News deserts are becoming an issue in communities all across the United States, with 198 counties lacking a local newspaper in 2020, up from 171 in 2018. The source noted that California lost the most dailies, but it was the South (the region with some of the country's poorest states) which had the most news deserts. In 2020, a total of 108 counties did not have a local newspaper, compared to just four in the Mid-Atlantic region and three in New England.
Number of counties without a local newspaper in the United States in 2018 and 2020, by region
Data prior to 2020 comes from previous reports.
States were grouped into regions thus:
Pacific: AK, CA, HI, OR, WA
Mountain: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY
Midwest: IL, IN, MI, OH, WI, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD
South: DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV, AL, KY, MS, TN, AR, LA, OK, TX
Mid-Atlantic: NJ, NY, PA
New England: CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
UNC. (June 23, 2020). Number of counties without a local newspaper in the United States in 2018 and 2020, by region [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/944125/us-region-no-local-newspaper/
UNC. "Number of counties without a local newspaper in the United States in 2018 and 2020, by region." Chart. June 23, 2020. Statista. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/944125/us-region-no-local-newspaper/
UNC. (2020). Number of counties without a local newspaper in the United States in 2018 and 2020, by region. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/944125/us-region-no-local-newspaper/
UNC. "Number of Counties without a Local Newspaper in The United States in 2018 and 2020, by Region." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 Jun 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/944125/us-region-no-local-newspaper/
UNC, Number of counties without a local newspaper in the United States in 2018 and 2020, by region Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/944125/us-region-no-local-newspaper/ (last visited November 21, 2024)
Number of counties without a local newspaper in the United States in 2018 and 2020, by region [Graph], UNC, June 23, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/944125/us-region-no-local-newspaper/
