These Are The U.S. States With The Highest Number Of Coronavirus Cases
Most of us didn't expect the Coronavirus to spread as widely as it has. Now, people around the world are helping to protect everyone's health by taking the Centers for Disease Control-recommended safety measures and staying at home. Meanwhile, researchers are keeping a close eye on the virus by the number of cases that have appeared in each U.S. state. It's important to note that some states are more heavily populated than others, so that may also impact the overall number of cases. Read on to see which states have the highest number of cases and what's been done in each one to help battle this pandemic.
New York: 30,811
With a population of almost 20 million people, New York has the highest number of coronavirus cases so far. World Population Review reports that 43% of the state's population lives in New York City, but 60% of the state's overall cases are in the city, according to amNY as of March 25th.
Cases in the thousands have shown up in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island. The state has seen 192 fatalities. Of the near 3,000 current hospitalizations, 660 are in intensive care. As of March 22, 2020, all New Yorkers who are non-essential workers have been ordered to stay home.
New Jersey: 4,402
Nestled just under the state of New York, New Jersey has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases. The state's population is about half that of New York, but it has about 1/7th the number of cases. World Population Review reports that New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state in America, but also the 11th most populous state.
This tight proximity may have something to do with the spread of the virus. ABC reports that New Jersey has seen 44 fatalities from the virus as of March 25th. CBS Philly reports that New Jersey's state treasurer is placing $900 billion into a state reserve in response to the virus.
Washington: 2,586
Washington has about a million fewer people living in it compared to New Jersey and is the 18th largest state according to World Population Review. Seattle is the state's most populated city, boasting almost 8,000 people per square mile. KIRO 7 reported an estimated 1,277 cases of the virus in Seattle and King County alone on March 25th.
The state has seen at least 123 fatalities resulting from the coronavirus as of March 24th. The state issued a mandatory stay-at-home order on March 23rd, which is to be in effect for at least two weeks.
California: 2,535
California is the most populous state in the country, but is also the third-largest state by area, according to World Population Review. This means that the state isn't near as dense as New York on average, but areas like Los Angeles are still heavily congested.
LiveScience reports that as of March 25th there are more than 12,000 California coronavirus tests whose results are still pending. The state's governor has requested a Naval hospital ship to help assuage hospital overflow and states in a news conference that more than 98% of the state's schools are closed.
Michigan: 2,295
Michigan is a fairly large state in terms of both area and population. Though Detroit, its most heavily-populated city, has seen a large decrease in the past half a century, it is still home to around 677,000 people, according to World Population Review.
Michigan.gov reports that as of March 24th the majority of their cases were in Detroit, amassing more than 700 cases and 12 deaths. LiveScience reports that on March 24th Michigan temporarily suspended in-person operations carried out by nonessential businesses, including that of medical and dental practices.
Florida: 1,971
According to the World Population Review, Florida is the eighth-densest state in the country, with more than 21 million people packed into its 65,755 square miles. Though Jacksonville is the most populated city in the state, the county the city lies in (Duval) only has 56 confirmed cases as of March 25th, according to NBC's Wesh 2.
The majority of Florida's coronavirus cases have been way down south in Miami-Dune County, which reached 400 confirmed cases as of March 25th. LiveScience reported on March 24th that Florida's governor has prohibited all visitation to elderly care facilities for a month.
Illinois: 1,865
Despite its negative population growth rate, Illinois still boasts more than 12 million residents, many of which are spread out across the large state. However, Chicago has the largest population by far with almost 3 million residents.
Though the state has a hefty amount of coronavirus cases, their death toll holds at 16 as of March 24th, according to NBC 5 Chicago. Still, Chicago has closed down various dinners, fests, concerts, museums, casinos, their Amtrak system, the Cinemark Theaters, and BMO Harris Bank, among other events and locations.
Massachusetts: 1,838
The historic state of Massachusetts is home to nearly 7 million people and is the third-most densely populated state in the country, according to World Population Review. As of March 25th, the state has experienced 111 deaths related to the coronavirus according to NBC 10 Boston.
The state's governor announced on March 24th that they now have a text message alert system for the coronavirus. He also declared a stay-at-home advisory and ordered all nonessential businesses to remain close for two weeks.
Louisiana: 1,795
Louisiana's population is approaching 5 million, with about a quarter of the state's residents living in highly-congested New Orleans. World Population Review estimates that there are 1,965 people per square mile in this heavily-populated city.
The state's coronavirus cases skyrocketed in a week's time from less than 100 to more than 1,000. Louisiana's governor declared on March 22nd that the state has the third-highest number of cases per capita of any state in the country. His stay at home order is set to remain active until April 12th and to be reinforced by a special police force, according to CNN.
Georgia: 1,247
Georgia's population surpassed that of Michigan in 2013 and is now nearing the 11 million mark, according to World Population Review. The state ranks 18th for population density, with about 1 million residents living in its most populated county.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the state has seen 40 confirmed coronavirus deaths and five of the state's senators have tested positive. Fox 5 Atlanta reports that though the state's governor ordered only high-risk residents to shelter-in-place, Atlanta's mayor expanded this order to include everyone on March 24th and also prohibited nonessential gatherings of any size.
