Literacy Rates by State
How students and adults read, in all 50 states and D.C.
The whole U.S.
30%of U.S. 4th graders read at NAEP Proficient
Public schools, 2024. A high bar.
41%of U.S. 4th graders are below NAEP Basic
Public schools, 2024.
29%of U.S. 8th graders read at NAEP Proficient
Public schools, 2024. A high bar.
21.8%of U.S. adults have low literacy (Level 1 or below)
Ages 16–74, likely 20.9–22.7%. NCES estimate, 2012–2017.
Reading scores by state
Pick a measure. Darker means more.
4th graders at NAEP Proficient, by state
Public schools, The Nation’s Report Card (NAEP) 2024. Most to fewest.
- Massachusetts40%
- New Jersey38%
- Colorado36%
- Connecticut36%
- New Hampshire36%
- Utah36%
- Wyoming36%
- Indiana34%
- Maryland34%
- Florida33%
- Kentucky33%
- Pennsylvania33%
- Rhode Island33%
- Hawaii32%
- Idaho32%
- Louisiana32%
- Mississippi32%
- Montana32%
- Ohio32%
- South Carolina32%
- Tennessee32%
- Washington32%
- Minnesota31%
- New York31%
- Vermont31%
- Virginia31%
- Wisconsin31%
- Whole U.S.30%
- District of Columbia30%
- Georgia30%
- Illinois30%
- Nevada30%
- North Carolina30%
- California29%
- Iowa29%
- North Dakota29%
- Alabama28%
- Arkansas28%
- Kansas28%
- Nebraska28%
- South Dakota28%
- Texas28%
- Missouri27%
- Oregon27%
- Arizona26%
- Delaware26%
- Maine26%
- Michigan25%
- West Virginia25%
- Oklahoma23%
- Alaska22%
- New Mexico20%
Bars start at zero; the scale ends at 40%.
Every number in one table
Show the table (51 rows)
| State | 4th graders at NAEP Proficient | 8th graders at NAEP Proficient | 4th graders below NAEP Basic | 8th graders below NAEP Basic | Adults with low literacy (Level 1 or below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 28% | 21% | 42% | 41% | 23.9%20.9–27% |
| Alaska | 22% | 22% | 53% | 43% | 12.7%9.2–16.2% |
| Arizona | 26% | 25% | 47% | 35% | 23.4%19.9–26.5% |
| Arkansas | 28% | 25% | 44% | 35% | 23.1%20.3–26.1% |
| California | 29% | 28% | 44% | 37% | 28.4%25.8–30.9% |
| Colorado | 36% | 35% | 35% | 26% | 16.6%13.8–19.2% |
| Connecticut | 36% | 35% | 37% | 30% | 17.2%13.8–19.8% |
| Delaware | 26% | 23% | 45% | 41% | 20.3%17.2–23.7% |
| District of Columbia | 30% | 25% | 48% | 42% | 22.3%18.2–26.1% |
| Florida | 33% | 25% | 38% | 37% | 23.7%21.1–26.3% |
| Georgia | 30% | 31% | 41% | 32% | 23.6%20.9–26.1% |
| Hawaii | 32% | 29% | 39% | 33% | 15.9%12.2–19.7% |
| Idaho | 32% | 32% | 39% | 29% | 16.4%13–19.8% |
| Illinois | 30% | 33% | 41% | 30% | 20.4%18–22.5% |
| Indiana | 34% | 33% | 35% | 31% | 18.7%16–21.1% |
| Iowa | 29% | 31% | 39% | 28% | 14.9%12–17.8% |
| Kansas | 28% | 25% | 40% | 34% | 16.9%14.4–20% |
| Kentucky | 33% | 29% | 38% | 33% | 21.9%19–25% |
| Louisiana | 32% | 27% | 40% | 34% | 27.1%24.1–30.7% |
| Maine | 26% | 26% | 44% | 35% | 13.4%10–16.9% |
| Maryland | 34% | 33% | 41% | 34% | 20%16.9–23.5% |
| Massachusetts | 40% | 40% | 32% | 25% | 17.3%13.9–21% |
| Michigan | 25% | 24% | 45% | 35% | 17.6%15.1–19.9% |
| Minnesota | 31% | 28% | 39% | 29% | 13.1%10.5–15.4% |
| Mississippi | 32% | 23% | 35% | 36% | 28%24.8–32% |
