What once may have seemed as an unrealistic prediction is now a fact. The U.S. reported more than 102,000 new coronavirus infections on Nov. 2 – an all-time high for new cases a day. More than 9.5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive, and more than 237,000 have died of COVID-19.
Using data compiled from state and local health departments, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 15 states where cumulative cases of the coronavirus have doubled since the beginning of September, when health experts have warned COVID-19 cases would spike. Some states are reporting their highest ever levels of new daily COVID-19 cases.
Health officials are warning that small household gatherings are driving the current spike in coronavirus cases as colder weather in most of the country pushes people to meet inside. This may help explain why 13 of the 15 states where the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases has doubled in two months are in the northern part of the U.S.
A few states even went from ranking towards the middle in terms of coronavirus cases per capita to having the highest rates of cases per 100,000 residents. For example, South Dakota’s rate of confirmed infections at the beginning of September was 1,625 per 100,000 residents, the 25th lowest in the country. Two months later, it is 5,311 per 100,000 people, the second highest of all states.
While cases are rising in most parts of the country, the extent of the spread of the novel coronavirus continues to vary considerably from state to state. Here is a complete list of the states where the virus is growing the fastest right now.
Click here to see the places where COVID-19 is resurging.
To determine the states where COVID-19 cases have doubled over the past two months, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed case data from state and local health departments. States were ranked based on the percentage increase in cases from Sept. 3, 2020 to Nov. 3, 2020. Cases were adjusted for population using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey. Data on population density was calculated using land area figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Testing data for each state came from various state and local health departments.
15. Minnesota
> Total population: 5,611,179
> Population density: 65 people per square mile — 20th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 100.1%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,392 per 100,000 people — 18th lowest (total: 78,123)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 2,786 per 100,000 people — 25th lowest (total: 156,313)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 21 per 100,000 people — 19th highest (total: 1,171)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 51,393 per 100,000 people — 9th highest (total tests: 2,883,738)
> Positive test rate: 5.4% — 18th lowest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 45 per 100,000 people — 21st lowest (total: 2,499)
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14. Kansas
> Total population: 2,911,510
> Population density: 35 people per square mile — 10th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 103.1%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,509 per 100,000 people — 23rd lowest (total: 43,940)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,065 per 100,000 people — 24th highest (total: 89,227)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 24 per 100,000 people — 14th highest (total: 705)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 22,506 per 100,000 people — 6th lowest (total tests: 655,267)
> Positive test rate: 13.6% — 6th highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 36 per 100,000 people — 14th lowest (total: 1,046)
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13. Idaho
> Total population: 1,754,208
> Population density: 21 people per square mile — 7th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 105.2%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,862 per 100,000 people — 17th highest (total: 32,664)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,821 per 100,000 people — 10th highest (total: 67,024)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 30 per 100,000 people — 7th highest (total: 523)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 22,402 per 100,000 people — 5th lowest (total tests: 392,973)
> Positive test rate: 17.1% — 2nd highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 37 per 100,000 people — 16th lowest (total: 647)
12. Oklahoma
> Total population: 3,943,079
> Population density: 56 people per square mile — 16th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 107.3%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,548 per 100,000 people — 24th lowest (total: 61,027)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,209 per 100,000 people — 21st highest (total: 126,526)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 27 per 100,000 people — 11th highest (total: 1,046)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 42,830 per 100,000 people — 18th highest (total tests: 1,688,812)
> Positive test rate: 7.5% — 23rd highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 35 per 100,000 people — 12th lowest (total: 1,375)
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11. Nebraska
> Total population: 1,929,268
> Population density: 25 people per square mile — 8th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 107.5%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,814 per 100,000 people — 20th highest (total: 34,995)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,764 per 100,000 people — 13th highest (total: 72,620)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 30 per 100,000 people — 8th highest (total: 573)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 31,120 per 100,000 people — 17th lowest (total tests: 600,380)
> Positive test rate: 12.1% — 12th highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 34 per 100,000 people — 11th lowest (total: 656)
Source: Michael Thomas / Getty Images News via Getty Images
10. Missouri
> Total population: 6,126,452
> Population density: 88 people per square mile — 23rd lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 115.0%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,446 per 100,000 people — 19th lowest (total: 88,586)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,108 per 100,000 people — 23rd highest (total: 190,424)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 26 per 100,000 people — 12th highest (total: 1,592)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 25,125 per 100,000 people — 7th lowest (total tests: 1,539,263)
> Positive test rate: 12.4% — 11th highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 50 per 100,000 people — 25th lowest (total: 3,064)
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9. Kentucky
> Total population: 4,468,402
