From the Division of Oral Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
These statistics were prepared using water system data reported by states to the CDC Water Fluoridation Reporting System as of December 31, 2014, and the US Census Bureau state population estimates for 2014.
National Water Fluoridation Statistics
| Total US population, personsa | 318,857,056 |
| US population on community water systems (CWS), peopleb | 286,756,186 |
| Total US population on fluoridated drinking water systems, peopleb | 214,213,860 |
| Percentage of US population receiving fluoridated waterc | 67.2% |
| Percentage of US population on CWS receiving fluoridated waterd | 74.7% |
| Total number of CWS in United Statesb | 19,089 |
| Number of CWS providing fluoridated waterb | 5,956 |
| Number of CWS adjusting fluorideb | 5,999 |
| Number of CWS consecutive to systems with optimal fluoride levelsb | 6,930 |
| Number of CWS with naturally occurring fluoride at or above optimal levelsb,e | 6,151 |
| Population served by CWS with naturally occurring fluoride at or above optimal levelsb,e | 11,914,156 |
State Fluoridation Percentage Calculations and States Ranked by Fluoridation Percentage
| State | Persons receiving fluoridated water | Persons served by CWS | % | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 214,213,860 | 286,756,186 | 74.7% | |
| Alabamaf | 3,812,180 | 4,849,377 | 78.6% | 23 |
| Alaska | 339,415 | 685,165 | 49.5% | 43 |
| Arizonaf | 3,199,068 | 5,536,324 | 57.8% | 38 |
| Arkansas | 1,986,09 | 2,809,741 | 70.7% | 31 |
| Californiaf | 24,699,693 | 38,802,500 | 63.7% | 35 |
| Colorado | 3,963,053 | 5,355,866 | 74.0% | 28 |
| Connecticutf | 2,409,333 | 2,691,768 | 89.5% | 14 |
| Delaware | 712,420 | 818,110 | 87.1% | 19 |
| District of Columbiaf | 595,000 | 595,000 | 100.0% | |
| Florida | 13,309,950 | 17,161,354 | 77.6% | 24 |
| Georgiaf | 9,721,504 | 10,097,343 | 96.3% | 6 |
| Hawaii | 166,650 | 1,419,516 | 11.7% | 50 |
| Idahof | 390,344 | 1,220,794 | 32.0% | 47 |
| Illinois | 12,687,788 | 12,880,580 | 98.5% | 3 |
| Indianaf | 4,388,330 | 4,582,546 | 94.7% | 8 |
| Iowa | 2,577,587 | 2,780,685 | 92.7% | 11 |
| Kansasf | 1,716,415 | 2,693,999 | 63.7% | 34 |
| Kentucky | 4,388,383 | 4,393,871 | 99.9% | 1 |
| Louisianaf | 2,021,233 | 4,649,676 | 43.5% | 45 |
| Maine | 527,163 | 666,228 | 79.1% | 21 |
| Marylandf | 5,029,321 | 5,214,672 | 96.4% | 5 |
| Massachusetts | 4,750,952 | 6,745,408 | 70.4% | 32 |
| Michiganf | 7,579,494 | 8,264,474 | 91.7% | 13 |
| Minnesota | 4,165,301 | 4,215,391 | 98.8% | 2 |
| Mississippif | 1,795,154 | 2,994,079 | 60.0% | 37 |
| Missouri | 4,013,047 | 5,236,187 | 76.6% | 26 |
| Montanaf | 265,783 | 788,805 | 33.7% | 46 |
| Nebraska | 1,020,358 | 1,425,930 | 71.6% | 30 |
| Nevadaf | 1,873,848 | 2,544,079 | 73.7% | 29 |
| New Hampshire | 406,336 | 872,864 | 46.6% | 44 |
| New Jerseyf | 1,222,597 | 8,311,417 | 14.7% | 49 |
| New Mexico | 1,210,877 | 1,571,600 | 77.0% | 25 |
| New Yorkf | 15,006,168 | 19,746,227 | 71.4% § | 27 |
| North Carolina | 6,190,022 | 7,077,809 | 87.5% | 18 |
| North Dakotaf | 617,110 | 638,166 | 96.7% | 4 |
| Ohio | 9,806,835 | 10,587,923 | 92.6% | 12 |
| Oklahomaf | 2,235,367 | 3,576,005 | 62.5% | 36 |
| Oregon | 833,557 | 3,688,540 | 22.6% | 48 |
| Pennsylvaniaf | 5,943,890 | 10,869,278 | 54.7% | 41 |
| Rhode Island | 902,170 | 1,055,173 | 85.5% | 20 |
| South Carolinaf | 3,488,316 | 3,737,053 | 93.3% | 10 |
| South Dakota | 647,954 | 692,042 | 93.6% | 9 |
| Tennesseef | 5,133,626 | 5,829,529 | 88.1% | 17 |
| Texas | 19,924,236 | 25,230,638 | 79.0% | 22 |
| Utahf | 1,384,638 | 2,676,475 | 51.7% | 42 |
| Vermont | 254,700 | 453,736 | 56.1% | 40 |
| Virginiaf | 6,213,102 | 6,486,523 | 95.8% | 7 |
| Washington | 3,530,835 | 5,525,840 | 63.9% | 33 |
| West Virginiaf | 1,369,124 | 1,532,138 | 89.4% | 15 |
| Wisconsin | 3,581,184 | 4,028,474 | 88.9% | 16 |
| Wyomingf | 256,350 | 449,223 | 57.1% | 39 |
§ – New York was initially listed at 76.0%.
Footnotes
a. Census Population Count 2014. Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014, (NST-EST2012-01). Source: US Census Bureau, Population Division. Release Date: December 2014. Available at http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2014/index.html.
b. Reported in CDC Water Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS). For purposes of this report, a water system is considered a community water system if so designated by the state drinking water administrator in accordance with the regulatory requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency. In general, public water systems provide water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances to at least 15 service connections, or serve an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year. A community water system is a public water system that supplies water to the same population year-round. Available at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/pws/factoids.cfm.
c. Fluoridated population divided by total population.
d. Fluoridated population divided by population served by community water systems.
e. The increase from 2012 to 2014 in the population served by CWS with naturally occurring fluoride at or above optimal levels likely resulted from inclusion, for the first time, of the number of persons served by these systems in California as reported in WFRS. The total number of persons receiving fluoridated water in California was based on state data and may not fully reflect this increase derived from WFRS data
f . Population served by CWS exceeded the US Census state population estimate; number of people was reduced by the ratio of the population estimate to the CWS population estimate.
g. Complete data were not available from WFRS; state provided additional information.
Additional Resources
More detail on U.S. Census Bureau estimates can be found at Calculating Fluoridation Statistics
Historical fluoridation statistics are available at Reference Statistics
See also:
• Statistics by state for 2014 – 2012 – 2006 – 2000 – 1992
• U.S. National Fluoridation Rates by State for Various Years