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Measures › Health risk behaviors › Physical Inactivity

Health risk behaviors · BRFSS 2023

No leisure-time physical activity among adults

US estimate 24.5% (95% interval 24.2–24.8), age-adjusted 23.7% (23.4–24.0). Published in the 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 releases.

  • Population: All Adults
  • Case definition period: Past month
  • Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted)
28.1%median county, 2025middle half 24.8%–32.1%
2,956counties with a 2025 estimaterange 12.1%–49.5%

No leisure-time physical activity among adults: CDC's PLACES 2025 release estimates 24.5% nationally (95% confidence interval 24.2–24.8%), or 23.7% age-adjusted, from 2023 BRFSS responses.

Across the 2,956 counties with a 2025 estimate, the median county is 28.1% and the middle half of counties fall between 24.8% and 32.1%; the full range runs from 12.1% to 49.5%. Population-weighted state figures computed by this site (no interval) range from 14.9% (District of Columbia) to 34.0% (Mississippi).

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 of having no leisure-time physical activity (reporting ‘No’ to the question: “During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”). 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: This measure captures information only about non-occupational physical activity. Other Objectives or Recommendations Healthy People 2030 objective: PA-01. Reduce the proportion of adults who do no physical activity in their free time.

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

12.1%30.8%49.5%

Crude county point estimates in the 2025 release, 24 equal bins. Deciles: 10th 21.6%, 25th 24.8%, median 28.1%, 75th 32.1%, 90th 35.7%. 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."

StateState figure, crude (site aggregate)Lowest countyHighest countyCounties
Mississippi34.0%26.3%47.9%82
West Virginia32.8%22.9%45.0%55
Arkansas32.1%25.7%46.2%75
Oklahoma31.1%26.6%40.8%77
Louisiana30.3%24.4%44.3%64
Missouri28.8%22.8%42.4%115
Alabama28.7%20.7%44.7%67
Texas27.8%19.9%49.5%253
Delaware27.2%25.5%31.6%3
Kentucky (2024 release)26.9%18.5%40.2%120*
Ohio26.9%17.7%39.1%88
Tennessee26.6%18.1%39.6%95
Wisconsin26.6%20.5%36.8%72
Georgia26.5%18.3%42.6%159
Florida26.3%18.5%38.6%67
Nevada26.2%21.4%34.4%17
New York25.9%17.9%38.1%62
South Carolina25.8%19.9%38.8%46
Kansas25.6%18.8%37.5%105
New Mexico25.6%13.5%35.7%33
Wyoming25.6%17.5%30.5%23
Rhode Island25.4%17.8%28.7%5
Connecticut25.1%21.0%27.6%9
Indiana24.9%16.1%33.2%92
Michigan24.9%16.1%34.1%83
Iowa24.8%18.1%32.5%99
New Jersey24.8%19.2%32.8%21
California24.6%18.2%35.2%58
Nebraska24.3%20.2%34.1%93
South Dakota24.1%17.6%40.8%66
North Carolina23.8%18.0%35.6%100
Pennsylvania (2024 release)23.8%18.2%30.7%67*
Virginia23.8%14.8%36.4%133
Maryland23.6%16.4%32.0%24
Maine23.1%17.1%32.5%16
Hawaii23.0%20.5%29.8%5
Illinois23.0%18.6%33.3%102
Minnesota22.3%18.9%34.5%87
Idaho22.2%18.0%30.7%44
Arizona21.9%16.0%32.1%15
North Dakota21.8%17.6%39.1%53
Alaska21.7%17.5%37.0%30
Massachusetts21.7%17.1%29.8%14
New Hampshire20.7%18.8%28.1%10
Montana20.6%13.9%32.2%56
Oregon20.1%16.2%28.3%36
Vermont18.9%14.1%27.0%14
Washington17.9%13.9%29.8%39
Colorado17.7%12.1%29.9%64
Utah17.6%14.2%26.0%29
District of Columbia14.9%14.9%14.9%1
StateState figure, age-adjusted (site aggregate)Counties
Mississippi33.1%82
Arkansas31.1%75
West Virginia31.1%55
Oklahoma30.6%77
Louisiana29.5%64
Alabama27.8%67
Missouri27.8%115
Texas27.8%253
Georgia26.1%159
Delaware26.0%3
Kentucky (2024 release)26.0%120*
Ohio25.8%88
Tennessee25.7%95
Wisconsin25.6%72
Nevada25.4%17
Kansas25.0%105
New York25.0%62
Florida24.9%67
New Mexico24.8%33
South Carolina24.8%46
Wyoming24.7%23
Rhode Island24.6%5
California24.2%58
Indiana24.2%92
Connecticut24.1%9
Iowa23.9%99
Michigan23.9%83
New Jersey23.9%21
Nebraska23.7%93
South Dakota23.3%66
North Carolina23.1%100
Virginia23.1%133
Pennsylvania (2024 release)22.9%67*
Maryland22.8%24
Illinois22.3%102
Idaho21.7%44
Alaska21.6%30
Hawaii21.6%5
Maine21.5%16
Minnesota21.5%87
North Dakota21.5%53
Arizona21.2%15
Massachusetts21.1%14
Montana19.6%56
New Hampshire19.6%10
Oregon19.3%36
Utah18.0%29
Vermont17.8%14
Colorado17.4%64
Washington17.4%39
District of Columbia15.3%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

