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 Oklahoma 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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1 / 25#25. Love County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #58
--- Quality of life rank: #58
--- Length of life rank: #58
- Estimated county population: 10,230
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2 / 25#24. Le Flore County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #56
--- Quality of life rank: #62
--- Length of life rank: #56
- Estimated county population: 49,935
#23. Ottawa County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #64
--- Quality of life rank: #63
--- Length of life rank: #63
- Estimated county population: 30,879
Larry D. Moore // Wikimedia Commons
4 / 25#22. McIntosh County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #52
--- Quality of life rank: #66
--- Length of life rank: #37
- Estimated county population: 19,635
#21. Okmulgee County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #68
--- Quality of life rank: #67
--- Length of life rank: #67
- Estimated county population: 38,234
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6 / 25#20. Mayes County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #59
--- Quality of life rank: #68
--- Length of life rank: #53
- Estimated county population: 41,152
Larry D. Moore // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 25#19. Atoka County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #55
--- Quality of life rank: #71
--- Length of life rank: #38
- Estimated county population: 13,912
Crimsonedge34 // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 25#18. Jefferson County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #45
--- Quality of life rank: #73
--- Length of life rank: #17
- Estimated county population: 5,949
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9 / 25#17. Johnston County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 12% (1 point higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #73
--- Quality of life rank: #74
--- Length of life rank: #71
- Estimated county population: 10,824
#16. Hughes County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #60
--- Quality of life rank: #44
--- Length of life rank: #66
- Estimated county population: 13,126
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#15. Craig County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #38
--- Quality of life rank: #45
--- Length of life rank: #30
- Estimated county population: 14,194
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12 / 25#14. Cherokee County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #46
--- Quality of life rank: #55
--- Length of life rank: #33
- Estimated county population: 49,019
#13. Muskogee County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #63
--- Quality of life rank: #59
--- Length of life rank: #65
- Estimated county population: 67,610
Mdnicholson42 // Wikimedia Commons
14 / 25#12. Caddo County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #69
--- Quality of life rank: #60
--- Length of life rank: #69
- Estimated county population: 28,684
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15 / 25#11. Seminole County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #70
--- Quality of life rank: #61
--- Length of life rank: #73
- Estimated county population: 24,248
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16 / 25#10. Coal County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #74
--- Quality of life rank: #64
--- Length of life rank: #74
- Estimated county population: 5,587
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 25#9. McCurtain County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #72
--- Quality of life rank: #69
--- Length of life rank: #72
- Estimated county population: 32,772
Larry D. Moore // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 25#8. Sequoyah County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #62
--- Quality of life rank: #70
--- Length of life rank: #51
- Estimated county population: 41,538
Crimsonedge34 // Wikimedia Commons
19 / 25#7. Harmon County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #77
--- Quality of life rank: #72
--- Length of life rank: #77
- Estimated county population: 2,557
Larry D. Moore // Wikimedia Commons
20 / 25#6. Pushmataha County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 13% (2 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #67
--- Quality of life rank: #75
--- Length of life rank: #55
- Estimated county population: 10,970
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21 / 25#5. Texas County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 14% (3 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #18
--- Quality of life rank: #24
--- Length of life rank: #18
- Estimated county population: 19,997
Crimsonedge34 // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 25#4. Tillman County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 14% (3 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #26
--- Quality of life rank: #32
--- Length of life rank: #22
- Estimated county population: 7,229
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23 / 25#3. Okfuskee County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 14% (3 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #76
--- Quality of life rank: #65
--- Length of life rank: #76
- Estimated county population: 11,765
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24 / 25#2. Choctaw County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 14% (3 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #75
--- Quality of life rank: #77
--- Length of life rank: #70
- Estimated county population: 14,646
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25 / 25#1. Adair County
- Estimated percentage of adults with diabetes: 15% (4 points higher than state percentage)
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #71
--- Quality of life rank: #76
--- Length of life rank: #62
- Estimated county population: 21,955
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