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Disability

Hearing disability

12.1 million people in the U.S. (3.6% of those all ages) have a hearing difficulty. It affects 13.4% of people 65 and over and 0.5% of children.

What the Census asks: Deaf or serious difficulty hearing.

At a glance

People with this difficulty
12.1 million
Share of people all ages
3.6%
Age 65 and over
13.4%
Children (under 18)
0.5%

Map by county

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By age

Share with a hearing difficulty, by age group (number of people)
  • Under 50.4% 83,508
  • 5–170.6% 316,889
  • 18–340.9% 673,580
  • 35–642.6% 3,356,112
  • 65–748.3% 2,838,682
  • 75 and over21.0% 4,812,480

Who treats it

Together: 30.8 of these clinicians for every 10,000 people with a hearing difficulty.

Clinicians registered with this primary specialty and a practice address, as on our maps. Many other clinicians, such as family doctors, also care for people with this difficulty.

By state

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Specialists per person with this difficulty

Number of Audiologists and ENT (Otolaryngology) per 10,000 people with a hearing difficulty. Lower means each specialist has more people to serve.

The 10 states with the fewest specialists per person with this difficulty
StatePer 10,000SpecialistsPeople with the difficulty
Puerto Rico12.4194155,938
Nevada15.7198126,373
New Mexico19.1212111,081
Kentucky19.7434220,733
Oklahoma19.8408206,146
Arkansas21.1312147,804
Wyoming21.26430,231
Mississippi21.3266124,867
Idaho21.919187,360
West Virginia22.0223101,535
All states
States from fewest to most specialists per person with this difficulty
StatePer 10,000SpecialistsPeople with the difficulty
Puerto Rico12.4194155,938
Nevada15.7198126,373
New Mexico19.1212111,081
Kentucky19.7434220,733
Oklahoma19.8408206,146
Arkansas21.1312147,804
Wyoming21.26430,231
Mississippi21.3266124,867
Idaho21.919187,360
West Virginia22.0223101,535
Montana22.012757,812
Alabama24.0528219,675
Hawaii24.513555,139
Arizona24.6747303,922
South Carolina25.0513205,544
Maine25.917768,276
Alaska26.09034,644
Texas26.72,663998,782
Florida26.82,256842,820
Georgia26.8959357,608
Delaware27.410337,545
Oregon27.6540195,847
New Hampshire27.915957,017
California28.63,3541,174,745
Tennessee28.9842291,306
Indiana29.7764257,350
Virginia30.1860286,066
Kansas30.2359118,864
Louisiana30.4588193,371
Michigan30.71,154376,232
Rhode Island30.911637,494
New Jersey32.6807247,858
Missouri32.6832255,411
Iowa32.6393120,445
North Carolina33.01,310397,083
Washington33.11,005303,708
Vermont33.39729,115
Pennsylvania33.71,629483,280
Wisconsin35.6744209,188
Ohio36.21,598440,997
North Dakota36.510829,563
Illinois38.51,484385,900
Nebraska39.529875,365
South Dakota39.914035,049
Minnesota40.4789195,368
Connecticut42.8468109,451
Utah43.0437101,654
New York44.72,548569,868
Colorado45.5939206,560
Massachusetts48.31,053218,131
Maryland49.6850171,320
District of Columbia134.718613,810

Counties with the highest share

  1. Dickenson County, Virginia 15.1%
  2. Buchanan County, Virginia 14.3%
  3. Wyoming County, West Virginia 12.8%
  4. Pushmataha County, Oklahoma 12.7%
  5. Rincón Municipio, Puerto Rico 12.5%
  6. Stone County, Arkansas 12.5%
  7. Russell County, Virginia 12.2%
  8. Sierra County, New Mexico 12.1%
  9. Mingo County, West Virginia 11.4%
  10. Socorro County, New Mexico 11.4%

Counties where at least 10,000 people were counted; survey estimates for smaller counties have wide margins of error.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 (tables B18101–B18107), civilian population living in the community (not in nursing homes or other institutions). People report their own difficulties, or a household member reports for them. Totals are the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, as on the map. Specialists: NPPES NPI Registry, the same counts as our specialty pages.