Which States Have the Biggest Problem with Hair Loss?

Though hair shedding is a natural process everyone goes through — the average person sheds around 50-150 hairs daily — noticeable thinning, bald patches, or hair falling out in clumps can indicate hair loss instead of normal hair shedding.1 And hair loss is far from rare; more than 80% of men and over 50% of women experience significant hair loss, with thinning often starting before middle age.2

We were curious whether different states and regions of the U.S. are confronting this issue more significantly than others, so we analyzed federal health data and geographically specific search trends to conduct a detailed analysis. Read on to learn more about our study's findings, including some factors that may explain why a state earned its ranking.

• New York metro area states are among the most concerned with hair loss. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania all ranked highly, while many West Coast and Midwest states were generally less troubled.
• Low-stress states seem less concerned with hair loss. If you want to keep your hair, could a low-stress work environment be an important factor? Several of the states least troubled with hair loss — Vermont, South Dakota, Maine, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota — are also among the least stressful to work in.37
• Poor air quality may contribute to hair loss. High-ranking hair loss angst in Utah, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, California, Kansas, and Delaware all correlate to lower air quality ratings.23
• Vanity, thy name is… New York? States that have ranked as the most vain were often among those most concerned with hair loss.22
• Alaska is the least troubled by hair loss — by far. One might speculate that the state’s majestic ruggedness inspires its population to care less about cosmetic appearance, but the ranking may also be partially due to the fact that Alaska Natives are one of the populations least affected by hair loss.3
• Sunshine to blame? Some of the least affected states — Alaska, Maine, Oregon, Washington, and Indiana — also receive some of the least sun each year.33 Since UV rays can damage your hair, this may play a role in the states’ lower concern over hair loss.34 35

Though what hair loss is may seem like a question with an obvious answer, there’s actually quite a bit more to it than simply “losing hair.” In fact, there are several different types of hair loss, each with its own variety of causes, potentially effective treatments, presentations, risk factors, and more. So, before we break down the findings of our study, it’s worth covering this information.

With that, let’s go over some of the most common types of hair loss.

What causes hair loss?

There are many possible causes of hair loss, but some of the most common causes include:5

• Your genes (if your relatives have hair loss, you may, too)
• Fungal infections on the scalp
• Intense stress (physical or mental)
• Thyroid disease
• Damaging hair treatments (e.g., bleaching, perms)
• Hormonal changes (e.g., menopause, pregnancy)
• Medical treatments (e.g., medications, chemotherapy, radiation therapy)
• Certain nutritional deficiencies (e.g., iron, protein)
• Tightly-pulled hairstyles

Who is affected by hair loss?

In contrast to the stereotype that hair loss only happens in older men, people of any age, sex, gender, or race can experience hair loss. In fact, most people tend to lose hair density and thickness as they age.14 Some of the risk factors mentioned above may put you at greater risk for hair loss, but no one is immune to potentially developing it.

As you can see, these states are spread across the country; hair loss woes aren’t confined to any one specific region. However, many of these states have also ranked high for other variables that can impact their citizens’ hair — and their views on hair loss. For example:

• New Jersey, which ranks number one for hair loss concern, ranked number two in the U.S. for PFAS levels in the water, and high levels of metal contaminants were recently discovered in one of the state’s largest rivers.15 16 Environmental pollutants have been linked to various types of hair loss.17
• Utah, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, California, Kansas, and Delaware all rank in the bottom half of U.S. states in terms of air quality.23 Research suggests that air pollution may impair hair growth, which could contribute to these states being in the top half of states concerned with hair loss.32
• Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, and New York are noted as having some of the greatest disposable incomes; this could lead to a greater willingness to pursue hair loss treatments.18
• Georgia, Louisiana, and Delaware have some of the largest Black populations in the country.19 And, according to CDC data, the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia is highest in Black non-Hispanic people.20 Iron deficiency can lead to hair loss.21
• Multiple top-ranking states for hair loss concern also ranked high in a 2025 study on vanity. These states include New York, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Illinois.22
• Two states in the top 15 — Louisiana and Tennessee — are in a region of the country dubbed “Tobacco Nation” due to the high prevalence of smoking, which can play a role in the development of androgenetic alopecia.24 25

It’s worth mentioning that some factors noted above also apply to states that don’t express as much of a hair loss problem. For example, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Indiana (some of the least concerned states) also ranked high for air pollution.23 What this ultimately means is that a state’s trouble with hair loss isn’t solely due to one single contributing factor and is a complex picture involving not only the prevalence of the condition but also attitudes surrounding it.

