The 10 Best And Worst States To Have A Heart Attack

Nobody wants to have a heart attack, but if we do, we want to know we're in good hands.

Published 1 month ago in Wow

Nobody wants to have a heart attack, but if we do, we want to know we're in good hands. Unfortunately, the American health care system isn't always the best and varies greatly depending on your home state.

Here are our picks for the five best, and five worst states to be in if you're having a heart attack.

1
Specifically, New York City. Thanks to atrocious traffic, the average EMS response time was almost 12 and a half minutes in 2024, compared to a national average around seven minutes. Overcrowded hospitals also make receiving treatment difficult once you reach one. However, thanks to upstate, the state’s numbers overall are only slightly worse than the national averages.

2
A report indicated that response times in Connecticut ballooned from eight minutes in 2020, to 16 minutes in 2022. Even worse, there is missing data for multiple years. The state blames staffing levels for the issue.

3
Based on a study that combined ambulance response times, hospital urgency levels, and general quality of care, HealthGrove ranked Delaware the worst state in the country for its emergency medical response. Seeing as the set has set goals of 10 minutes and 18 minutes for advanced and basic ambulances, they could definitely use some improvement.
4
Although much of Maryland has decent numbers, Baltimore drags the rest down. With one of the highest 911 calls per capita in the country, Baltimore EMS is spread thin, and can be inconsistent as a result.

5
Perhaps the worst state overall, numerous cities reported regular times over 15 minutes. DeKalb County EMS reported that their highest priority calls often took 20 minutes or more. Dunwoody EMS reported 22 minutes, with some calls going unanswered. These numbers can be attributed to understaffing, and crowded hospitals.
6
San Francisco and Los Angeles both sport times under seven minutes, while Brea reported 2023 numbers of 3 minutes and 16 seconds. However, times are trending upwards of late.
7
New Jersey might have fairly average EMS response times, but the same cannot be said for its hospitals. According to the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, New Jersey boasts some of the lowest death and readmission rates for heart patients.

8
Minnesota doesn’t have fantastic EMS response times, often hovering around 10 minutes. However, the state boasts the nation’s second lowest heart attack death rate. How? A strong medical system, and generally healthy population. Recent staffing initiatives have also aimed to improve response times.
9
With EMS times right around the average time of seven minutes, Boston does a good job for a major eastern metropolitan area. And considering that Massachusetts has one of the better healthcare systems in the country, an attack hopefully won’t break the bank.
10
Like Minnesota, Wyoming response times average around nine minutes; above the national average. However, the state has the lowest death by heart attack rate in the nation, thanks to a well regarded hospital system.