U.S. Chronic Absenteeism by State 2026: Statistics, Charts & Rankings
State rankings use the latest fully comparable federal state-level file available for publication: school year 2022–23. Chronic absenteeism counts students who missed 10% or more of the school days for which they were enrolled.
The reported rate and the number of students affected measure different parts of the attendance problem. A smaller jurisdiction can rank high by percentage while a large state can account for far more chronically absent students at a lower rate.
2022–23 Attendance Snapshot
Federal aggregate values and the 51-jurisdiction ranking use related but not identical coverage.
Highest Reported Chronic Absenteeism Rates
The chart displays the 15 highest percentages in the 2022–23 federal file. The full 51-jurisdiction ranking follows.
Rank is based on the reported percentage, not the number of students affected. Equal published percentages share the same rank.
High-rate concentration
- Five ranked jurisdictions reported rates of 40% or higher.
- The West accounts for 10 of the 15 jurisdictions displayed in the chart.
- The spread between the highest and 15th-highest reported rates is 13.4 percentage points.
Complete State and District of Columbia Ranking
“Students reported” is the denominator supplied in the federal file rather than a separate fall enrollment measure.
| Rank | State | Rate | Chronically absent | Students reported | Vs. 51-area rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 46.7% | 36,908 | 79,094 | +19.0 pp |
| 2 | Oregon | 43.8% | 238,522 | 545,059 | +16.1 pp |
| 3 | New Mexico | 43.1% | 131,026 | 303,934 | +15.4 pp |
| 4 | Alaska | 42.5% | 54,262 | 127,612 | +14.8 pp |
| 5 | Arizona | 41.2% | 458,493 | 1,112,835 | +13.5 pp |
| 6 | Nevada | 38.5% | 181,917 | 472,334 | +10.8 pp |
| 7 | Montana | 35.9% | 53,758 | 149,813 | +8.2 pp |
| 8 | New York | 34.8% | 849,559 | 2,444,443 | +7.1 pp |
| 9 | Washington | 34.7% | 371,002 | 1,068,632 | +7.0 pp |
| 10 | Wyoming | 34.1% | 31,243 | 91,727 | +6.4 pp |
| 11 | Florida | 33.8% | 949,623 | 2,807,024 | +6.1 pp |
| 11 | West Virginia | 33.8% | 79,798 | 236,053 | +6.1 pp |
| 13 | Colorado | 33.6% | 281,429 | 838,633 | +5.9 pp |
| 13 | Hawaii | 33.6% | 56,685 | 168,634 | +5.9 pp |
| 15 | Michigan | 33.3% | 462,519 | 1,387,222 | +5.6 pp |
| 16 | Maryland | 32.4% | 278,793 | 859,242 | +4.7 pp |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 32.4% | 42,897 | 132,501 | +4.7 pp |
| 18 | Ohio | 30.8% | 503,036 | 1,635,061 | +3.1 pp |
| 19 | Illinois | 29.7% | 528,325 | 1,775,940 | +2.0 pp |
| 20 | North Carolina | 28.7% | 436,225 | 1,519,183 | +1.0 pp |
| 21 | Maine | 28.5% | 46,318 | 162,716 | +0.8 pp |
| 22 | Kentucky | 28.0% | 177,393 | 633,275 | +0.3 pp |
| 23 | Vermont | 27.8% | 20,061 | 72,135 | +0.1 pp |
| 24 | California | 27.7% | 1,614,867 | 5,837,868 | 0.0 pp |
| 25 | Minnesota | 27.3% | 231,125 | 846,192 | -0.4 pp |
| 26 | Utah | 26.5% | 179,010 | 675,367 | -1.2 pp |
| 26 | Mississippi | 26.5% | 114,533 | 431,945 | -1.2 pp |
| 28 | Georgia | 26.2% | 445,966 | 1,701,885 | -1.5 pp |
| 29 | South Carolina | 25.2% | 192,035 | 762,287 | -2.5 pp |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 24.8% | 40,488 | 163,303 | -2.9 pp |
| 31 | Iowa | 24.7% | 118,757 | 481,581 | -3.0 pp |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 24.3% | 161,011 | 663,245 | -3.4 pp |
| 32 | Delaware | 24.3% | 33,882 | 139,183 | -3.4 pp |
| 34 | Kansas | 24.2% | 111,989 | 462,249 | -3.5 pp |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 24.0% | 185,756 | 772,422 | -3.7 pp |
| 36 | Indiana | 23.7% | 240,045 | 1,013,241 | -4.0 pp |
| 37 | Tennessee | 23.6% | 230,021 | 972,857 | -4.1 pp |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | 23.3% | 388,752 | 1,665,050 | -4.4 pp |
| 39 | Texas | 23.0% | 1,205,997 | 5,250,158 | -4.7 pp |
| 40 | Massachusetts | 22.8% | 201,406 | 882,811 | -4.9 pp |
| 41 | Arkansas | 22.7% | 107,936 | 476,480 | -5.0 pp |
| 42 | Alabama | 22.6% | 164,755 | 727,685 | -5.1 pp |
| 42 | Nebraska | 22.6% | 70,104 | 309,723 | -5.1 pp |
| 44 | South Dakota | 22.5% | 31,092 | 138,089 | -5.2 pp |
| 45 | Louisiana | 21.0% | 145,335 | 692,495 | -6.7 pp |
| 46 | North Dakota | 20.9% | 24,067 | 115,421 | -6.8 pp |
| 47 | Missouri | 20.5% | 175,336 | 857,065 | -7.2 pp |
| 48 | Connecticut | 19.3% | 92,878 | 482,362 | -8.4 pp |
| 49 | Virginia | 19.1% | 234,594 | 1,226,185 | -8.6 pp |
| 50 | Idaho | 16.9% | 53,057 | 313,626 | -10.8 pp |
| 51 | New Jersey | 16.7% | 217,387 | 1,299,468 | -11.0 pp |
Rate, rank, and scale
- 18 jurisdictions reported rates above 30%: 17 states and the District of Columbia.
