12. Indiana
Indiana moved up slightly on this year’s list, from 41st to 39th healthiest. While overall rates of smoking and obesity are decreasing in Indiana faster than across the nation, they’re growing faster among adults who didn’t graduate from high school. Drug deaths in the state have gone up 27 percent in the past five years.
Strengths: High percentage of high school graduation; low incidence of Salmonella; small disparity in health status by educational attainment.
Challenges: High levels of air pollution; lower numbers of dentists; high infant mortality rate.
