These 50 cities have the highest STI rates in the US 

A new analysis of data from the CDC has produced a list of the 50 metropolitan areas with the highest STI rates in the US. 

As we’ve reported before, STI rates have continued to increase over the last decade. While HIV transmission has eased somewhat, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have rocketed. Gay men are disproportionately impacted. 

In 2022, across the US, around 1 in 130 people were diagnosed with an STI. However, that’s the average. In some locations, the number was far greater. 

Health research firm Innerbody broke down the data state-by-state to work out which cities and towns reported the highest number of diagnoses. 

The worst place for STIs, perhaps surprisingly is Philadelphia. One in 65 residents were diagnosed with an infection in 2022 in the city of brotherly love.

This was followed by Memphis (TN), Jackson (MI) and New Orleans, LA. St. Louis (MO), rounded off the top five.

In terms of gay hotspots, San Francisco (CA) came in eighth place. 

If you want to move somewhere with low STD rates, placing 100th in the ranking is Provo, Utah. The city has a high Mormon population, and only 300 out of every 100,000 residents were diagnosed with an STD (well below the 751 average or the 1,504 per 100k in Philadelphia). 

The full top 50 (with case numbers per 100,000 residents) is as follows.

1. Philadelphia, PA (1,504 STD Cases per 100,000 residents)
2. Memphis, TN (1,498)
3. Jackson, MS (1,490)
4. New Orleans, LA (1,450)
5. St. Louis, MO (1,423)
6. Baton Rouge, LA (1,332)
7. Montgomery, AL (1,323)
8. San Francisco, CA (1,285)
9. Detroit, MI (1,267)
10. Washington, DC (1,266)
11. Little Rock, AR (1,252)
12. Norfolk, VA (1,252)
13. Portland, OR (1,244)
14. Mobile, AL (1,234)
15. Cleveland, OH (1,228)
16. Miami, FL (1,221)
17. Minneapolis, MN (1,201)
18. Laredo, TX (1,184)
19. San Antonio, TX (1,178)
20. Milwaukee, WI (1,172)
21. Columbia, SC (1,166)
22. Richmond, VA (1,154)
23. Fort Lauderdale, FL (1,100)
24. Lexington, KY (1,068)
25. Augusta, GA (1,060 STD Cases per 100,000 residents)
26. Tampa, FL (1,060)
27. Nashville, TN (1,045)
28. Charlotte, NC (1,044)
29. Oakland, CA (1,027)
30. Corpus Christi, TX (1,019)
31. Knoxville, TN (1,009)
32. Indianapolis, IN (1,003)
33. Greensboro, NC (1,002)
34. Orlando, FL (1,000)
35. Tucson, AZ (996)
36. New York, NY (979)
37. Atlanta, GA (977)
38. Phoenix, AZ (970)
39. Austin, TX (969)
40. Albuquerque, NM (959)
41. Bakersfield, CA (953)
42. Kansas City, MO (952)
43. Des Moines, IA (942)
44. Houston, TX (940)
45. Los Angeles, CA (924)
46. Fresno, CA (918)
47. Oklahoma, OK (900)
48. Toledo, OH (889)
49. Wichita, KS (864)
50. Dallas, TX (861)

The southern states are disproportionately represented. Seventeen of the top 25 cities are in the south. This trend has previously been noted in regard to HIV transmission.

Baltimore missing

One area not included in the list is Baltimore, Maryland. In the previous year (2021), it had placed fourth on this list. This prompted the CDC to divert $1 million in funding to the area to help it fight STI rates. Innerbody does not know why the city was unable to provide its 2022 data. 

To help reduce STI rates, Innerbody points to guidance from the US Department of Health and Human Services. This encourages local health departments to partner with pharmacies and clinics to increase easy access to STD testing and treatment, and to explore the potential of telehealth and telemedicine. It also wants to see more express clinics that offer instant testing without the need for full examinations. 

STI rates dipped in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. However, the 2022 figures showed a return to pre-Covid levels. There were 710,000 new cases of gonorrhea, and 1.6 million of chlamydia, while syphilis rates have risen by 28.6 percent in just a year.

Gay men are advised to have a sexual health check-up at least once a year, regardless of whether they have any symptoms. If you have multiple partners, get tested once every three months.