> Population density: 111 people per square mile — 21st highest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 118.9%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,139 per 100,000 people — 14th lowest (total: 50,885)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 2,493 per 100,000 people — 19th lowest (total: 111,379)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 21 per 100,000 people — 18th highest (total: 945)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 43,278 per 100,000 people — 17th highest (total tests: 1,933,819)
> Positive test rate: 5.8% — 21st lowest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 34 per 100,000 people — 10th lowest (total: 1,503)
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8. Utah
> Total population: 3,161,105
> Population density: 37 people per square mile — 11th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 123.9%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,687 per 100,000 people — 23rd highest (total: 53,326)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,776 per 100,000 people — 12th highest (total: 119,375)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 32 per 100,000 people — 6th highest (total: 1,010)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 34,970 per 100,000 people — 24th lowest (total tests: 1,105,427)
> Positive test rate: 10.8% — 16th highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 20 per 100,000 people — 7th lowest (total: 620)
7. West Virginia
> Total population: 1,805,832
> Population density: 75 people per square mile — 22nd lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 136.0%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 601 per 100,000 people — 4th lowest (total: 10,845)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 1,417 per 100,000 people — 6th lowest (total: 25,593)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 13 per 100,000 people — 18th lowest (total: 230)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 44,205 per 100,000 people — 16th highest (total tests: 798,261)
> Positive test rate: 3.2% — 7th lowest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 26 per 100,000 people — 8th lowest (total: 469)
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6. Alaska
> Total population: 737,438
> Population density: 1 people per square mile — the lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 175.2%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 860 per 100,000 people — 9th lowest (total: 6,339)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 2,366 per 100,000 people — 17th lowest (total: 17,448)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 22 per 100,000 people — 15th highest (total: 165)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 84,720 per 100,000 people — the highest (total tests: 624,755)
> Positive test rate: 2.8% — 4th lowest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 11 per 100,000 people — 3rd lowest (total: 84)
Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images News via Getty Images
5. Wisconsin
> Total population: 5,813,568
> Population density: 89 people per square mile — 24th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 205.8%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,339 per 100,000 people — 17th lowest (total: 77,856)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 4,095 per 100,000 people — 4th highest (total: 238,067)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 41 per 100,000 people — 3rd highest (total: 2,404)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 36,123 per 100,000 people — 25th lowest (total tests: 2,100,029)
> Positive test rate: 11.3% — 14th highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 36 per 100,000 people — 15th lowest (total: 2,102)
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4. South Dakota
> Total population: 882,235
> Population density: 11 people per square mile — 5th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 226.8%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,625 per 100,000 people — 25th lowest (total: 14,337)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 5,311 per 100,000 people — 2nd highest (total: 46,858)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 56 per 100,000 people — 2nd highest (total: 496)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 30,061 per 100,000 people — 15th lowest (total tests: 265,210)
> Positive test rate: 17.7% — the highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 51 per 100,000 people — 25th highest (total: 446)
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Source: William Campbell / Getty Images
3. Wyoming
> Total population: 577,737
> Population density: 6 people per square mile — 2nd lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 271.1%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 682 per 100,000 people — 7th lowest (total: 3,939)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 2,530 per 100,000 people — 20th lowest (total: 14,619)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 27 per 100,000 people — 10th highest (total: 154)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 45,821 per 100,000 people — 14th highest (total tests: 264,722)
> Positive test rate: 5.5% — 19th lowest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 16 per 100,000 people — 5th lowest (total: 93)
2. North Dakota
> Total population: 760,077
> Population density: 11 people per square mile — 4th lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 273.6%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 1,662 per 100,000 people — 24th highest (total: 12,629)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 6,208 per 100,000 people — the highest (total: 47,187)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 68 per 100,000 people — the highest (total: 517)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 39,403 per 100,000 people — 23rd highest (total tests: 299,490)
> Positive test rate: 15.8% — 3rd highest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 73 per 100,000 people — 15th highest (total: 555)
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1. Montana
> Total population: 1,062,305
> Population density: 7 people per square mile — 3rd lowest
> Increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases Sept 3 – Nov 3: 346.7%
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Sept 3: 741 per 100,000 people — 8th lowest (total: 7,871)
> Cumulative COVID-19 cases as of Nov 3: 3,310 per 100,000 people — 19th highest (total: 35,159)
> Avg new cases per day from Sept 3 – Nov 3: 38 per 100,000 people — 4th highest (total: 408)
> Tests completed as of Nov 3: 48,246 per 100,000 people — 12th highest (total tests: 512,524)
> Positive test rate: 6.9% — 24th lowest
> Cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Nov 3: 38 per 100,000 people — 17th lowest (total: 399)
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