Pennsylvania: 1,127
Pennsylvania's small surface area combined with its near 13 million residents makes it one of the more dense states in the country. This is particularly true in Philadelphia, a city with more than 1.5 million people, five times more than Pittsburg, according to World Population Review.
Philadelphia houses 252 coronavirus cases as of May 24th, or more than a quarter of the state's total, according to PBS's WHYY. NBC's WGAL 8 reports that as of March 25th, 38 Pennsylvanians required intensive care due to the virus. The governor announced on March 25th that a state program would provide funding to small businesses in need.
Colorado: 1,086
Colorado is among the fastest-growing states in the nation, with a population of nearly 6 million stretched out over its large surface area. Its most dense area is its capital city of Denver, which has roughly 700,000 residents.
The state's sparse layout may be one of its greatest defenses in the face of the coronavirus, which has seen 11 fatalities related to the virus as of March 25, according to The Denver Post. The state's official website reports that its governor issued a 50% reduction in nonessential business in-person work as of March 23rd.
Texas: 974
World Population Review reports that Texas is one of the largest and fastest-growing states in the country, boasting almost 30 million residents. Fortunately, it has a relatively low density. Dallas County has the majority of the state's cases at 169, but a total of 82 counties have been affected.
The Texas Tribune reports that as of March 25th, the state has seen 12 deaths related to the coronavirus. As of March 25th, the governor has yet to order a statewide shelter-in-place, but many cities have done so according to ABC News.
Connecticut: 875
Connecticut is one of the smallest states in the country, but it still has about 3.5 million residents. At 738.1 residents per square mile, it ranks fourth in terms of population density, according to the World Population Review.
Hartford Courant reports that the state has seen 19 deaths and 106 hospitalizations due to the coronavirus as of March 25th. More than half of the state's cases appear in Fairfield County, which also is their most populous county. The state announced on Wednesday that they will provide $25 million worth of zero-interest loans to small businesses in need.
Tennessee: 784
Tennesse is a relatively small state given its near 7 million residents, making it the 20th most densely populated state in the country according to the World Population Review. Memphis and Nashville together make up almost 20% of the state's entire population.
The counties that both of these populous cities reside in have experienced more than 100 cases each as of March 25th, according to the state's Department of Health. Of the state's coronavirus cases, 53 required hospitalization and 3 were fatal. Their governor recommended on March 24th that schools remain closed for the next month.
Ohio: 704
With 12 million residents, Ohio is ranked 10th among other US states in population density. Though Franklin and Cuyahoga Counties are the most populated in the state, Franklin has more than half as many cases of coronavirus compared to Cuyahoga of March 24th, according to cleveland.com.
Cuyahoga's 167 cases are far more than is present in the other 49 Ohio counties affected, as is Franklin's 75 cases. As of March 24th, the state has seen 8 deaths, 146 hospitalizations, and 62 intensive care patients. ABC 6 reported on March 24th that Ohio's governor aims to increase their hospitals' capacity by 50% and has ordered residents to shelter-in-place.
Wisconsin: 585
With a population approaching 6 million, Wisconsin's large surface area keeps the density relatively low at 105 people per square mile according to the World Population Review. However, Milwaukee alone accounts for 1/10th of the state's total population.
ABC 2 reports that as of May 25th, the state has seen 7 deaths, 4 of which were in Milwaukee County. The county has seen 290 cases so far, more than three times that of Dane, the second most impacted county in Wisconsin. The state's governor has restricted nonessential business and travel until April 24th.
North Carolina: 504
World Population Review states that while North Carolina has historically been predominantly rural, it has seen quite a bit of urbanization in more recent years to accommodate its 10.6 million residents. More than 800,000 reside in the state's largest city, Charlotte.
The county that Charlotte is in, Mecklenburg, has by far the most cases of coronavirus in the state, totaling to 170 as of March 25th according to The News & Observer. So far only Mecklenburg, Durham, and Wake counties have issued a stay-at-home order. 29 people in North Carolina have been hospitalized with the virus as of March 24th.
Indiana: 477
Indiana has a population of about 6.75 million, about 13% of which reside in its most heavily populated city, Indianapolis. The city also resides in the state's most populated county, Marion, which has more than half of the state's total coronavirus cases as of March 25th, according to IndyStar.
The state has seen 14 fatalities thus far from coronavirus, the first of which occurred on March 16th according to IN.gov. As of March 25th, the state's governor has yet to issue a statewide shelter-in-place; however, all Allen County public schools have closed over concerns about the virus, according to LiveScience.
Maryland: 423
One of the smallest states in the country, Maryland boasts 594 people per square mile. This density is exacerbated in Baltimore, which has about 600,000 residents according to the World Population Review. Interestingly, the highest number of cases as of March 25th is reportedly in Montgomery County, not Baltimore, according to Maryland.gov.
The Baltimore Sun reports that as of March 24th, experts are certain there are far more cases in Maryland than are currently identified due to limited testing. As such, the state's governor has banned gatherings of more than ten, closed nonessential businesses, and canceled evictions.
