Depression can affect anyone in any place, though new data shows some areas of the U.S. have more incidences of the anxiety disorder.
Researchers at nursing information and education outlet CEUfast reviewed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find the cities with the highest numbers of residents who have been been told they have any form of depression.
Top 15 most depressed cities/metros in the U.S., according to CEUfast are:
| Rank | City/metropolitan area | Percentage of depressed residents |
| 1. | Billings, Montana | 31% |
| 2. | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 30.6% |
| 3. | Knoxville, Tennessee | 30.2% |
| 4. | Charleston, West Virginia | 29% |
| 5. | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | 27.3% |
| 6. | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 27.2% |
| 7. | Madison, Wisconsin | 26.9% |
| 8. | Salem, Oregon | 25.9% |
| 9. | Chattanooga, TN/Duluth, Minnesota (tie) | 25.8% |
| 10. | Lafayette, Louisiana | 25.8% |
| 11. | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 25.4% |
| 12. | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 25% |
| 13. | Boise City, Idaho | 24.9% |
| 14. | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 24.8% |
| 15. | Springfield, MA | 24.7% |
You can find the full 50-city list here and in the interactive map below.
Based on the data, the U.S. city with the most depression is Billings, Montana. CEUFast says about 31% of residents out of a population of 181,000 have been told they’re depressed by a professional. Meanwhile, Kingsport, Tennessee, ranks second, with 30.6% of residents told they have depression.
Of the top 50 cities that are considered to be “most depressed,” none of them are in California,
Depression in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 4.7% of adults (ages 18 and older) deal with depression. There were about 45,979 deaths by suicide in 2020, CDC says.
If you’re experiencing symptoms or think you may be experiencing symptoms of depression, you should seek help from a medical professional. If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, you can call or visit the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day/seven days a week.