| Missouri | 27% | 26% | 42% | 35% | 18.9%16.7–21.9% |
| Montana | 32% | 31% | 38% | 30% | 13.1%9.8–16.8% |
| Nebraska | 28% | 27% | 42% | 33% | 16.4%13.9–19.6% |
| Nevada | 30% | 26% | 41% | 38% | 25.3%21.1–29.5% |
| New Hampshire | 36% | 34% | 33% | 26% | 11.5%8.3–14.6% |
| New Jersey | 38% | 38% | 34% | 27% | 20.7%18.1–23.8% |
| New Mexico | 20% | 19% | 53% | 46% | 29.1%24.5–33.8% |
| New York | 31% | 31% | 41% | 35% | 24.4%22.1–26.9% |
| North Carolina | 30% | 27% | 42% | 35% | 21.3%18.8–23.3% |
| North Dakota | 29% | 25% | 38% | 32% | 13.4%10.7–16.8% |
| Ohio | 32% | 32% | 38% | 31% | 17.7%14.9–20.3% |
| Oklahoma | 23% | 20% | 46% | 41% | 20.1%17.3–23.7% |
| Oregon | 27% | 27% | 48% | 35% | 16.8%13.6–20.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 33% | 31% | 38% | 31% | 18.1%15.7–20.2% |
| Rhode Island | 33% | 30% | 39% | 34% | 20.4%16.7–23.9% |
| South Carolina | 32% | 26% | 40% | 36% | 22.4%19.4–24.9% |
| South Dakota | 28% | 29% | 40% | 30% | 14.9%12–18.2% |
| Tennessee | 32% | 31% | 39% | 32% | 21.7%19.2–24.3% |
| Texas | 28% | 25% | 43% | 39% | 28.2%25.6–30.8% |
| Utah | 36% | 31% | 36% | 28% | 14.5%11.4–18.1% |
| Vermont | 31% | 29% | 42% | 33% | 12.8%9.3–16.1% |
| Virginia | 31% | 29% | 42% | 34% | 18.8%16.5–21.6% |
| Washington | 32% | 31% | 39% | 31% | 16.1%13.3–19.5% |
| West Virginia | 25% | 21% | 47% | 42% | 20.9%17.4–24.3% |
| Wisconsin | 31% | 31% | 39% | 30% | 15.3%12.6–18.1% |
| Wyoming | 36% | 29% | 32% | 30% | 13.6%10.3–17.4% |
| Whole U.S. | 30% | 29% | 41% | 34% | 21.8%20.9–22.7% |
How to read these numbers
Two different measures, from two NCES sources.
Students
The Nation’s Report Card (NAEP), 2024
NAEP Proficient means solid academic performance on challenging material. It is a high bar and is not the same as reading at grade level.
Adults
NCES adult skills estimates (PIAAC), 2012–2017
Model estimates for ages 16 to 74, each with a likely range. Low literacy is not the same as dyslexia.
About the NAEP numbers, and sources (7)
Public school students only. "US" is NAEP's National public figure, the group NAEP compares states against. NAEP's national headlines include private schools and can differ by about a point (2024 grade 4 at or above Proficient: 31% all schools, 30% public). NAEP Proficient is a high bar. NAEP says it does not represent grade-level proficiency as set by state tests, so do not call these numbers "reading on grade level". Below NAEP Basic describes a group of students, not a diagnosis of dyslexia or of any child. NAEP achievement levels are to be used on a trial basis and interpreted with caution. All figures are estimates from samples, so small differences between states, or between a state and the nation, may not be statistically significant. Avoid strict rankings. Whole numbers as NAEP publishes them (rounded from unrounded estimates), so level percentages may not sum exactly. Scores are on NAEP's 0–500 reading scale. 2024 is the latest NAEP reading assessment released. Grade 4 and 8 results from 2026 are due in early 2027; they go in a new file.
