Arizona overdose rates rise as rural counties lead national fatality surge
While U.S. overdose deaths fell through 2025, Arizona’s per-capita overdose mortality climbed, with Apache County topping a state-wide list of the highest rates.
Despite a nationwide drop in overdose fatalities through 2025, Arizona’s overdose death rate rose, unsettling families and officials in the state. Using CDC statistics covering 2019 to 2024, Ojai Recovery calculated accidental overdose deaths per 100,000 residents for each Arizona county. Apache County recorded the highest rate at 58.4, equating to one death per 1,712 people, while Navajo County and Pima County followed with 49.5 and 42.4 respectively.
Other counties in the top ten included Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Cochise, Greenlee and Graham, each showing rates above 26 per 100,000. Jason Landver, CEO of Ojai Recovery, warned that the figures underscore a severe drug problem that contrasts with the national downward trend. The report calls attention to the need for targeted interventions in Arizona’s most affected rural areas.
Why it matters
Arizona’s rising overdose rates signal a growing public-health crisis that diverges from national improvements.
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