Terrifying USA map reveals Parkinson’s explosion. State-by-state investigation uncovers disturbing pattern… and leaves experts all pointing to same culprit: Doctors warn against common lifestyle habits

It can begin with something as easy to dismiss as a mild tremor in one hand.

But, over time, Parkinson’s gradually robs patients of their ability to move, speak and live independently.

There is no cure, treatments remain limited and, perhaps most frightening of all, the disease is on the rise – increasingly affecting younger adults as well as the elderly.

More than 90,000 people are now diagnosed with the brain condition every year, around 50 percent more than previously estimated. By 2030, 1.2 million Americans are expected to be living with Parkinson’s.

Exactly what is driving the rise remains a mystery. But a new Daily Mail analysis of nationwide data has revealed a striking clue – a huge geographic divide in where Americans are being diagnosed.

Nebraska has the highest rate in the country, with Kansas, Utah, Arkansas and Florida also among the nation’s Parkinson’s hotspots. 

Then, there is Montana, where the diagnosis rate is almost half that seen in Nebraska.

So why does Parkinson’s apparently strike some parts of America so much harder than others?

The Daily Mail spoke to neurologists and researchers across the country to investigate the extraordinary differences – and uncovered a range of factors that could help explain the striking pattern.

Pesticides used on farmland, air pollution and industrial contaminants, as well as differences in the age and genetic makeup of local populations, are all implicated.

And differences in access to specialist doctors – affecting the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis – could also help explain why rates vary so dramatically between states.

While none of these factors can yet explain the divide with certainty, growing evidence suggests that where people live – and the environmental hazards they are exposed to over decades – may influence their risk of developing the disease.

For our investigation, we relied on 2025 data from Epic Research, which included medical records of 46 million adults across 49 states.

Crucially, the rates were adjusted for age and sex, so states with older populations weren’t automatically pushed higher up the rankings.

One of the clearest patterns to emerge was across America’s agricultural heartland.

More than 90 percent of Nebraska, which recorded the highest rate of Parkinson’s diagnoses at 561 per 100,000 patients, is farmed or ranched. The state is a major producer of cattle, corn and soybeans, while US Geological Survey data shows heavy pesticide use across many of its rural counties.

And just across the border in Kansas, which ranks second for Parkinson’s diagnoses at 517 per 100,000, the picture is remarkably similar. 

Experts who have spent years studying the geographic spread of Parkinson’s say one potential culprit stands out in states such as these: pesticides.

Dr Ayesha Bryant, a functional medicine physician and clinical advisor of Alpas Wellness in Maryland, said exposure to the chemicals through farming could explain why Nebraska, Kansas and possibly Arkansas rank so highly.

‘The literature repeatedly shows associations between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease in epidemiological studies,’ she added.

Scientists have long suspected that certain pesticides may harm the same brain cells that are lost in Parkinson’s.

The disease develops when neurons that produce dopamine, a chemical essential for controlling movement, become damaged and die.

Laboratory studies suggest some pesticides can place these cells under intense stress, causing them to malfunction. Others may interfere with the brain’s waste-disposal system, allowing toxic proteins associated with Parkinson’s to accumulate.

And the link isn’t confined to laboratory experiments. Studies of people exposed to pesticides through their jobs or where they live have repeatedly found higher rates of Parkinson’s.

Earlier this year, UCLA researchers studying the insecticide chlorpyrifos found people with higher exposure were around 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s.

The researchers also exposed zebrafish to the chemical and found damage to dopamine-producing neurons – providing a potential biological explanation for the association seen in humans.

Another chemical under scrutiny is paraquat, a herbicide banned in dozens of countries but still permitted for restricted agricultural use in the US, including in Nebraska and Kansas. 

Then there is glyphosate, the herbicide historically best known as the active ingredient in Roundup, which has been used extensively on US farmland for decades.

Some studies have suggested a possible link between glyphosate exposure and Parkinson’s, although the evidence remains inconclusive.

But pesticides cannot neatly explain the entire map.

Utah, which has the third-highest Parkinson’s diagnosis rate at 493 per 100,000, looks very different.

Just 20 percent of the state is farmed or ranched, while US Geological Survey data shows Utah has among the lowest pesticide use in the country.

Separate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows Utah also has the highest Parkinson’s death rate in America, at 13.2 per 100,000 – suggesting its high position in the diagnosis rankings may not simply be an anomaly.

The Utah state health department primarily cites old age as the driving factor. In 2025, about 13 percent of Utah adults were over 65, and that number is expected to jump to 24 percent by 2065. 

But experts say Utah’s environment may also play a role.

The state has long struggled with air pollution, in part because of its heavy mining and industrial activity. Southwest of Salt Lake City, for example, the vast Bingham Canyon Mine produces metals including copper, gold and silver, while smelting can release fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 into the air.

There is growing evidence linking long-term PM2.5 exposure to Parkinson’s, with recent studies suggesting people exposed to higher levels may face a substantially increased risk of developing the disease.

‘Scientists are increasingly looking at air pollution as a possible risk factor for Parkinson’s and other brain diseases, including dementia,’ Dr Rebecca Gilbert, neurologist and chief mission officer at the American Parkinson Disease Association told the Daily Mail. 

Dr Johnson Moon, neurologist and medical director for neurophysiology, Providence St Jude Medical Center also points to Utah’s population makeup. ‘Census data shows around 87 percent of residents are white – and Parkinson’s is diagnosed more often in white populations than in black or Asian groups,’ he said. 

‘Genetic differences may partly explain this, although disparities in access to care and delayed or missed diagnoses among minority groups could also affect the figures.’

Arkansas and Florida rounded out the top five. Pesticide exposure may be one factor in both states, particularly in heavily farmed areas.

In South Florida, for example, large quantities of pesticides are used in sugarcane-growing regions. USGS research has also detected glyphosate in local waterways and wildlife – evidence of widespread environmental exposure, although not proof that it is contributing to Parkinson’s rates.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was Montana, with a diagnosis rate of 308 per 100,000.

Moon cautioned that the figure is difficult to interpret because of the state’s small, widely dispersed population.

Limited access to healthcare may also play a role. Around 70 percent of Montana residents live in areas facing healthcare shortages, potentially making it harder for people with symptoms to see a specialist and receive a diagnosis.

Dr Gilbert said the state may also have fewer movement-disorder specialists, which could further suppress diagnosis rates.

But she cautioned that while geography may influence exposure to environmental risks, there is not yet enough evidence to say these factors explain the differences between states.

The disease can also strike at very different ages. Actor Michael J Fox was diagnosed in 1991 at just 29, while former NFL quarterback Brett Favre revealed in 2024 that he had developed Parkinson’s in his 50s. 

Singer Carly Simon, meanwhile, disclosed her diagnosis this year at 83.

For most people, exactly why the disease develops will never be known.

Instead, Dr Gilbert urges people concerned about Parkinson’s to ‘focus on what you can control’ to lower their risk.

‘Brain health is very important for every person, whether you live in Nebraska or Montana,’ she said.

She points to a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in whole grains, fish, nuts, berries and healthy fats, as well as regular aerobic exercise.

Research suggests both may help protect the brain. A 2024 Yale study found high-intensity exercise helped preserve dopamine-producing neurons, while UCLA researchers reported that physical activity triggered DNA changes linked to reduced inflammation in the brain.

Dr Gilbert added: ‘These are the basic principles we understand. 

‘More and more is coming out about the importance of these lifestyle factors, so I think that is where the needle is potentially being moved.’