West Virginia has the highest rate of diabetes in the US, report says

WEST VIRGINIA (WTRF) — Amid a push from Gov. Patrick Morrisey to improve the health of West Virginians, a new report says that nearly one in every six adults in the Mountain State has diabetes.

According to a new report from ValuePenguin by LendingTree, West Virginia has the highest rate of diabetes in the United States, with 15% of adults aged 18 and older diagnosed with the condition. This is nearly double the national average of 8.8% as of 2024.

The state also recorded the second-highest increase in diabetes diagnoses between 2020 and 2023. West Virginia and Wyoming each saw a 1.9 percentage point rise, more than three times the national average increase of 0.6 percentage points.

Nationally, 8.8% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, up from 8.2% in 2020 and 6.0% in 2000.

The report highlights differences in how diabetes affects various groups. Hispanic Americans (12.6%) and Black Americans (11.7%) have the highest rates among racial groups. Older adults are also more affected. Among people aged 75 and older, 21.6% have diabetes, while 19.9% of those aged 65 to 74 have been diagnosed.

Southern states continue to report the highest rates. Following West Virginia are Mississippi (14.7%) and Louisiana (14.5%). States with the lowest rates include Vermont (7.7%), New Hampshire (7.9%), and Montana (7.9%).

Spending on diabetes care has also increased sharply. In 2000, total direct costs were $18.3 billion. By 2022, that figure had grown to nearly $159 billion, an increase of 769%.

Per person, annual costs rose from $1,543 to $6,003 over the same period. The use of insulin alone declined from 25.6% to 20.1% of patients, while combined insulin and pill use increased from 11.2% to 16.9%.

The full ValuePenguin report is available at www.valuepenguin.com/diabetes-rates-study.