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Measures › Health-related social needs › Transportation Barriers

Health-related social needs · BRFSS 2023

Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults

US estimate 7.7% (95% interval 7.5–7.9), age-adjusted 8.3% (8.0–8.5). Published in the 2024, 2025 releases.

  • Population: All Adults
  • Case definition period: Past 12 months
  • Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted)
8.1%median county, 2025middle half 6.8%–9.9%
2,299counties with a 2025 estimaterange 3.9%–27.6%

Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults: CDC's PLACES 2025 release estimates 7.7% nationally (95% confidence interval 7.5–7.9%), or 8.3% age-adjusted, from 2023 BRFSS responses.

Across the 2,299 counties with a 2025 estimate, the median county is 8.1% and the middle half of counties fall between 6.8% and 9.9%; the full range runs from 3.9% to 27.6%. Population-weighted state figures computed by this site (no interval) range from 5.6% (New Hampshire) to 11.9% (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 among adults who reported a lack of reliable transportation keeping them from medical appointments, meetings, work, or from getting things needed for daily living in the past 12 months. 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 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.

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

3.9%15.8%27.6%

Crude county point estimates in the 2025 release, 24 equal bins. Deciles: 10th 6.1%, 25th 6.8%, median 8.1%, 75th 9.9%, 90th 12.6%. 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
Mississippi11.9%7.9%21.7%82
Louisiana11.3%7.9%23.3%64
New Mexico11.0%4.4%23.7%33
Texas (2024 release)10.4%5.6%21.2%253*
Nevada9.9%5.9%12.6%17
Alabama9.8%6.1%20.8%67
Arkansas9.7%7.2%16.9%75
Oklahoma9.6%6.9%15.6%77
Georgia9.5%4.7%17.5%159
California9.3%5.4%15.3%58
Florida (2024 release)9.1%4.5%15.7%67*
Alaska9.0%6.6%27.6%30
Tennessee (2024 release)8.9%4.5%14.5%95*
West Virginia8.9%6.9%14.4%55
Kentucky (2024 release)8.8%6.2%16.7%120*
Arizona8.7%6.5%19.5%15
New York8.6%5.5%16.1%62
South Carolina8.6%6.2%15.8%46
Missouri8.4%5.7%14.3%115
North Carolina8.4%5.1%17.0%100
Connecticut8.3%6.0%10.4%9
Michigan8.3%4.8%11.9%83
District of Columbia8.0%8.0%8.0%1
Illinois8.0%5.0%12.6%102
Rhode Island7.9%5.1%9.4%5
Maryland7.8%5.3%12.7%24
Maine7.8%6.3%9.7%16
Delaware7.7%6.5%8.6%3
Indiana7.7%4.6%9.8%92
Ohio7.7%4.6%10.1%88
Massachusetts7.6%5.3%10.4%14
Hawaii7.5%7.0%10.5%5
Idaho7.5%5.8%11.8%44
Montana7.5%5.8%19.7%56
New Jersey7.4%4.6%11.8%21
Virginia7.4%3.9%14.8%133
Washington (2024 release)7.2%4.5%12.5%39*
Kansas7.1%4.7%11.7%105
Minnesota7.1%5.3%15.3%87
Utah6.9%4.6%13.7%29
Iowa6.8%5.1%9.2%99
Nebraska6.7%5.1%12.9%93
Wisconsin6.7%4.5%14.6%72
North Dakota6.5%5.1%24.2%53
Vermont (2024 release)6.4%4.5%7.6%14*
Wyoming (2024 release)6.4%4.9%8.8%23*
New Hampshire5.6%4.8%7.3%10
Colorado————
Oregon————
Pennsylvania————
South Dakota————
StateState figure, age-adjusted (site aggregate)Counties
Mississippi12.5%82
Louisiana11.8%64
New Mexico11.6%33
Texas (2024 release)10.5%253*
Nevada10.4%17
Alabama10.3%67
Arkansas10.2%75
Oklahoma10.0%77
Florida (2024 release)9.8%67*
Georgia9.8%159
West Virginia9.6%55
California9.5%58
Arizona9.2%15
Kentucky (2024 release)9.2%120*
Tennessee (2024 release)9.2%95*
Alaska9.1%30
South Carolina9.1%46
New York9.0%62
Connecticut8.8%9
Michigan8.8%83
Missouri8.8%115
North Carolina8.8%100
Maine8.5%16
Illinois8.4%102
Delaware8.3%3
Rhode Island8.3%5
Maryland8.2%24
Ohio8.2%88
Hawaii8.1%5
Indiana8.1%92
Montana8.0%56
Massachusetts7.9%14
District of Columbia7.8%1
Idaho7.8%44
New Jersey7.8%21
Virginia7.8%133
Washington (2024 release)7.5%39*
Kansas7.4%105
Minnesota7.4%87
Iowa7.2%99
Wisconsin7.2%72
Nebraska7.0%93
Wyoming (2024 release)6.9%23*
Utah6.8%29
Vermont (2024 release)6.8%14*
North Dakota6.7%53
New Hampshire6.1%10
Colorado——
Oregon——
Pennsylvania——
South Dakota——

