11. North Dakota
North Dakota had the lowest per capita rate of drug deaths in the U.S., less than a third the national average. The state’s residents were also least likely to say that they had experienced frequent periods of poor physical health. The state moved up one spot on the ranking to 11th place this year.
Strengths: Low rate of drug deaths; high immunization coverage among children; low prevalence of low birthweight.
Challenges: High prevalence of excessive drinking; high prevalence of obesity; large disparity in health status by educational attainment.
