Autism Rates by State
Nationally, about 1 in 31 eight-year-olds is identified with autism in clinical records, yet public schools serve just 1 in 64 under an autism classification. Where a child lives changes their odds of being counted, and of finding care, by nearly fourfold.
Massachusetts and Minnesota report the highest school identification rates
Each state shaded by its IDEA autism identification rate, ages 5 to 21 (school year 2024-25). Darker means more children are formally identified and served.
Every state, ranked
Sort by any column. Identification rate is the share of children ages 5–21 served under IDEA's autism category. "CDC site" shows clinical prevalence for a monitored community in that state where one exists, a partial area, not the whole state.
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* CDC ADDM sites cover a defined community (often part of one metro or county), not the entire state. Iowa reports special education non-categorically and publishes no autism-specific count. New Mexico did not report an autism count for 2023-24 but did for 2024-25 (6,272 students ages 5 to 21), so it is ranked this year. Arizona's reported autism count fell sharply, from 19,257 in 2023-24 to 13,926 in 2024-25, while its count under "multiple disabilities" rose from 1,792 to 34,953. That pattern likely reflects a change in how the state reports disability categories, so compare Arizona across years with care.