CDC PLACES County-Level Data

Mental Health by State

The national average county-level frequent mental distress prevalence is 17.0% of adults. Mental health challenges are intensifying across the country, and rural communities bear a disproportionate burden due to provider shortages, stigma, and geographic isolation. States with the highest mental distress rates often have the fewest behavioral health providers available.

17.0%

National Average

States Above 16%

Highest (21.5%)

Lowest (13.7%)

Frequent Mental Distress Map

Average county-level frequent mental distress prevalence by state. Darker colors indicate higher rates. Click a state to explore its full health profile.

15%

30%+

Avg county-level adult depression prevalence (CDC PLACES)

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All 50 States Ranked by Frequent Mental Distress

Sorted by highest average county-level frequent mental distress rate. Click any column header to re-sort. Click a state name to see its full profile.

#	State	Avg Mental Distress % ▼	Avg Depression %	HPSA Designations	PCPs/100K
1	West VirginiaWV	21.5%	30.8%	366	81.6
2	LouisianaLA	20.3%	27.1%	577	72.0
3	TennesseeTN	20.2%	29.7%	1,012	68.2
4	ArkansasAR	19.2%	25.0%	377	69.3
5	OhioOH	18.5%	26.3%	2,058	76.7
6	GeorgiaGA	18.3%	20.7%	434	67.5
7	MissouriMO	18.3%	25.3%	909	72.1
8	NevadaNV	18.3%	21.8%	187	58.4
9	OklahomaOK	18.3%	25.4%	500	59.2
10	AlabamaAL	18.2%	23.9%	266	65.4
11	IndianaIN	18.2%	26.0%	490	66.1
12	MaineME	18.0%	27.2%	449	105.3
13	MississippiMS	17.9%	19.5%	458	56.2
14	MichiganMI	17.8%	26.9%	1,041	80.5
15	OregonOR	17.8%	26.7%	496	94.7
16	CaliforniaCA	17.5%	22.4%	3,152	84.2
17	TexasTX	17.5%	22.5%	1,261	60.9
18	VirginiaVA	17.4%	23.4%	598	75.9
19	IllinoisIL	17.3%	22.4%	1,324	82.6
20	MontanaMT	17.3%	24.0%	342	82.8
21	South CarolinaSC	17.3%	22.2%	447	67.3
22	FloridaFL	17.2%	18.6%	787	73.0
23	North CarolinaNC	17.2%	24.8%	1,142	70.3
24	UtahUT	17.2%	26.4%	193	56.1
25	WashingtonWA	17.1%	25.3%	896	85.1
26	AlaskaAK	16.9%	20.0%	990	93.9
27	MassachusettsMA	16.7%	24.6%	343	102.2
28	New YorkNY	16.5%	20.3%	4,556	83.4
29	ArizonaAZ	16.4%	20.1%	1,150	63.9
30	IowaIA	16.3%	20.5%	890	74.3
31	KansasKS	16.3%	20.8%	422	79.1
32	New MexicoNM	16.3%	22.6%	267	73.1
33	ColoradoCO	16.1%	22.6%	469	83.1
34	IdahoID	16.1%	22.4%	277	62.8
35	MarylandMD	16.1%	21.3%	158	85.6
36	VermontVT	16.1%	26.6%	39	114.3
37	ConnecticutCT	15.9%	21.0%	286	83.7
38	DelawareDE	15.9%	21.6%	258	78.2
39	South DakotaSD	15.9%	20.9%	316	80.5
40	WisconsinWI	15.8%	23.4%	1,406	81.3
41	WyomingWY	15.7%	21.4%	128	71.2
42	New HampshireNH	15.6%	23.5%	158	84.8
43	Rhode IslandRI	15.6%	23.5%	184	93.2
44	HawaiiHI	15.5%	17.6%	153	88.1
45	MinnesotaMN	15.5%	24.1%	947	89.9
46	New JerseyNJ	15.4%	16.2%	189	79.2
47	North DakotaND	14.1%	20.3%	297	79.3
48	NebraskaNE	13.7%	17.2%	391	75.1
49	KentuckyKY	—	—	874	63.2
50	PennsylvaniaPA	—	—	624	80.7

Source: CDC PLACES (county-level model-based estimates), HRSA HPSA designations, AHRF (workforce).

Why Mental Health Data Matters for Rural Health

Mental health conditions affect nearly one in five American adults in any given year. In rural communities, the crisis is compounded by severe provider shortages — over 60% of rural Americans live in federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas. Many rural counties have zero psychiatrists, zero psychologists, and limited access to counseling services.

Frequent mental distress — defined as reporting 14 or more days of poor mental health in the past 30 days — is a key indicator of unmet behavioral health need. States with high frequent mental distress rates and limited mental health workforce face a crisis that manifests in emergency departments, jails, and community breakdowns.

The RHT Compass platform integrates CDC PLACES mental health data with HRSA shortage designations, depression prevalence, and workforce metrics — helping decision-makers identify where behavioral health need is greatest and where telehealth, crisis intervention, and workforce recruitment could have the most impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “frequent mental distress” mean?

Frequent mental distress is defined by the CDC as reporting 14 or more days of poor mental health in the past 30 days. This measure comes from the CDC PLACES dataset and captures severe, ongoing mental health challenges that interfere with daily functioning. RHT Compass averages county-level rates to produce each state's score.

How is this different from the depression page?

The depression page tracks diagnosed depression prevalence (avgDEPRESSION from CDC PLACES). This page tracks frequent mental distress (avgMHLTH), which is a broader measure capturing all forms of poor mental health — including anxiety, trauma, substance use-related distress, and undiagnosed conditions.

Why are mental health shortages worse in rural areas?

Rural areas face a perfect storm for mental health: fewer providers (many rural counties have zero psychiatrists), greater geographic barriers to care, higher stigma around seeking treatment, higher rates of poverty and isolation, and limited insurance coverage for behavioral health services. These factors combine to create large unmet need.

Can I see county-level mental health data for my state?

Yes. Every state profile page includes county-level CDC PLACES data, including frequent mental distress, depression, and other health indicators. Click any state in the table above to see its full breakdown.

Explore Mental Health & Access in Your State

Every state page includes county-level chronic disease data, hospital financials, and workforce metrics. Start with your state, or request a demo of the full analytics platform.

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Frequent mental distress and depression prevalence from CDC PLACES (model-based county-level estimates). Shortage designations from HRSA. Workforce data from AHRF. Last updated: 2026-02-15.