With only 7.9% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 2, and vaccination being an essential component for full reopening of the economy, WalletHub today released its report on the Safest States During COVID-19, along with accompanying videos and audio files.
In order to find out the safest states during the COVID-19 pandemic, the group compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics. Their data set includes the rates of COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations and death, as well as the share of the eligible population getting vaccinated.
One particularly depressing finding is that Virginia has earned the dubious distinction of being the LEAST safest place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.
Table of Contents
Main Findings
Safest States During COVID
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 80.14 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 79.79 |
| 3 | North Dakota | 74.53 |
| 4 | New Mexico | 71.03 |
| 5 | South Dakota | 70.03 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 69.68 |
| 7 | Montana | 69.24 |
| 8 | Oregon | 69.00 |
| 9 | Vermont | 68.32 |
| 10 | Iowa | 67.38 |
| 11 | Washington | 67.33 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 67.33 |
| 13 | Nebraska | 66.87 |
| 14 | Maine | 66.25 |
| 15 | Wyoming | 65.76 |
| 16 | Colorado | 65.47 |
| 17 | Connecticut | 65.27 |
| 18 | West Virginia | 65.15 |
| 19 | Arkansas | 64.49 |
| 20 | Illinois | 64.32 |
| 21 | Michigan | 63.09 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 62.91 |
| 23 | Idaho | 62.76 |
| 24 | Missouri | 62.75 |
| 25 | Kansas | 62.13 |
| 26 | Nevada | 61.03 |
| 27 | Indiana | 61.02 |
| 28 | Maryland | 59.65 |
| 29 | Louisiana | 59.46 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 59.12 |
| 31 | Utah | 57.07 |
| 32 | Ohio | 56.03 |
| 33 | North Carolina | 55.38 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | 54.99 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 54.02 |
| 36 | Arizona | 53.16 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 52.48 |
| 38 | California | 51.36 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 51.30 |
| 40 | Mississippi | 50.84 |
| 41 | Tennessee | 50.03 |
| 42 | Alabama | 46.96 |
| 43 | South Carolina | 46.63 |
| 44 | Florida | 45.81 |
| 45 | Texas | 44.96 |
| 46 | New Jersey | 43.75 |
| 47 | Delaware | 43.35 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 42.06 |
| 49 | New York | 36.03 |
| 50 | Georgia | 35.91 |
| 51 | Virginia | 28.19 |
Note: *No. 1 = Safest
Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
COVID-19 Death Rate Ranking vs. Vaccination Rate Ranking
| State | COVID19 Death Rate Ranking | Vaccination Rate Ranking | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | 48 | 48 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| AK | 9 | 1 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| AZ | 47 | 9 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| AR | 1 | 42 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| CA | 49 | 21 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| CO | 5 | 22 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| CT | 21 | 5 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| DC | 32 | 51 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| DE | 46 | 38 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| FL | 39 | 41 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| GA | 44 | 50 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| HI | 2 | 13 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| IA | 27 | 11 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| ID | 19 | 27 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| IL | 16 | 26 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| IN | 24 | 33 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| KS | 33 | 32 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| KY | 38 | 25 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| LA | 30 | 40 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| MA | 37 | 7 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| MD | 18 | 34 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| ME | 28 | 24 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| MI | 14 | 35 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| MN | 4 | 12 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| MO | 3 | 46 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| MS | 43 | 43 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| MT | 12 | 8 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| NC | 26 | 29 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| ND | 6 | 4 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| NE | 15 | 17 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| NH | 8 | 15 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| NJ | 41 | 18 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| NM | 40 | 2 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| NV | 22 | 31 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| NY | 36 | 44 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| OH | 35 | 39 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| OK | 50 | 6 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| OR | 10 | 30 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| PA | 29 | 36 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| RI | 42 | 10 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| SC | 31 | 37 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| SD | 25 | 3 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| TN | 34 | 49 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| TX | 45 | 47 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| UT | 23 | 45 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| VA | 51 | 23 | High COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| VT | 7 | 20 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| WA | 11 | 28 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & Low Vaccination Rate |
| WI | 20 | 19 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| WV | 17 | 16 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
| WY | 13 | 14 | Low COVID-19 Death Rate & High Vaccination Rate |
Note: Rank 1 on the “COVID-19 Death Rate Ranking” means fewest deaths and Rank 1 for “Vaccination Rate Ranking” means the highest share of population age 16 and older initiating COVID-19 vaccination.
Blue vs. Red States
