Which State has the Dirtiest Hospitals?

Hospital patients should be focused on recovery, health, and safety. So, what happens when their surroundings are dirty or infections run rampant?  

While grimy restrooms can be uncomfortable or disturbing, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) may be deadly. A clean hospital helps save lives and ensures that all its inhabitants have a safe environment during stressful times. 

Nursa recently conducted a study on hospital cleanliness, ranking each U.S. state and Washington, D.C. from dirtiest to cleanest. They measured reported infections, inspection write-ups, and patient feedback. The findings are not necessarily comprehensive, as reporting is voluntary in some states and larger states with lots of hospitals tend to have significantly higher infection rates.  

Nursa does not name specific facilities and makes no claim that any single hospital is safe or unsafe.  

Hospitals reported 794,619 infections in 2023 across the country, while nearly 9 percent of patients described restrooms as “sometimes” or “never” clean. Over 13,000 inspection reports used terms like “dirty” or “contaminated” since 2010.  

Here are the top 10 states or districts with the dirtiest hospitals:  

1. Delaware 

2. Washington, D.C. 

3. Alabama 

4. Michigan 

5. Connecticut  

6. North Carolina 

7. North Dakota 

8. Missouri  

9. Maryland  

10. Arizona  

On the other end, these are the 10 states with the cleanest hospitals:  

1. Utah 

2. Hawaii 

3. Nebraska 

4. Indiana 

5. Kansas 

6. Wisconsin 

7. New Hampshire  

8. Alaska 

9. Wyoming 

10. Rhode Island 

Click here for the full findings of the study.