The East and Southeast have the highest rates of Alzheimer's disease in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer's Association.
The Alzheimer's Association released the "first-ever county-level estimates of the prevalence of people with Alzheimer's dementia" on July 17.
Data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project and population estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer's in adults 65 years and older in all U.S. counties.
The 10 counties — with a population of at least 10,000 — with the highest prevalence rates:
- Miami-Dade County, Fla. — 16.6 percent
- Baltimore City, Md. — 16.6 percent
- Bronx County, N.Y. — 16.6 percent
- Prince George's County, Md. — 16.1 percent
- Hinds County, Miss. — 15.5 percent
- Orleans Parish, La. — 15.4 percent
- Dougherty County, Ga. — 15.3 percent
- Orangeburg County, S.C. — 15.2 percent
- Imperial County, Calif. — 15 percent
- El Paso County, Texas — 15 percent
Older average age and a high percentage of Black and Hispanic residents can be attributed to higher Alzheimer's prevalence rates, according to the report.