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Cities with the highest rates of depression


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Cities with the highest rates of depression

Portrait of pensive woman beside window.

Depression has taken an increasingly firm grip on Americans’ lives over the past decade, with both self-reported lifetime and current depression rates among U.S. adults increasing each year—and hitting a high in 2023—according to Gallup poll data. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly worsened the nation’s overall mental health, with the rate of elevated depressive episodes increasing from 27.8% at the beginning of the pandemic to 32.8% in 2021, a longitudinal study published that year showed.

The pandemic hurt public mental health due to increased isolation during lockdowns, financial insecurity, illness, and grief. Consequently, public health outcomes linked with depression and anxiety deteriorated during that time, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. For instance, age-adjusted drug overdose rates rose from 21.6 to 32.4 deaths per 100,000 from 2019 to 2021. Alcohol-induced death rates increased from 10.4 to 14.4 deaths per 100,000 in the same time frame. The foundation reported that the pandemic’s effects, as measured by these indicators, were especially pronounced in rural and low-income populations as well as in communities of color.

Stacker examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual PLACES report, released in July 2023, to see which cities had the highest share of adults diagnosed with depression. Cities are ranked by the share of respondents to a 2021 survey who reported having been told by a health professional that they had depressive disorder. In the event of a tie, the overall population was used. Cities with at least 10,000 residents were included.

The current ranking primarily features cities in the South, a part of the U.S. with elevated poverty rates that also saw consistently higher COVID-19 mortality rates during the pandemic. The confluence of these risk factors likely contributed to increased depression rates in Southern cities. According to the 2021 longitudinal study, while low-income individuals were 2.3 times more likely to experience elevated depressive episodes than those with high incomes prior to COVID-19, this odds ratio jumped to 7 as the pandemic progressed.

However, the pandemic and its ramifications don’t fully explain the regional distribution of cities in the ranking. Cities in the Pacific Northwest also appear frequently on the list, likely due to the area’s climatic conditions. These states are home to places with some of the highest precipitation in the nation. A 2014 study in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that depression was more prevalent in areas with higher numbers of cold and rainy days in a given year.



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#50. Seymour, Tennessee

Aerial view Knoxville and surrounding area.

– Total population: 10,919
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.0%



Cory Woodruff // Shutterstock

#49. Dickson, Tennessee

Aerial view West Nashville and surrounding.

– Total population: 14,721
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.0%



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#48. Newport, Kentucky

Elevated cityview of Newport.

– Total population: 15,273
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.0%



SummerRain // Shutterstock

#47. Bayou Cane, Louisiana

Bench and bridge in Houma.

– Total population: 19,355
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.0%



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#46. Auburn, Maine

Autumn in Auburn.

– Total population: 23,055
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.0%



Ian Dewar Photography // Shutterstock

#45. Lebanon, Oregon

Linn County Court House.

– Total population: 15,547
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.1%



Alexey Stiop // Shutterstock

#44. Campbellsville, Kentucky

Central Kentucky landscape.

– Total population: 10,399
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.2%



Nagel Photography // Shutterstock

#43. Four Corners, Oregon

Elevated view of Salem.

– Total population: 15,718
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.2%



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#42. Clarksburg, West Virginia

Aerial view over Clarksburg.

– Total population: 16,575
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.2%



Roberto Galan // Shutterstock

#41. New Castle, Indiana

Henry County Courthouse.

– Total population: 18,114
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.2%



Ahturner // Shutterstock

#40. Medford, Oregon

Elevated view of Medford.

– Total population: 74,986
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.2%



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#39. Bayou Blue, Louisiana

Rural Road in Southern Louisiana.

– Total population: 12,352
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.3%



J. Leonard // Shutterstock

#38. Paris, Tennessee

Paris Landing Marina aerial view.

– Total population: 10,173
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#37. Glasgow, Kentucky

Aerial view Bowling Green.

– Total population: 14,137
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



Me Wise Magic 5150 // Shutterstock

#36. Aberdeen, Washington

Wishkah River bridge in Aberdeen.

– Total population: 16,896
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



Nick Alexander Films // Shutterstock

#35. Central Point, Oregon

Sunset over Central Point.

– Total population: 17,200
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



The American Explorer // Shutterstock

#34. Henderson, Kentucky

Truss bridge over Ohio River near Henderson.

