Meth Arrests Rankings by State
The following table ranks all 50 U.S. states by their drug bust rate per 100,000 residents, which is the closest available proxy for methamphetamine-related arrests,
as most states do not break down arrest data by drug type in publicly available statistics.
States with the highest rates are most likely to have significant meth-related law enforcement activity, particularly in regions known for meth production and use.
Top and Bottom States for Drug Arrests
Rank | State | Drug Bust Rate per 100,000 |
---|---|---|
1 | West Virginia | 1,093.9 |
2 | Kentucky | 895.4 |
3 | Ohio | 780.0 |
4 | Tennessee | 767.0 |
5 | Missouri | 729.4 |
6 | Oklahoma | 720.3 |
7 | New Mexico | 691.6 |
8 | Arizona | 659.3 |
9 | Indiana | 646.4 |
10 | Louisiana | 623.8 |
11 | Arkansas | 613.2 |
12 | Alabama | 591.4 |
13 | Michigan | 565.7 |
14 | Florida | 561.7 |
15 | Georgia | 541.7 |
16 | Nevada | 535.7 |
17 | South Carolina | 524.7 |
18 | North Carolina | 507.8 |
19 | Texas | 497.6 |
20 | Mississippi | 487.2 |
21 | Virginia | 480.7 |
22 | California | 455.6 |
23 | Illinois | 449.8 |
24 | Maryland | 446.1 |
25 | Colorado | 441.7 |
26 | Pennsylvania | 429.5 |
27 | Massachusetts | 420.5 |
28 | Washington | 413.6 |
29 | Minnesota | 408.0 |
30 | Wisconsin | 403.8 |
31 | New Jersey | 398.3 |
32 | New York | 387.8 |
33 | Oregon | 355.6 |
34 | Iowa | 344.8 |
35 | Utah | 343.1 |
36 | Kansas | 326.1 |
37 | Nebraska | 310.1 |
38 | Idaho | 279.8 |
39 | New Hampshire | 257.4 |
40 | Maine | 223.2 |
41 | South Dakota | 226.1 |
42 | Alaska | 205.1 |
43 | North Dakota | 196.8 |
44 | Montana | 187.1 |
45 | Vermont | 160.3 |
46 | Hawaii | 127.0 |
47 | Rhode Island | 94.4 |
48 | Wyoming | 86.4 |
Note: The table is based on total drug bust rates, which include meth but also other substances. States at the top of the list (West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma) are widely recognized for high meth activity and arrests.