Indiana Ranks Among America’s Most Dehydrated States

Now that we have broken this recent heat wave, I would like to think that we are finally through the dog days of summer – but I know better. The only predictable thing about Mother Nature (especially in Southern Indiana) is how unpredictable she is. The pessimist in me knows that we still have plenty of hot and humid days ahead of us, and we will once again be reminded to stay hydrated – which leads me to this article.

Is Indiana Really One of the Country's Most Dehydrated States?

According to one recent study, Indiana is the 10^th most dehydrated state in America. That sounds kind of concerning, doesn’t it? Well, my fellow Hoosiers, before you go running to fill up your water bottle, I think you need a little context.

How the Study Ranked Each State's Hydration

The study was conducted by a team at Coventry Direct, and the results are based on a survey of 2,583 Americans from May 29-June 8, 2026. Participants were asked several water-related questions, including how much water they drink each day, how often they feel dehydrated, and whether they think they drink enough water. Keep in mind that there are more than 342 million people in America, so the sample size of this survey is really, really, really small.

How Much Water Do Hoosiers Actually Drink?

A big portion of Indiana’s national ranking comes from daily intake of water. Hoosiers drink, on average, 6.1 cups (8 ounces each) of water per day. There must be a big difference between us and the least hydrated state, right? Not really. Nebraska is #1 on the list with 7.56 cups of water per day. Compare that to Arkansas, in last place on the list, with 5.12 cups of water per day.

Water Intake Is Only Part of the Story

But water intake alone does not tell the entire hydration story. There are plenty of other metrics used to determine these rankings. Check out the FULL STUDY HERE to take a deeper dive into hydration.