US Counties With the Highest Frequent Mental Distress

2,956 US counties ranked by frequent mental distress, from highest to lowest. First are Mingo County, WV (26.6%), McDowell County, WV (26%) and Hancock County, TN (25.7%). The middle one of the 2,956 has 18.6%.

What this measures

The estimated percentage of adults who report poor mental health on 14 or more days a month. It is adjusted so places with older or younger populations can be compared fairly. It is an estimate from a statistical model, not a direct count from a local survey. Source: CDC PLACES.

For most measures, a national ranking mostly sorts places by income and by how urban they are. Each county’s own page compares it with the 50 counties most like it instead, which is often the fairer view.

The 100 highest counties

More on frequent mental distress

• US Counties With the Lowest Frequent Mental Distress
• Frequent mental distress by US county: map by year and what it goes with

A ranking describes places, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All US rankings.