Loneliness among adults
Health-related social needs. Survey year (BRFSS) of the 2025 release: 2023. CDC published this measure in the 2025 releases.
The figures are model-based estimates for the adults of an area. They are not measurements. They say nothing about one person.
We do not produce estimates for individuals; only aggregated results for counties, places, census tracts, or ZCTAs.
First, it is not adequate to simply compare point estimates. The confidence intervals should also be considered, and some are very broad.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES Frequently Asked Questions (page dated 11 Dec 2025, read on 2 Oct 2026)
PLACES 2025 release. Survey years (BRFSS): 2022 and 2023. CDC updated the data on . What an estimate is. How to read an interval. The site gives no medical advice.
What CDC measures
A multi-level regression and post-stratification approach was applied to BRFSS and ACS data to compute a detailed probability among adults who report always/usually/sometimes feeling lonely. 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.
This measure used the survey question that is part of the Social Determinants and Health Equity optional module of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. This measure is only available for states that chose to administer the module.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES measure definitions: Health-related social needs (read on 2 Oct 2026)
BRFSS is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the telephone survey that the model uses. The glossary has the terms.
The US estimate
| Estimate | Estimate and interval on a scale of 0 to 40% | Estimate | 95% interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States, crude | 32.0% | 31.6 to 32.4 | |
| United States, age-adjusted | 33.2% | 32.8 to 33.6 |
CDC estimates that 32.0% of the adults of the United States report that they always, usually or sometimes feel lonely.
The 95% confidence interval is 31.6% to 32.4%.
PLACES 2025, BRFSS 2023.
County estimates in the United States
The drawing shows the crude estimates of 2,299 counties in 24 equal steps. It names no county. A county with no estimate in the PLACES 2025 release is not in the drawing.
- A tenth of the county estimates are below 28.9%.
- A quarter of the county estimates are below 30.6%.
- Half of the county estimates are below 32.6%. This is the median.
- A quarter of the county estimates are above 34.9%.
- A tenth of the county estimates are above 37.1%.
By state
Crude prevalence is the estimated share of all adults. Age-adjusted prevalence uses the 2000 US standard population, so that areas with different ages can be compared. CDC: Age-adjusted estimates are only available at the county and place-level.
| State | State figure, crude (site aggregate) | State figure, age-adjusted (site aggregate) | County estimates, from and to | Counties | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 35.4% | 36.3% | 30.4% to 40.4% | 67 | 2025 |
| Alaska | 33.3% | 33.5% | 29.1% to 40.4% | 30 | 2025 |
| Arizona | 32.0% | 32.7% | 28.1% to 34.7% | 15 | 2025 |
| Arkansas | 34.2% | 35.1% | 31.1% to 39.3% | 75 | 2025 |
| California | 37.3% | 37.8% | 29.3% to 40.6% | 58 | 2025 |
| Colorado | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Connecticut | 33.2% | 34.0% | 28.2% to 35.5% | 9 | 2025 |
| Delaware | 31.7% | 33.1% | 29.0% to 35.0% | 3 | 2025 |
| District of Columbia | 37.0% | 36.2% | 37.0% to 37.0% | 1 | 2025 |
| Florida | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Georgia | 37.3% | 37.9% | 32.0% to 43.4% | 159 | 2025 |
| Hawaii | 32.0% | 33.3% | 28.4% to 32.4% | 5 | 2025 |
| Idaho | 29.2% | 29.7% | 25.8% to 36.5% | 44 | 2025 |
| Illinois | 33.5% | 34.3% | 30.5% to 36.1% | 102 | 2025 |
| Indiana | 32.8% | 33.4% | 28.1% to 37.5% | 92 | 2025 |
| Iowa | 32.3% | 33.1% | 28.5% to 35.2% | 99 | 2025 |
| Kansas | 30.9% | 31.4% | 27.6% to 35.7% | 105 | 2025 |
| Kentucky | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Louisiana | 36.6% | 37.4% | 32.0% to 41.9% | 64 | 2025 |
| Maine | 32.0% | 33.7% | 29.4% to 35.3% | 16 | 2025 |
| Maryland | 34.3% | 35.2% | 30.3% to 40.4% | 24 | 2025 |
| Massachusetts | 34.2% | 35.0% | 30.1% to 38.4% | 14 | 2025 |
| Michigan | 32.4% | 33.4% | 27.7% to 37.5% | 83 | 2025 |
| Minnesota | 31.2% | 32.1% | 26.5% to 37.2% | 87 | 2025 |
| Mississippi | 36.4% | 37.2% | 31.8% to 43.3% | 82 | 2025 |
| Missouri | 31.7% | 32.5% | 28.1% to 35.6% | 115 | 2025 |
