New Mexico has the highest rate of drug use while Idaho has the lowest, according to a WalletHub report published April 30.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 metrics in three categories: drug use and addiction, law enforcement, and drug health issues and rehab. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the biggest drug problem.
There have been more than 80,600 drug overdose deaths between November 2023 and 2024, according to data WalletHub sourced from the CDC. And in 2024, the DEA seized more than 380 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Here are the states with the highest and lowest rates of drug use and each state’s overall score:
Highest
New Mexico: 68.08
West Virginia: 63.21
Nevada: 59.50
Alaska: 56.22
District of Columbia: 55.93
Oklahoma: 55.45
Missouri: 54.79
Colorado: 53.78
Louisiana: 53.67
Arkansas: 53.34
Lowest
Hawaii: 26.99
Utah: 29.75
Nebraska: 29.85
Connecticut: 30.29
Florida: 30.79
Minnesota: 32.87
Maryland: 32.90
North Carolina: 35.00
Iowa: 35.50
Idaho: 36.02
