West Virginia has the highest percentage of adults under 65 years who are at high risk of developing a serious COVID-19 illness, according to new data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The data is based on an analysis of a 2018 CDC survey collecting state-level data about U.S. residents regarding their health.
Kaiser defined adults between the ages of 18 and 64 as "high risk" if they had with heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, uncontrolled asthma, diabetes or a body mass index greater than 40.
There are approximately 41.4 million adults younger than 65 years in the U.S. with a health condition that puts them at higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19.
Here are the U.S. states and the District of Columbia, ranked by percentage of adults younger than 65 years at higher risk of developing a serious COVID-19 illness:
Note: The list includes ties and results in a numerical listing of 40.
1. West Virginia: 32.3 percent
2. Kentucky: 28.3
3. Arkansas: 27.7
4. Louisiana: 27.3
5. Mississippi: 27.2
6. Alabama: 27.1
7. Tennessee: 26
8. Oklahoma: 25.3
9. Michigan: 24.7
10. Indiana: 24.4
11. Missouri: 24
South Carolina: 24
12. New Hampshire: 23.3
13. Maine: 23.1
14. Ohio: 22.9
15. Delaware: 22.7
North Carolina: 22.7
16. Oregon: 22.5
17. Florida: 22
18. Georgia: 21.8
Pennsylvania: 21.8
19. Kansas: 21.7
20. Maryland: 21.5
21. Rhode Island: 21.4
Texas: 21.4
22. New Mexico: 21.1
23. Arizona: 20.8
24. New York: 20.4
25. Illinois: 20.2
26. Nebraska: 20
27. Alaska: 19.8
28. Nevada: 19.6
Vermont: 19.6
29. District of Columbia: 19.5
30. Hawaii: 19.4
Montana: 19.4
Virginia: 19.4
31. Washington: 19
Wisconsin: 19
32. Iowa: 18.9
33. Idaho: 18.7
North Dakota: 18.7
34. Wyoming: 18.5
35. Connecticut: 18.4
36. California: 18
37. New Jersey: 17.6
38. Massachusetts: 17.4
South Dakota: 17.4
39. Minnesota: 17
Utah: 17
40. Colorado: 15.7
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