- California sits near the 51-area weighted rate by percentage but reports the largest chronically absent student count at 1,614,867.
- Four states reported rates below 20%: New Jersey, Idaho, Virginia, and Connecticut.
Rate Distribution Across the 51 Ranked Jurisdictions
Rate bands show where state percentages cluster without treating small rank gaps as large performance differences.
The middle and upper bands are equally large
- The 20.0%–24.9% band contains 18 jurisdictions.
- The combined 30.0%–39.9% and 40%-or-higher bands also contain 18 jurisdictions.
Regional Weighted Rate and Median
Weighted rates reflect student counts. Medians give each jurisdiction equal weight.
Regions follow the four-region U.S. Census grouping, with the District of Columbia assigned to the South.
The West remains highest under both measures
- The West has a student-weighted rate of 31.7% and a median jurisdiction rate of 34.7%.
- The Northeast and South have nearly identical weighted rates of 26.0%, despite different internal spreads.
- The South contains both the highest-ranked jurisdiction and one of the four states below 20%.
Regional Spread and Student Count
Weighted rate, median, range, and student count reveal different parts of the regional distribution.
| Region | Jurisdictions | Weighted rate | Median rate | Lowest rate | Highest rate | Chronically absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 9 | 26.0% | 24.8% | 16.7% | 34.8% | 1,899,746 |
| Midwest | 12 | 27.4% | 24.1% | 20.5% | 33.3% | 2,682,151 |
| South | 17 | 26.0% | 25.2% | 19.1% | 46.7% | 4,994,805 |
| West | 13 | 31.7% | 34.7% | 16.9% | 43.8% | 3,705,271 |
Regional averages hide wide internal ranges
- The South spans from 19.1% in Virginia to 46.7% in the District of Columbia.
- The Northeast has the lowest regional weighted rate, while New York remains above 34%.
- The West reports fewer chronically absent students than the South but a higher student-weighted rate.
Rate and Student Count Answer Different Questions
The percentage measures prevalence. The student count measures the scale of the affected population.
Highest rate
The District of Columbia reports the highest rate at 46.7%, representing 36,908 chronically absent students.
Largest student count
California reports 1,614,867 chronically absent students at a rate of 27.7%.
Second-largest count
Texas reports 1,205,997 chronically absent students even though its 23.0% rate ranks 39th.
Third-largest count
Florida reports 949,623 chronically absent students and a rate of 33.8%.
Measurement Boundaries
Attendance measures that appear similar are not interchangeable.
Chronic absenteeism rate
Share of reported students who missed 10% or more of enrolled school days for any recorded reason.
Chronically absent student count
Number of students meeting the threshold. It rises with both prevalence and the size of the student population.
Truancy
Usually centers on unexcused absences and state attendance law. It is narrower than chronic absenteeism.
Average daily attendance
Measures the average share of students present on a typical day. A high daily average can coexist with many students crossing the chronic absence threshold.
What the State Distribution Shows
The ranking describes reported attendance patterns for one school year. It does not measure the cause of absence or overall school system quality.
Rate and count produce different leaders
High-rate jurisdictions are not always the places with the largest number of students affected. Population scale changes the order sharply.
Small rank gaps can reflect rounding
Published state rates use one decimal place. Jurisdictions with the same displayed percentage share a rank.
Regional averages do not describe every state
Each Census region contains a wide rate range. The regional weighted rate can also be pulled toward larger state systems.
The federal aggregate has broader coverage
The published U.S. row includes Puerto Rico and the Bureau of Indian Education. The main ranking is limited to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Data Coverage and Measurement
U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts and Ed Data Express, chronic absenteeism state-level data, FS195 / DG814.
School year 2022–23, the latest fully comparable federal state-level file available for the 2026 edition.
Unduplicated number of students absent 10% or more school days during the school year.
50 states and the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico and the Bureau of Indian Education are excluded from the ranking.
The published U.S. aggregate includes the 51 ranked jurisdictions plus Puerto Rico and the Bureau of Indian Education.
Four U.S. Census regions. The District of Columbia is grouped with the South.
Jurisdictions are sorted by the published chronic absenteeism rate. Tied percentages share the same competition rank.
The 50-state-plus-D.C. rate and regional weighted rates are calculated from reported counts. Regional medians give each jurisdiction equal weight.
Rates are displayed to one decimal place. Percentage-point differences are calculated from the 51-jurisdiction weighted rate before display rounding.
State rules for enrolled days, partial days, excused absences, disciplinary removals, and minimum enrollment periods may affect reported values.
The 2026 label identifies the publication edition, not the school year of the observations. No 2025–26 values are estimated or projected.
This ranking orders jurisdictions by one reported attendance indicator. It does not establish why students were absent, compare intervention quality, or support causal claims about state policy.