Average Daily COVID Cases Are Highest in These 6 States

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Total confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. have surpassed 14.1 million. The seven-day average of cases in the country has been rising sharply since early October, after declining from late July and flattening out from late August, according to data compiled by Worldometer.

Here we look at six states that reported the highest average daily cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, according to the latest report Thursday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Case data below is from Johns Hopkins University and the CDC, while the population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau.

South Dakota

  • Average daily cases per 100,000 in last 7 days: 98.1
  • Total confirmed cases: 83,348
  • Total population: 884,659

The seven-day average of cases in South Dakota statistically declined in the recent two-week period from November 30 to December 3. However, the figure rose sharply from early August, after peaking at 1,458 on November 11, after remaining flat from late March, according to Johns Hopkins.

Minnesota

  • Average daily cases per 100,000 in last 7 days: 97.2
  • Total confirmed cases: 333,626
  • Total population: 5,639,632

The average case count in Minnesota also statistically declined in the latest two-week period, However, the figure has been rising sharply from mid-September, peaking at 7,052 on November 17, after flattening out for months from late April, according to Johns Hopkins.

Wyoming

  • Average daily cases per 100,000 in last 7 days: 92.6
  • Total confirmed cases: 35,046
  • Total population: 578,759

The average case tally in Wyoming statistically decreased in the latest 14-day window. But the figure rose sharply from early September, peaking at 891 on November 20, after remaining flat from late March, according to Johns Hopkins.

Nebraska

  • Average daily cases per 100,000 in last 7 days: 92.2
  • Total confirmed cases: 134,710
  • Total population: 1,934,408

The seven-day average of cases statistically increased in the recent two-week period. However, the figure declined from mid-November, when it peaked at 2,391 on November 17, after increasing sharply from early October. The figure flattened out from mid-April to late September, according to Johns Hopkins.

2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally South Dakota
People walk along Main Street during the 80th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 8. The state reported the highest average daily COVID-19 case count per 100,000 people in the last... Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Rhode Island

  • Average daily cases per 100,000 in last 7 days: 90.4
  • Total confirmed cases: 60,722
  • Total population: 1,059,361

The average case count in Rhode Island has been rising sharply since early October, peaking at 1,692 on December 3, after flattening out from early June, according to Johns Hopkins.

New Mexico

  • Average daily cases per 100,000 in last 7 days: 87.7
  • Total confirmed cases: 102,862
  • Total population: 2,096,829

The average case tally in New Mexico statistically dropped in the latest 14-day period. The figure has been rising sharply since late September, peaking at 2,671 on November 20, after flattening out for months since mid-April, according to Johns Hopkins.

The graphic below, produced by Statista, shows the spread of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

U.S. COVID cases
STATISTA

The wider picture

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 65.3 million people since it was first reported in Wuhan, China.

More than 1.5 million people have died worldwide and more than 42 million have recovered as of Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The graphic below, produced by Statista, shows the number of current COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

hospitalization graphic
Statista

The graphic below, provided by Statista, shows the distribution of COVID-19 deaths among the U.S. population.

COVID-19 elderly patients in U.S.
STATISTA

About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean


Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more