CountyCrude95% interval
Dimmit County, TX49.5%42.6–55.7
Zavala County, TX48.4%43.5–53.3
Humphreys County, MS47.9%41.3–54.2
Jim Hogg County, TX47.7%42.6–52.4
Zapata County, TX47.1%40.4–54.0
Starr County, TX47.0%40.1–54.1
Sharkey County, MS46.6%42.0–51.0
Desha County, AR46.2%40.4–52.5
Quitman County, MS45.1%38.2–51.6
Tunica County, MS45.1%39.2–52.0
Holmes County, MS45.0%38.7–51.6
Jefferson County, MS45.0%38.0–51.9
McDowell County, WV45.0%39.0–51.0
Greene County, AL44.7%38.4–50.8
East Carroll Parish, LA44.3%37.9–50.7
Bullock County, AL44.2%38.6–50.3
Phillips County, AR44.1%38.0–50.2
Willacy County, TX44.1%37.3–50.6
Mingo County, WV44.0%37.9–50.9
Madison Parish, LA43.8%37.8–50.2
CountyAge-adj.95% interval
Dimmit County, TX48.9%41.9–55.5
Zavala County, TX48.2%43.3–53.2
Starr County, TX47.6%40.7–54.5
Zapata County, TX47.1%40.3–54.1
Jim Hogg County, TX46.6%41.3–51.5
Humphreys County, MS46.2%39.9–52.9
Tunica County, MS44.8%38.7–51.7
Willacy County, TX44.5%37.8–51.0
Holmes County, MS44.4%38.0–51.1
Desha County, AR44.3%38.6–50.5
Sharkey County, MS44.3%39.8–49.1
East Carroll Parish, LA44.1%37.5–50.5
Quitman County, MS43.8%37.2–50.5
Jefferson County, MS43.3%36.1–50.3
Bullock County, AL42.7%36.9–48.7
McDowell County, WV42.6%36.6–48.7
Madison Parish, LA42.5%36.4–48.8
Yazoo County, MS42.3%36.3–48.3
Todd County, SD42.3%36.2–48.6
Maverick County, TX42.2%35.6–48.8

Lowest county estimates

CountyCrude95% interval
Boulder County, CO12.1%9.7–14.8
Jefferson County, CO13.3%10.9–16.0
Los Alamos County, NM13.5%10.6–16.7
Broomfield County, CO13.5%10.7–16.8
Pitkin County, CO13.7%10.5–17.2
Douglas County, CO13.7%10.9–17.0
King County, WA13.9%12.1–15.8
Gallatin County, MT13.9%11.3–17.1
Larimer County, CO13.9%11.4–16.7
Chittenden County, VT14.1%11.5–16.8
Utah County, UT14.2%11.9–17.0
Gunnison County, CO14.2%10.9–17.9
Summit County, UT14.3%11.4–17.7
Arlington County, VA14.8%12.0–17.8
District of Columbia, DC14.9%11.5–18.6
San Miguel County, CO14.9%11.6–18.6
Hinsdale County, CO15.0%11.5–19.1
Morgan County, UT15.1%12.0–19.1
Clear Creek County, CO15.2%11.6–19.0
Summit County, CO15.3%12.0–19.2
CountyAge-adj.95% interval
Boulder County, CO12.2%9.8–14.8
Pitkin County, CO12.6%9.7–15.8
Los Alamos County, NM12.7%9.9–15.9
Jefferson County, CO12.8%10.4–15.3
Hinsdale County, CO12.9%9.9–16.4
Broomfield County, CO13.1%10.4–16.4
Douglas County, CO13.3%10.6–16.5
Ouray County, CO13.5%10.4–16.9
San Juan County, WA13.6%10.7–16.9
Summit County, UT13.7%10.9–16.9
King County, WA13.8%12.0–15.7
Larimer County, CO13.9%11.4–16.7
Clear Creek County, CO13.9%10.6–17.5
Chittenden County, VT14.1%11.5–16.9
San Miguel County, CO14.2%11.0–17.8
Gallatin County, MT14.5%11.8–17.7
Routt County, CO14.5%11.6–18.2
Park County, CO14.6%11.4–18.4
Jefferson County, WA14.7%11.8–18.2
Island County, WA14.7%12.0–17.8

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

ReleaseCrudeAge-adjustedBRFSS year
2022 release23.5% 23.2–23.822.9%2020
2023 release23.7% 23.4–23.923.0%2021
2024 release23.7% 23.4–24.023.0%2022
2025 release24.5% 24.2–24.823.7%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 "no leisure-time physical activity among adults"?

A multi-level regression and post-stratification approach was applied to BRFSS and ACS data to compute a detailed probability of having no leisure-time physical activity (reporting ‘No’ to the question: “During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”). 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 month.

What is the national estimate for physical Inactivity?

24.5% (95% confidence interval 24.2–24.8%) crude and 23.7% age-adjusted in the 2025 release.

Which counties have the highest and lowest estimates?

The highest county point estimate is 49.5% (Dimmit County, TX) and the lowest 12.1% (Boulder County, CO). 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.