- NAEP Data Service API (The Nation's Report Card)
- NAEP Data Service API documentation
- NAEP Reading 2024 State Snapshot Reports (NCES 2024220)
- NAEP State Profiles: State Comparisons, reading 2024
- 2024 NAEP Reading Report Card, grades 4 and 8
- National Assessment Governing Board: NAEP reading and math one-pager (2025)
- NCES blog: What's on the Horizon for the 2026 Nation's Report Card (January 21, 2026)
About the adult estimates, and sources (8)
Model-based estimates (small area estimation), not test results for each place. NCES combined PIAAC surveys from 2012, 2014 and 2017 with Census ACS 2013–2017 data. "year" is 2017, the newest data in the pool. These are still the newest state and county estimates NCES has published. Adults aged 16–74 in households, including adults whose English was too limited to take the test. At or below Level 1 is not a measure of dyslexia. Show the 95% credible interval (lit_level1_or_below_low and _high) with every estimate, as NCES advises. Places whose intervals overlap may not really differ. Percentages keep the one decimal of the NCES download (0.218 = 21.8%). NCES pages show whole numbers, so a value ending in .5 may appear rounded either way there. Not comparable with PIAAC national results, which cover ages 16–65 and leave out adults who could not take the test. Newer national data: PIAAC Cycle 2 found adults aged 16–65 at Level 1 or below in literacy rose from 19% (2017) to 28% (2023), so these figures probably understate low literacy today. NCES said Cycle 2 state and county estimates would be available in 2026; none were found on NCES websites as of 2026-10-12. "US" is the NCES national model-based estimate, built from the county estimates. DC is included as a state.
- U.S. PIAAC Skills Map data download (SAE_website_dataset.xlsx)
- U.S. PIAAC Skills Map: State and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Numeracy (NCES)
- NCES: U.S. State and County Estimates resources and FAQ
- PIAAC Small Area Estimation: Guidance for Using State and County Estimates of Adult Skills
- PIAAC State and County Estimation Methodology Report (NCES 2020-225)
- NCES PIAAC data files
- Highlights of the 2023 U.S. PIAAC Results (Cycle 2, national only)
- Comparison Charts of State and County Estimates: U.S. States (NCES, 2020)
Questions about literacy rates
Which state has the highest reading scores?
In 2024, Massachusetts (40%) had the largest share of 4th graders at NAEP Proficient, then New Jersey (38%). In 8th grade: Massachusetts (40%), then New Jersey (38%). NAEP results are estimates from samples, so states a point or two apart may not really differ.
Which states have the lowest reading scores?
In 2024, the smallest shares of 4th graders at NAEP Proficient were in New Mexico (20%) and Alaska (22%). In 8th grade: New Mexico (19%) and Oklahoma (20%). NAEP results are estimates from samples, so states a point or two apart may not really differ.
What is the adult literacy rate in the United States?
NCES estimates that 21.8% of U.S. adults ages 16 to 74 (likely between 20.9% and 22.7%) read at or below Level 1, from surveys in 2012–2017. NCES says these adults may struggle to use or understand print; at best they read short texts and fill out a short form, but inferences or combining texts may be too hard.
Which states have the most adults with low literacy?
By NCES estimates, New Mexico (29.1%, likely 24.5–33.8%), California (28.4%, likely 25.8–30.9%), and Texas (28.2%, likely 25.6–30.8%). Places whose ranges overlap may not really differ.
Does NAEP Proficient mean reading on grade level?
No. NAEP's mark for solid, competent work at a grade level. NAEP says it is a high bar and not the same as being on grade level.