Diabetes rates have been on the rise for the last two decades, and show no sign of abating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 11.3% of the U.S. population suffers from diabetes—though many of those affected do not know they have the chronic illness.
Diabetes was the 8th leading cause of death in 2020, but the disease does not impact all Americans equally. Instead, variables like poverty level, geographic region, and race all influence diabetes rates, meaning some Americans are disproportionately impacted by the disease.
The Southeastern portion of the U.S. has a particularly high concentration of counties with elevated diabetes rates, with parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas, and nearly all of Louisiana, along with other states, facing some of the highest rates. Studies have shown that lack of access to healthy, affordable foods and health care services, exposure to environmental toxins, and other health hazards associated with poverty and systemic racism contribute to the increased likelihood of developing diabetes. These same conditions also mean that poor, non-white Americans are more likely to endure complications and have higher mortality rates from diabetes than wealthier white Americans with the disease.
The proportion of young people with diabetes is projected to increase over the next several decades, with racial, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities only growing larger if trends continue. Using 2022 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Stacker identified the counties in Nebraska with the highest percentage of adults with diabetes. Ties were broken by the broader Quality of Life rank provided by the analysis, which includes other poor physical and mental health indicators. The age-adjusted diabetes rate was obtained through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
1 / 25#25. Platte County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #19
--- Quality of life rank: #19
--- Length of life rank: #21
- Estimated county population: 33,364
JonClee86 // Wikicommons
2 / 25#24. Douglas County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #25
--- Quality of life rank: #29
--- Length of life rank: #27
- Estimated county population: 574,332
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 25#23. Red Willow County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #37
--- Quality of life rank: #34
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 10,627
Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons
4 / 25#22. Lincoln County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #45
--- Quality of life rank: #38
--- Length of life rank: #61
- Estimated county population: 34,347
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
5 / 25#21. Johnson County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #39
--- Quality of life rank: #40
--- Length of life rank: #31
- Estimated county population: 5,057
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#20. Adams County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #53
--- Quality of life rank: #41
--- Length of life rank: #67
- Estimated county population: 31,321
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 25#19. Sheridan County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #74
--- Quality of life rank: #57
--- Length of life rank: #75
- Estimated county population: 5,150
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 25#18. Box Butte County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #63
--- Quality of life rank: #59
--- Length of life rank: #66
- Estimated county population: 10,696
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 25#17. Dodge County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #70
--- Quality of life rank: #62
--- Length of life rank: #68
- Estimated county population: 36,222
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
10 / 25#16. Morrill County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #73
--- Quality of life rank: #63
--- Length of life rank: #72
- Estimated county population: 4,625
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Jasperdo // Flickr
11 / 25#15. Brown County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #62
--- Quality of life rank: #67
--- Length of life rank: #33
- Estimated county population: 2,981
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
12 / 25#14. Pawnee County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #67
--- Quality of life rank: #70
--- Length of life rank: #33
- Estimated county population: 2,601
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 25#13. Furnas County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #69
--- Quality of life rank: #71
--- Length of life rank: #62
- Estimated county population: 4,653
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
14 / 25#12. Scotts Bluff County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #76
--- Quality of life rank: #73
--- Length of life rank: #74
- Estimated county population: 35,299
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 25#11. Kimball County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #78
--- Quality of life rank: #78
--- Length of life rank: #78
- Estimated county population: 3,495
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Jimmy Emerson, DVM // Flickr
16 / 25#8. Arthur County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #NR
--- Quality of life rank: #NR
--- Length of life rank: #NR
- Estimated county population: 466
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 25#8. Hayes County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #NR
--- Quality of life rank: #NR
--- Length of life rank: #NR
- Estimated county population: 916
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 25#8. Wheeler County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 10% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #NR
--- Quality of life rank: #NR
--- Length of life rank: #NR
- Estimated county population: 790
Brad Mellema // Wikimedia Commons
19 / 25#7. Hall County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 11% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #54
--- Quality of life rank: #55
--- Length of life rank: #58
- Estimated county population: 61,028
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
20 / 25Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
21 / 25#5. Dundy County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 11% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #71
--- Quality of life rank: #75
--- Length of life rank: #33
- Estimated county population: 1,671
Jan Uruba // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 25#4. Saline County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (3 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #66
--- Quality of life rank: #76
--- Length of life rank: #22
- Estimated county population: 13,987
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 25#3. Colfax County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (4 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #46
--- Quality of life rank: #64
--- Length of life rank: #18
- Estimated county population: 10,587
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 25#2. Dakota County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (4 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #58
--- Quality of life rank: #72
--- Length of life rank: #24
- Estimated county population: 20,070
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
25 / 25#1. Thurston County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 14% (5 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #79
--- Quality of life rank: #79
--- Length of life rank: #79
- Estimated county population: 7,220
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