a higher share reports the service, for the others a higher share reports the condition or circumstance.

Where does this data come from?

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release (data updated 4 Dec 2025); the definition text is CDC's own from its measure definitions pages.

Provenance

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release (data updated 4 Dec 2025), with the 2022, 2023, 2024 releases for reference; US government work, public domain. Dataset on data.cdc.gov. Boundaries and ZIP-to-county relationships: US Census Bureau. Percentages are shown to one decimal as CDC publishes them; state figures are population-weighted means computed by this site. Definition text is CDC's own, from the PLACES measure definitions pages (public domain), with its burden narrative and references omitted. Processing errors are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections. Generated 30 Sep 2026.