– Total population: 28,857
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



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#33. Cookeville, Tennessee

Putnam County Courthouse.

– Total population: 30,981
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



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#32. Longview, Washington

Lewis and Clark Bridge over Columbia River.

– Total population: 36,867
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.4%



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#31. Nicholasville, Kentucky

Jessamine County Courthouse in Nicholasville.

– Total population: 28,112
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.5%



Dee Browning // Shutterstock

#30. Morristown, Tennessee

Historic district in Morristown.

– Total population: 29,192
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.5%



Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock

#29. Kelso, Washington

Longview and surrounding area.

– Total population: 11,917
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.6%



Steve Jordan // Shutterstock

#28. Gatesville, Texas

Coryell County courthouse in Gatesville.

– Total population: 12,672
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.6%



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#27. Cheney, Washington

Aerial view Spokane County.

– Total population: 10,590
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.7%



CL Shebley // Shutterstock

#26. Lake Stevens, Washington

Welcome to Lake Stevens city sign.

– Total population: 28,121
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.7%



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#25. Union City, Tennessee

Pasture in rural Tennessee.

– Total population: 10,898
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.8%



Sue Smith // Shutterstock

#24. Gloversville, New York

Exterior view Fulton County Court House.

– Total population: 15,681
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.8%



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#23. Everett, Washington

Everett aerial view.

– Total population: 103,019
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.8%



2Kahns Photo Arts // Shutterstock

#22. Crossville, Tennessee

Stone bridge in Cumberland Mountain State Park.

– Total population: 11,077
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.9%



Lijuan Guo // Shutterstock

#21. Ferndale, Washington

Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale.

– Total population: 11,437
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.9%



Carla Sloke // Shutterstock

#20. Portland, Tennessee

Portland town center.

– Total population: 11,502
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.9%



Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock

#19. Athens, Tennessee

Aerial view of Etowah.

– Total population: 13,538
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.9%



Stony River // Shutterstock

#18. Huntington, West Virginia

Riverfront park in Huntington.

– Total population: 49,138
– Share of adults who are depressed: 29.9%



Adrian T Jones // Shutterstock

#17. Martin, Tennessee

Downtown Martin.

– Total population: 11,461
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.0%



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#16. Lewiston, Maine

Waterfront in Lewiston.

– Total population: 36,592
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.0%



Chris Allan // Shutterstock

#15. Bellingham, Washington

Waterfront houses in Bellingham.

– Total population: 81,279
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.0%



Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

#14. Lynden, Washington

Dutch Mill in the Dutch city of Lynden.

– Total population: 12,023
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.1%



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#13. Sevierville, Tennessee

Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.

– Total population: 14,835
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.2%



Cascade Creatives // Shutterstock

#12. Marysville, Washington

Water Tower and Comeford Park in Marysville.

– Total population: 60,017
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.4%



Ian Dewar Photography // Shutterstock

#11. Arlington, Washington

North Olympic Avenue in Arlington.

– Total population: 17,836
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.6%



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#10. Kingsport, Tennessee

Park in Kingsport.

– Total population: 52,487
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.7%



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#9. Lawrenceburg, Tennessee

Rural country road.

– Total population: 10,428
– Share of adults who are depressed: 30.8%



Nolichuckyjake // Shutterstock

#8. Bristol, Tennessee

The Bristol VA-TN sign over State Street.

– Total population: 26,714
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.0%



The GoProDad // Shutterstock

#7. Crowley, Louisiana

Aerial view Crowley.

– Total population: 13,265
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.3%



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#6. Ashland, Kentucky

Ashland waterfront along the Ohio River.

– Total population: 21,684
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.3%



KennStilger47 // Shutterstock

#5. McMinnville, Tennessee

Rural barn and pasture.

– Total population: 13,605
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.5%



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#4. Elizabethton, Tennessee

Covered bridge in Elizabethton.

– Total population: 14,193
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.5%



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#3. Somerset, Kentucky

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument.

– Total population: 11,225
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.6%



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#2. Parkersburg, West Virginia

Elevated view of Parkersburg.

– Total population: 31,497
– Share of adults who are depressed: 31.7%



Jill Lang // Shutterstock

#1. Middlesborough, Kentucky

Cumberland Gap from Pinnacle Overlook.

– Total population: 10,207
– Share of adults who are depressed: 32.3%

Data reporting by Elena Cox. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. 


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