State Profile

Florida

Population (2019): 21,477 million

Florida’s public health outcomes generally lag those of the United States, but it has taken several steps that strengthened its preparedness for public health emergencies. Deaths owed to drug misuse, alcohol, or suicide outpace the country as a whole. Its rates of obesity and related conditions indicate a mixed picture, with the percentage of adults with obesity lower than the U.S. median, even as rates of diabetes and hypertension rank high. Finally, the state achieved a score of six out of a possible 10 measures of public health preparedness for diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism.