The delta covid wave carves a dividing line across the country defined by one rule: Regions with more vaccinations have fewer hospitalizations.
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
High vaccination,
high hospitalizations
Share of
population
fully
vaccinated
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
60%
50
40
0
8
12
16
Admitted covid-19
patients per
100 hospital beds
Bend, Ore., area
56 percent vaccinated
29 patients per 100 beds
Wash.
N.D.
Mont.
Ore.
Idaho
S.D.
Wyo.
Neb.
Nev.
Calif.
Utah
Colo.
Kan.
Ariz.
N.M.
Bakersfield, Calif., area has the highest hospitalization rate outside of the South: 31 patients per 100 beds. .
Tex.
Alaska
Hawaii
Madison, Wisc., area
62 percent vaccinated
6 patients per 100 beds.
N.D.
Mont.
Minn.
Wisc.
S.D.
Wyo.
Iowa
Neb.
Ohio
Ill.
Ind.
Colo.
Kan.
Mo.
Ky.
Tenn.
Okla.
Ark.
N.M.
Ala.
Miss.
Tex.
La.
Waco, Tex., area
39 percent vaccinated
37 patients per 100 beds
No data available
Albany, N.Y., area
61 percent vaccinated
7 patients per 100 beds
Maine
Minn.
Vt.
N.H.
N.Y.
Mass.
Wisc.
Conn.
Mich.
R.I.
Pa.
Iowa
N.J.
Ohio
Del.
Ill.
Ind.
D.C.
W.V.
Md.
Va.
Mo.
Ky.
N.C.
Tenn.
Ark.
Spartanburg, S.C., area has the highest hospitalization rate in the country: 38 patients per 100 beds.
S.C.
Ga.
Ala.
Miss.
La.
Fla.
Fort Myers, Fla., area
56 percent vaccinated
21 patients per 100 beds
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
High vaccination,
high hospitalizations
Share of
population
fully vaccinated
60%
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
50
40
0
8
12
16
Admitted covid-19 patients per
100 hospital beds
Bend, Ore., area
56 percent vaccinated
29 patients per 100 beds
Wash.
Mont.
Ore.
Idaho
Wyo.
Nev.
Calif.
Utah
Colo.
Ariz.
N.M.
Bakersfield, Calif., area has the highest hospitalization rate outside of the South: 31 patients per 100 beds.
Tex.
Alaska
Hawaii
Madison, Wisc., area
62 percent vaccinated
6 patients per 100 beds
N.D.
Mont.
Minn.
Wisc.
S.D.
Mich.
Wyo.
Iowa
Neb.
Ill.
Ind.
Colo.
Kan.
Mo.
Ky.
Tenn.
Okla.
Ark.
N.M.
Miss.
Tex.
La.
Waco, Tex., area
39 percent vaccinated
37 patients per 100 beds
No data available
Albany, N.Y., area
61 percent vaccinated
7 patients per 100 beds
Maine
Vt.
N.H.
Mass.
Wisc.
N.Y.
R.I.
Mich.
Conn.
Pa.
N.J.
Ohio
Md.
Ill.
Del.
Ind.
D.C.
W.V.
Va.
Mo.
Ky.
N.C.
Tenn.
S.C.
Ark.
Spartanburg, S.C., area has the highest hospitalization rate in the country: 38 patients per 100 beds.
Ga.
Ala.
Miss.
La.
Fla.
Fort Myers, Fla., area
56 percent vaccinated
21 patients per 100 beds
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
High vaccination,
high hospitalizations
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
60%
Share of
population
fully vaccinated
50
Bend, Ore., area
56 percent vaccinated
29 patients per 100 beds
40
0
8
12
16
Admitted covid-19 patients
per 100 hospital beds
No data available
Albany, N.Y., area
61 percent vaccinated
6.9 patients per 100 beds
Wash.
N.D.
Mont.
Maine
Minn.
Vt.
Ore.
N.H.
Idaho
Mass.
S.D.
Wisc.
N.Y.
Conn.
Mich.
Wyo.
R.I.
Pa.
Iowa
N.J.
Neb.
Nev.
Ohio
Del.
Ill.
Calif.
Utah
D.C.
Ind.
Md.
W.V.
Colo.
Va.
Kan.
Mo.
Ky.
N.C.
Tenn.
Ariz.
Okla.
N.M.
Ark.
S.C.
Ga.
Ala.
Miss.
Tex.
La.
Fla.
Waco, Tex., area
39 percent vaccinated
37 patients per 100 beds
Alaska
Hawaii
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
High vaccination,
high hospitalizations
Share of
population
fully vaccinated
60%
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
50
40
Bend, Ore., area
56 percent vaccinated
29 patients per 100 beds
0
8
12
16
Admitted covid-19 patients per 100 hospital beds
No data available
Albany, N.Y., area
61 percent vaccinated
7 patients per 100 beds
Wash.
N.D.
Mont.
Maine
Minn.
Vt.
Ore.
N.H.
Idaho
Wisc.
Mass.
S.D.
N.Y.
Conn.
Mich.
Wyo.
R.I.
Pa.
Iowa
N.J.
Neb.
Nev.
Ohio
Del.
Ill.
Ind.
Calif.
Utah
D.C.
Md.
W.V.
Colo.
Va.
Kan.
Mo.
Ky.
N.C.
Tenn.
Ariz.
Okla.
Ark.
Spartanburg, S.C., area has the highest hospitalization rate in the country: 38 patients per 100 beds.
N.M.
S.C.
Bakersfield, Calif., area has the highest hospitalization rate outside of the South: 31 patients per 100 beds.
Ga.
Ala.
Miss.
Tex.
La.
Fla.
Waco, Tex., area
39 percent vaccinated
37 patients per 100 beds
Alaska
Hawaii
Each shaded area on the map covers all the patients and all the beds in that region, which includes small hospitals and the nearby major medical centers where the sickest patients are treated.
The green regions in and around Boston; New Haven, Conn.; the Bronx in New York City; Philadelphia; Chicago; El Paso; Dubuque, Iowa; and Newark have only 3 percent to 6 percent of their hospital beds holding covid patients.
Dark purple marks the alternative places like South Carolina’s Florence, Greenville and Spartanburg, where 25 percent to 38 percent of hospital patients have covid.
In general, the rates of vaccination in each region are the inverse of hospitalization rates. In less hospitalized green zones, 50 percent of the population or more are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, the least vaccinated purple area sits at only 21 percent. In the counties in South Carolina where hospitals have been hit hard, vaccination rates are between 35 and 42 percent.
More than a third of the country is in the high-hospitalization/low vaccination category and shaded bright purple. Another third of the country is low-hospitalization/high-vaccination green. The remainder hovers in the middle, with medium levels of covid hospitalization and vaccination rates a bit above or below the national average.
Distribution of vaccination and
hospitalization rates
Most hospital regions with high vaccination rates have lower hospitalization rates — and places with lower vaccination rates tend to see higher rates of admitted patients.
80%
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
Share of
population
fully
vaccinated
Miami, Fla., area
60
Bend, Ore., area
Lawton, Okla.,
area
50
40
30
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
20
0
8
12
16
40
Admitted covid-19 patients
per 100 hospital beds
Distribution of vaccination and
hospitalization rates
Most hospital regions with high vaccination rates have lower hospitalization rates — and places with lower vaccination rates tend to see higher rates of admitted patients.
80%
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
High vaccination,
high hospitalizations
Share of
population
fully
vaccinated
Miami, Fla., area
Bend, Ore., area
60
Lawton, Okla.,
area
50
40
30
Low vaccination,
low hospitalizations
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
20
0
8
12
16
40
Admitted covid-19 patients
per 100 hospital beds
Distribution of vaccination and hospitalization rates
Most hospital regions with high vaccination rates have lower hospitalization rates — and places with lower vaccination rates tend to see higher rates of admitted patients.
80%
Share of
population
fully
vaccinated
High vaccination,
low hospitalizations
High vaccination,
high hospitalizations
Miami, Fla., area
60
Bend, Ore., area
50
Lawton, Okla.,
area
40
Texarkana,
Ark./Tex., area
30
Low vaccination,
low hospitalizations
Low vaccination,
high hospitalizations
20
0
8
12
16
40
Admitted covid-19 patients
per 100 hospital beds
The chart above plots every hospital region on the scale combining vaccination and hospitalization. Each dot falls in the color zone that is used to portray that region in the map above.
The dots higher on the left in the shades of green have higher vaccination rates and lower numbers of covid patients in hospitals. The bottom right shades of purple have the places with less vaccination and more covid patients. There are no regions in the upper right corner with very high vaccination and also very high hospitalization. And, similarly, only two regions — in Kansas and part of Louisiana — fall in the lower left corner with low vaccination and also few patients.
Admitted covid-19 patients
per 100 hospital beds
0
8
12
16
Admitted covid-19 patients per 100 hospital beds
0
8
12
16
Admitted covid-19 patients per 100 hospital beds
0
8
12
16
Wash.
Maine
N.D.
Mont.
Minn.
Vt.
Ore.
N.H.
Idaho
Wisc.
Mass.
N.Y.
S.D.
Conn.
Mich.
Wyo.
R.I.
Pa.
Iowa
N.J.
Neb.
Nev.
Ohio
Del.
Ill.
Calif.
Utah
D.C.
Ind.
Md.
W.V.
Colo.
Va.
Kan.
Mo.
Ky.
N.C.
Tenn.
Ariz.
Okla.
S.C.
Ark.
N.M.
Ga.
Ala.
Miss.
Tex.
La.
Fla.
Alaska
Hawaii
Even many of the high-vaccination regions are classified as covid hot spots by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of steady community transmission of the highly contagious delta variant. But despite the prevalence of the virus, hospitalization remains low in those well-vaccinated communities.
Unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized than fully vaccinated people, according to the latest CDC studies reviewing patients during the delta wave, which has triggered another surge in deaths.
Share of population fully vaccinated
0
40
50
60%
Share of population fully vaccinated
0
40
50
60%
Share of population fully vaccinated
0
40
50
60%
Wash.
Maine
N.D.
Mont.
Minn.
Vt.
Ore.
N.H.
Idaho
Wisc.
Mass.
S.D.
N.Y.
Conn.
Mich.
Wyo.
R.I.
Pa.
Iowa
N.J.
Neb.
Nev.
Ohio
Del.
Ill.
Ind.
Calif.
Utah
D.C.
Md.
W.V.
Colo.
Va.
Kan.
Mo.
Ky.
N.C.
Tenn.
Ariz.
Okla.
Ark.
N.M.
S.C.
Ga.
Ala.
Miss.
Tex.
La.
Fla.
Alaska
Hawaii
Higher vaccination rates in the Northeast, the Upper Midwest and the California coast result in swaths of green with low shares of covid patients in hospitals. Rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths have risen since the start of summer but remain much lower than those of areas where vaccination is less prevalent.
High vaccination has worked. None of the hospital regions with vaccination above 60 percent has the extreme level of hospitalization with at least 16 percent of beds holding covid patients.
Hospitalization rates are calculated from the latest Health and Human Services weekly data on covid utilization at every hospital registered with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Counts for beds and patients were aggregated from 5,007 individual hospitals up to Hospital Referral Regions as defined by the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. Beds were included for hospitals that reported no covid patients.
The share of the population that is fully vaccinated is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s county-level data except for county data from Georgia, Texas and Virginia. Data as of September 21. The share of vaccination was aggregated from counties to health-care referral regions using the MABLE Geocorr engine at the Missouri Census Data Center.
Editing by Meghan Hoyer, Tim Meko and Lauren Tierney.