What loneliness looks like across the U.S.
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A recent report offers new insight into where loneliness is most common across the U.S. People who report feeling always lonely are more concentrated in parts of the Sun Belt, especially Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia, areas that also tend to have higher poverty rates. Meanwhile, states like Minnesota, Vermont, Iowa, and Utah, along with Washington, D.C., rank among the places where people are rarely lonely. These areas also show higher levels of volunteering and community involvement. The findings suggest that loneliness may be more closely linked to levels of social, economic, and community support than previously thought.
Source
Jeste DV, Lee EE, Cacioppo S. Battling the Modern Behavioral Epidemic of Loneliness: Suggestions for Research and Interventions. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 1;77(6):553-554. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0027. Erratum in: JAMA Psychiatry. 2024 Aug 1;81(8):846. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1844. PMID: 32129811; PMCID: PMC7483387.
Additional Reading
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/21/loneliness-epidemic-young-adults/