Interestingly, unlike the most concerned states, the bottom 15 are pretty much relegated to the Midwest and West Coast regions of the country; Maine, Vermont, and West Virginia are the only exceptions. The Last Frontier (an ironic nickname in this case) came in last for hair loss concern by a long shot, while the others were a bit closer in their rankings. Alaska’s low level of concern could be due in part to the fact that Alaska Natives are one of the populations least affected by hair loss, followed closely by Indigenous Americans, suggesting a genetic link for those with ancestry reaching back to pre-colonial America.3

Here are some other interesting observations about the least affected states:

• Idaho, Alaska, and Wyoming have some of the highest rates of citizens without health insurance coverage, which could dampen their pursuit of hair loss interventions.26
• Montana, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Oregon have obesity rates on the lower end compared to the rest of the country. Studies suggest that obesity may accelerate hair loss.27 28
• Minnesota and North Dakota are among the top 20 states with the best drinking water quality in the United States, meaning the states’ citizens may not be as impacted by water-based contaminants that can damage hair.29
• Though data is limited at this time, some older research suggests that hair sheds more in the warmer parts of the year than in the colder ones. Seeing as many of the least concerned states are situated in the northern parts of the country and have cooler climates, this may play a role.30 But, again, more research is needed.
• Alaska, Maine, Oregon, Washington, and Indiana receive some of the lowest amounts of sunshine per year.33 While this may not do wonders for people’s vitamin D levels, it could mean fewer cases of hair damage due to UV rays.34 35 36

Additionally, we noticed something interesting regarding a particular hair loss risk factor and the rankings of this study. If you compare the data in this study to that from a previous one our team conducted on the most and least stressful states to work in, a majority of the top ten least stressful states to work in are also some of the least concerned about hair loss. This makes sense because stress can lead to hair loss.38 The eight overlapping states include Vermont, South Dakota, Maine, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota.37

If your state didn’t make the top (or bottom) 15, you may be curious as to where it ended up in our analysis of hair loss concerns. In the chart below, we’ve listed out the rankings of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Whether or not hair loss can be “cured” or reversed highly depends on the type you’re experiencing. For example, one form of hair loss that goes away either on its own or with treatment — the Cleveland Clinic even calls it “temporary hair loss” — is telogen effluvium. This form of hair loss is typically caused by severe physical or mental stress, and it can be acute (lasting fewer than six months) or chronic (lasting longer than six months). If the stress is resolved or properly managed, your hair should grow back in around three to six months.9

Similarly, anagen effluvium — a type of hair loss most often caused by chemotherapy or radiation therapy — is reversible in “most instances” once treatment is discontinued, according to experts. Like telogen effluvium, visible regrowth usually occurs within three to six months. However, it’s worth pointing out that some chemotherapy treatments can lead to persistent hair loss.11

Otherwise, your ability to reverse hair loss depends on whether or not it’s a scarring or nonscarring form — the former of which is permanent.31

The most common types of hair loss, including androgenetic alopecia, are nonscarring, while only 7% of hair loss cases are of the scarring variety.31 So, in many cases, you may be able to reverse your hair loss (or prevent further loss) with proper treatment, especially if caught early, but there isn’t a true “cure” or permanent fix that doesn’t involve continuous use of treatments. Fortunately, there are plenty of well-researched and effective options available, both prescription and over-the-counter.

To create this study, we analyzed Medicare Part D drug prescription claims by state, adjusted and weighted for population. Then we analyzed a year’s worth of geographic patterns for the search volumes of 40 diverse and relevant search queries, cumulatively totaling 800k searches per month. We weighted phrases based on search volume and the clarity of search intent. After normalizing both datasets, we combined the two into the rankings you see here. Additionally, we conducted further research into various reasons as to why certain states ranked higher than others. Some of these reasons include health variables, race and ethnicity, weather, pollution, and social factors.

Innerbody Research is committed to providing objective, science-based suggestions and research to help our readers make more informed decisions regarding health and wellness. We invested the time and effort into creating this report to explore where people across the United States are worrying the most about hair loss. We hope to reach as many people as possible by making this information widely available. As such, please feel free to share our content for educational, editorial, or discussion purposes. We only ask that you link back to this page and credit the author as Innerbody.com.