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2014

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 U.S. Census Bureau state population estimates for July 2014.  Revised July 2016.*
 

National Water Fluoridation Statistics

Total US population, personsa

318,857,056
US population on community water systems (CWS), personsb 284,099,832
Total US population on fluoridated drinking water systems, personsb 211,393,167
Percentage of US population receiving fluoridated waterc 66.3%
Percentage of US population on CWS receiving fluoridated waterd 74.4%
Number of CWS providing fluoridated waterb 18,186
Number of CWS adjusting fluorideb 5,919
Number of CWS consecutive to systems with optimal fluoride levelsb 6,015
Number of CWS with naturally occurring fluoride at or above optimal levelsb,e 6,205
Population served by CWS with naturally occurring fluoride at or above optimal levelsb,e 11,883,007

State Fluoridation Percentage Calculations and States Ranked by Fluoridation Percentage

State Persons receiving fluoridated water Persons served by CWS % Rank
United States 211,393,167 284,099,832 74.4%
Alabama 3,812,180 4,849,377 78.6% 23
Alaska 335,555 680,780 49.3% 43
Arizona 3,199,068 5,536,324 57.8% 38
Arkansas 1,973,169 2,808,508 70.3% 32
Californiaf,g 24,699,693 38,802,500 63.7% 34
Coloradof 3,963,472 5,355,866 74.0% 27
Connecticut 2,409,333 2,690,930 89.5% 15
Delaware 712,420 818,110 87.1% 19
District of Columbia 595,000 595,000 100%
Florida 13,302,502 17,151,024 77.6% 24
Georgiaf 9,717,858 10,097,343 96.2% 6
Hawaiif 159,935 1,419,516 11.7% 50
Idaho 388,678 1,218,565 31.9% 47
Illinoisf 12,687,788 12,880,580 98.5% 3
Indiana 4,388,330 4,582,546 94.7% 8
Iowa 2,575,373 2,778,151 92.7% 12
Kansas 1,707,050 2,689,904 63.5% 35
Kentucky 4,388,383 4,393,871 99.9% 1
Louisianaf 2,056,595 4,649,676 44.2% 45
Maine 524,240 661,140 79.3% 21
Maryland 5,021,283 5,206,520 96.4% 5
Massachusettsf 4,750,952 6,745,408 70.4% 31
Michigan 7,519,064 8,201,134 91.7% 13
Minnesota 4,165,301 4,215,391 98.8% 2
Mississippif 1,796,005 2,994,079 60.0% 37
Missouri 4,010,999 5,226,030 76.8% 26
Montana 265,783 788,805 33.7% 46
Nebraska 1,020,092 1,425,664 71.6% 29
Nevada 1,873,848 2,544,079 73.7% 28
New Hampshire 406,336 872,864 46.6% 44
New Jerseyf 1,206,930 8,288,715 14.6% 49
New Mexico 1,210,877 1,571,600 77.0% 25
New York 12,934,585 18,106,193 71.4% 30
North Carolina 6,067,182 6,907,674 87.8% 18
North Dakota 616,946 637,796 96.7% 4
Ohio 9,790,109 10,557,092 92.7% 11
Oklahoma 2,231,658 3,564,183 62.6% 36
Oregon 833,557 3,688,540 22.6% 48
Pennsylvania 5,882,330 10,780,146 54.6% 41
Rhode Island 842,987 997,824 84.5% 20
South Carolina 3,468,425 3,706,859 93.6% 10
South Dakota 646,671 690,759 93.6% 9
Tennessee 5,103,368 5,789,624 88.1% 17
Texas 19,645,292 24,869,812 79.0% 22
Utah 1,382,188 2,672,278 51.7% 42
Vermont 253,548 450,710 56.3% 40
Virginia 6,166,729 6,429,902 95.9% 7
Washington 3,530,835 5,525,840 63.9% 33
West Virginia 1,367,215 1,509,995 90.5% 14
Wisconsin 3,579,100 4,025,387 88.9% 16
Wyomingf 256,350 449,223 57.1% 39

Footnotes

*The 2014 water fluoridation statistics have been revised because populations that were served by consecutive water systems serving multiple counties were counted twice. This calculation error resulted in states having a higher population count for people receiving fluoridated water. A consecutive water system purchases wholesale water from an adjacent water system. Very few consecutive water systems serve people in different counties. For the few states where this is a factor, the changes to the column, "persons receiving fluoridated water," were small. However, there are more consecutive water systems in Connecticut and New York, so the changes in those two states were larger and are noted in their state fluoridation percentage calculations and in the state rankings.

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 Resource


More detail on U.S. Census Bureau estimates can be found at Calculating Fluoridation Statistics

Historical fluoridation statistics are available at Fluoridation Statistics

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