Current asthma rates are not the same across demographic groups. This page describes current asthma rates, defined as those who have ever been diagnosed with asthma by a healthcare professional and report still having asthma, by the following demographics: sex and age, race/ethnicity, Hispanic subgroups, family income, health insurance coverage, and state.

 

 

Current Asthma Rates by Sex and Age

  • Among children, current asthma is more common for males (8.3%) than females (6.7%). However, among adults, females (9.8%) are more likely than males (5.5%) to still have asthma.
 

Current Asthma Rates by Race/Ethnicity

  • Blacks and American Indian/Alaska Natives have the highest current asthma rates compared to other races and ethnicities. In 2018, Blacks (10.9%) were 42 percent more likely than Whites (7.7%) to still have asthma.
  • Hispanics (6.4%) and Asians (4.0%) had lower current asthma prevalence rates than other racial and ethnic groups.
 

Current Asthma Rates by Hispanic Subgroups

  • While asthma rates are relatively low for Hispanics overall, rates vary significantly among subgroups. Puerto Ricans in the continental United States have the highest current asthma rate of any racial or ethnic group, at 14.0 percent over 2016 to 2018.
 

Current Asthma Rates by Family Income

  • In 2018, current asthma rates were significantly higher (11.0%) among those with a family income below the poverty threshold as compared to above the poverty threshold.
 

Current Asthma Rates by Health Insurance Coverage

  • In 2018, current asthma rates among adults ages 18 to 65 were highest for those on Medicaid and lowest for those with no medical insurance.
 

Current Adult Asthma by State

  • In 2018, current asthma rates among adults ranged from 7.4 percent in Texas to 12.3 percent in Maine and West Virginia.  
     

    Current Asthma by State, 2018

      Child Adult
    State Count Percent Year Count Percent
    Alabama 141,500 13.2% 2014 394,600 10.5%
    Alaska --- ---   50,700 9.2%
    Arizona 129,200 8.1% 2016 545,100 10.0%
    Arkansas --- ---   225,900 9.8%
    California 542,700 6.2%   2,607,600 8.5%
    Colorado --- ---   399,400 9.1%
    Connecticut 62,400 9.7%   290,300 10.3%
    Delaware --- ---   77,000 10.1%
    District of Columbia 12,700 10.9%   66,400 11.6%
    Florida 302,100 7.5%   1,495,600 8.7%
    Georgia 177,900 7.6%   714,600 8.9%
    Hawaii 30,000 10.2%   104,400 9.3%
    Idaho --- ---   112,000 8.6%
    Illinois 163,900 6.0%   860,000 8.7%
    Indiana 115,600 8.7%   509,700 10.0%
    Iowa 41,600 5.8% 2011 191,000 7.9%
    Kansas 51,700 7.6%   214,700 9.8%
    Kentucky 57,000 5.9%   395,300 11.5%
    Louisiana 94,100 8.8% 2015 316,400 8.9%
    Maine 17,200 7.4%   132,100 12.3%
    Maryland 92,000 7.6%   439,900 9.3%
    Massachusetts 79,600 6.4%   558,400 10.2%
    Michigan 177,000 8.6%   872,500 11.2%
    Minnesota 66,700 5.3%   357,200 8.3%
    Mississippi 43,200 6.5%   218,200 9.7%
    Missouri 108,200 8.4%   444,300 9.4%
    Montana 11,700 5.3%   82,700 10.0%
    Nebraska 23,600 5.0%   128,800 8.9%
    Nevada 45,900 7.0%   186,800 8.0%
    New Hampshire 19,500 8.5%   128,300 11.8%
    New Jersey 133,100 7.2%   593,200 8.4%
    New Mexico 35,200 7.5%   157,200 9.9%
    New York 207,900 6.2%   1,578,000 10.1%
    North Carolina 250,600 11.5% 2014 757,800 9.4%
    North Dakota 10,000 6.5% 2012 47,000 8.2%
    Ohio 189,400 7.8%   854,200 9.4%
    Oklahoma 88,700 9.8% 2016 307,600 10.3%
    Oregon 58,700 7.3%   383,300 11.6%
    Pennsylvania 242,200 9.7%   1,012,600 10.0%
    Rhode Island 14,700 7.9%   101,300 11.9%
    South Carolina --- ---   360,400 9.1%
    South Dakota --- ---   51,700 7.9%
    Tennessee 139,200 9.7% 2014 513,100 9.8%
    Texas 541,800 7.9% 2015 1,572,800 7.4%
    Utah 49,700 5.5%   206,400 9.3%
    Vermont 8,800 8.8%   60,200 12.0%
    Virginia --- ---   563,500 8.5%
    Washington 115,900 7.3% 2016 559,000 9.6%
    West Virginia 34,600 9.4% 2014 175,400 12.3%
    Wisconsin 103,000 8.4%   408,300 9.0%
    Wyoming 11,700 8.6% 2012 38,100 8.7%
    United States* --- 7.2%   23,420,800 9.2%
    State Count Percent Year Count Percent

    Source:
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2011-2018. Analysis by the American Lung Association Epidemiology and Statistics Unit.