| Montana | 30.7% | 31.7% | 26.8% to 37.4% | 56 | 2025 |
| Nebraska | 29.3% | 29.8% | 26.3% to 33.8% | 93 | 2025 |
| Nevada | 36.7% | 37.7% | 30.2% to 37.4% | 17 | 2025 |
| New Hampshire | 30.6% | 32.0% | 27.7% to 34.5% | 10 | 2025 |
| New Jersey | 32.4% | 33.5% | 27.5% to 36.9% | 21 | 2025 |
| New Mexico | 34.1% | 35.0% | 29.7% to 37.9% | 33 | 2025 |
| New York | 34.2% | 35.1% | 29.5% to 40.6% | 62 | 2025 |
| North Carolina | 32.5% | 33.2% | 27.8% to 36.9% | 100 | 2025 |
| North Dakota | 29.6% | 29.7% | 26.5% to 35.0% | 53 | 2025 |
| Ohio | 35.0% | 36.0% | 29.7% to 38.7% | 88 | 2025 |
| Oklahoma | 33.1% | 33.6% | 30.3% to 36.2% | 77 | 2025 |
| Oregon | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Pennsylvania | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Rhode Island | 35.0% | 35.9% | 28.9% to 37.6% | 5 | 2025 |
| South Carolina | 31.7% | 32.7% | 26.4% to 37.5% | 46 | 2025 |
| South Dakota | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Tennessee | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Texas | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Utah | 34.1% | 33.4% | 26.6% to 35.8% | 29 | 2025 |
| Vermont | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Virginia | 33.8% | 34.6% | 29.5% to 39.7% | 133 | 2025 |
| Washington | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
| West Virginia | 33.8% | 35.2% | 30.6% to 37.1% | 55 | 2025 |
| Wisconsin | 30.6% | 31.6% | 26.2% to 34.9% | 72 | 2025 |
| Wyoming | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | not published |
A state figure is a mean of the county estimates, weighted by the number of adults, computed by this site (site aggregate). PLACES has no state row, so the figure has no interval. The table is in name order and has no sort by figure.
Because these are modeled and not direct estimates, the data should not be used for ranking the overall health of any county, place, census tract, or ZCTA.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES Frequently Asked Questions (page dated 11 Dec 2025, read on 2 Oct 2026)
The release column shows the release of the figure when CDC did not publish the measure for the state in the PLACES 2025 release.
US estimates in earlier PLACES releases
The current modeling procedure does not support using the estimates to track changes at the local level over time.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES Frequently Asked Questions (page dated 11 Dec 2025, read on 2 Oct 2026)
| Release | Survey year (BRFSS) | Crude | 95% interval | Age-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 release | not in the release | n/a | n/a | |
| 2023 release | not in the release | n/a | n/a | |
| 2024 release | not in the release | n/a | n/a | |
| 2025 release | 2023 | 32.0% | 31.6 to 32.4 | 33.2% |
Where the figures come from
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. CDC updated the data on . The page shows the 2022, 2023, 2024 releases as a record. The data are a US government work in the public domain. Data set on data.cdc.gov. The boundaries and the links between ZIP Codes, counties and places come from the US Census Bureau. Percentages have one decimal, as CDC publishes them. A state figure is a site aggregate: the site computes it. The definition is the text of CDC from its PLACES measure definitions pages, in the public domain. The site corrects an error of its own processing at the next build. See corrections.
Questions about loneliness
- What is the age-adjusted US estimate for loneliness?
The age-adjusted US estimate is 33.2%.
The 95% confidence interval is 32.8% to 33.6%.
PLACES 2025, BRFSS 2023.
The age-adjusted figure uses the 2000 US standard population.
- How far apart are the county estimates for loneliness?
2,299 counties have an estimate in the PLACES 2025 release.
The median county estimate is 32.6%.
Half of the county estimates are between 30.6% and 34.9%.
Each county estimate has its own confidence interval.
- What does a higher share of loneliness mean?
The site does not grade a measure.
A higher share means that more of the adults report the condition or the circumstance.
CDC puts this measure in the category "Health-related social needs".
- In which releases did CDC publish loneliness?
CDC published this measure in the PLACES 2025 releases.
The BRFSS year of the 2025 release is 2023.
Each release uses a different BRFSS year. The site shows each release as a separate record.