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
Kusilvak Census Area, AK27.6%23.8–31.7
Sioux County, ND24.2%20.9–27.7
McKinley County, NM23.7%20.3–27.3
East Carroll Parish, LA23.3%19.7–26.7
Bethel Census Area, AK22.5%19.4–25.9
Holmes County, MS21.7%18.5–25.1
Tunica County, MS21.7%18.5–25.1
Humphreys County, MS21.5%18.2–24.8
Bullock County, AL20.8%17.9–24.0
Madison Parish, LA20.3%17.6–23.2
Claiborne County, MS20.3%16.7–23.9
Quitman County, MS20.2%17.2–23.3
Coahoma County, MS20.0%17.0–23.0
Greene County, AL19.8%17.1–22.8
Glacier County, MT19.7%16.8–22.6
Sharkey County, MS19.6%17.2–21.9
Apache County, AZ19.5%16.7–22.4
Jefferson County, MS19.4%16.4–22.7
Leflore County, MS19.4%16.3–22.6
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK19.3%16.4–22.4
CountyAge-adj.95% interval
Kusilvak Census Area, AK26.8%22.9–30.7
Sioux County, ND24.0%20.8–27.5
McKinley County, NM24.0%20.7–27.7
East Carroll Parish, LA23.5%19.9–27.0
Humphreys County, MS23.0%19.5–26.5
Holmes County, MS22.5%19.2–26.0
Greene County, AL22.1%18.9–25.5
Tunica County, MS22.1%18.8–25.5
Bethel Census Area, AK21.9%18.9–25.1
Bullock County, AL21.8%18.8–25.2
Sharkey County, MS21.6%18.9–24.0
Madison Parish, LA21.5%18.5–24.5
Quitman County, MS21.4%18.0–24.7
Coahoma County, MS20.9%17.7–24.2
Claiborne County, MS20.8%17.4–23.9
Jefferson County, MS20.8%17.2–24.4
Perry County, AL20.7%17.6–23.6
Apache County, AZ20.4%17.4–23.5
Leflore County, MS20.0%16.8–23.5
Glacier County, MT20.0%17.2–22.9

Lowest county estimates

CountyCrude95% interval
Falls Church city, VA3.9%3.2–4.8
Los Alamos County, NM4.4%3.6–5.2
Ozaukee County, WI4.5%3.7–5.5
Waukesha County, WI4.6%3.8–5.5
Summit County, UT4.6%3.8–5.7
Delaware County, OH4.6%3.8–5.6
Hunterdon County, NJ4.6%3.8–5.6
Hamilton County, IN4.6%3.8–5.6
Johnson County, KS4.7%3.9–5.6
Oconee County, GA4.7%3.8–5.7
Rockingham County, NH4.8%3.8–5.8
Leelanau County, MI4.8%3.9–5.7
Door County, WI4.9%4.1–5.9
Goochland County, VA4.9%4.0–5.9
Arlington County, VA4.9%4.0–6.0
Morgan County, UT4.9%4.0–5.9
Loudoun County, VA5.0%4.2–5.8
Carroll County, NH5.0%4.1–6.1
Monroe County, IL5.0%4.0–6.0
Forsyth County, GA5.0%4.1–5.9
CountyAge-adj.95% interval
Falls Church city, VA4.1%3.4–5.0
Arlington County, VA4.7%3.9–5.7
Los Alamos County, NM4.7%3.8–5.6
Delaware County, OH4.8%3.9–5.9
Hamilton County, IN4.8%3.9–5.8
Summit County, UT4.9%4.0–6.0
Johnson County, KS4.9%4.1–5.9
Ozaukee County, WI5.0%4.1–6.1
Morgan County, UT5.0%4.1–6.1
Waukesha County, WI5.1%4.2–6.1
Loudoun County, VA5.1%4.3–6.0
Oconee County, GA5.1%4.1–6.2
Hunterdon County, NJ5.2%4.2–6.4
Forsyth County, GA5.2%4.2–6.2
Rockingham County, NH5.3%4.2–6.4
Boone County, IN5.3%4.3–6.5
Dallas County, IA5.3%4.3–6.3
Wasatch County, UT5.4%4.4–6.6
Morris County, NJ5.4%4.5–6.5
Monroe County, IL5.4%4.4–6.6

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 release———
2023 release———
2024 release8.2% 7.9–8.48.7%2022
2025 release7.7% 7.5–7.98.3%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 "lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months 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 a lack of reliable transportation keeping them from medical appointments, meetings, work, or from getting things needed for daily living in the past 12 months. 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 12 months.

What is the national estimate for transportation Barriers?

7.7% (95% confidence interval 7.5–7.9%) crude and 8.3% age-adjusted in the 2025 release.

Which counties have the highest and lowest estimates?

The highest county point estimate is 27.6% (Kusilvak Census Area, AK) and the lowest 3.9% (Falls Church city, 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.