    • * National child asthma prevalence is based on data from 31 states and Washington, D.C.
    • Child asthma data is from 2018 unless an earlier year is noted, in which case that is the most recent year of data available. If a state has not collected child asthma data since 2011, no rate is listed.
 

Current Child Asthma by State

  • Asthma prevalence data for children is not available for every state and year. Among the thirty-one states and Washington D.C. with 2018 data, current asthma rates among children ranged from 5.0 percent in Nebraska to 10.9 percent in Washington, D.C.
     

    Current Asthma by State, 2018

      Child Adult
    State Count Percent Year Count Percent
    Alabama 141,500 13.2% 2014 394,600 10.5%
    Alaska --- ---   50,700 9.2%
    Arizona 129,200 8.1% 2016 545,100 10.0%
    Arkansas --- ---   225,900 9.8%
    California 542,700 6.2%   2,607,600 8.5%
    Colorado --- ---   399,400 9.1%
    Connecticut 62,400 9.7%   290,300 10.3%
    Delaware --- ---   77,000 10.1%
    District of Columbia 12,700 10.9%   66,400 11.6%
    Florida 302,100 7.5%   1,495,600 8.7%
    Georgia 177,900 7.6%   714,600 8.9%
    Hawaii 30,000 10.2%   104,400 9.3%
    Idaho --- ---   112,000 8.6%
    Illinois 163,900 6.0%   860,000 8.7%
    Indiana 115,600 8.7%   509,700 10.0%
    Iowa 41,600 5.8% 2011 191,000 7.9%
    Kansas 51,700 7.6%   214,700 9.8%
    Kentucky 57,000 5.9%   395,300 11.5%
    Louisiana 94,100 8.8% 2015 316,400 8.9%
    Maine 17,200 7.4%   132,100 12.3%
    Maryland 92,000 7.6%   439,900 9.3%
    Massachusetts 79,600 6.4%   558,400 10.2%
    Michigan 177,000 8.6%   872,500 11.2%
    Minnesota 66,700 5.3%   357,200 8.3%
    Mississippi 43,200 6.5%   218,200 9.7%
    Missouri 108,200 8.4%   444,300 9.4%
    Montana 11,700 5.3%   82,700 10.0%
    Nebraska 23,600 5.0%   128,800 8.9%
    Nevada 45,900 7.0%   186,800 8.0%
    New Hampshire 19,500 8.5%   128,300 11.8%
    New Jersey 133,100 7.2%   593,200 8.4%
    New Mexico 35,200 7.5%   157,200 9.9%
    New York 207,900 6.2%   1,578,000 10.1%
    North Carolina 250,600 11.5% 2014 757,800 9.4%
    North Dakota 10,000 6.5% 2012 47,000 8.2%
    Ohio 189,400 7.8%   854,200 9.4%
    Oklahoma 88,700 9.8% 2016 307,600 10.3%
    Oregon 58,700 7.3%   383,300 11.6%
    Pennsylvania 242,200 9.7%   1,012,600 10.0%
    Rhode Island 14,700 7.9%   101,300 11.9%
    South Carolina --- ---   360,400 9.1%
    South Dakota --- ---   51,700 7.9%
    Tennessee 139,200 9.7% 2014 513,100 9.8%
    Texas 541,800 7.9% 2015 1,572,800 7.4%
    Utah 49,700 5.5%   206,400 9.3%
    Vermont 8,800 8.8%   60,200 12.0%
    Virginia --- ---   563,500 8.5%
    Washington 115,900 7.3% 2016 559,000 9.6%
    West Virginia 34,600 9.4% 2014 175,400 12.3%
    Wisconsin 103,000 8.4%   408,300 9.0%
    Wyoming 11,700 8.6% 2012 38,100 8.7%
    United States* --- 7.2%   23,420,800 9.2%
    State Count Percent Year Count Percent

    Source:
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2011-2018. Analysis by the American Lung Association Epidemiology and Statistics Unit.

    • * National child asthma prevalence is based on data from 31 states and Washington, D.C.
    • Child asthma data is from 2018 unless an earlier year is noted, in which case that is the most recent year of data available. If a state has not collected child asthma data since 2011, no rate is listed.
 

 

Page last updated: July 6, 2020

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