Healthcare Insights
Which U.S. states have the most hospice organizations?
What is a hospice organization?
A hospice organization provides compassionate care for patients nearing the end of life, focusing on comfort, dignity, and symptom management. These organizations play a crucial role in supporting patients and their families, helping them navigate the final stages of terminal illnesses. Hospice services may include medical care, pain management, emotional support, and spiritual guidance.
Hospice vs. palliative care
Hospice care is for patients who are expected to have six months or less to live. It focuses on comfort, not cure, and often includes care in the patient’s home or a specialized facility. Palliative care, by contrast, can be provided at any stage of a serious illness and may include treatments aimed at improving quality of life while continuing to treat the illness.
At Definitive Healthcare, we leverage data to deliver critical insights into the U.S. healthcare market, including hospice organizations. Using data from our ClinicView product, we’ve compiled a list of the U.S. states with the most and least number of hospice organizations. In this analysis, we only looked at active hospice organizations and excluded hospice corporations.
How many hospice organizations are there in the U.S.?
According to our data, there are more than 9,000 active hospice organizations in the U.S. These organizations operate in various settings, from small rural communities to large metropolitan areas, ensuring patients from all walks of life can access essential end-of-life care.
The distribution of hospice organizations across the U.S. varies greatly. Some states, due to their large populations or healthcare infrastructure, have significantly more hospice organizations than others. Using our data, we’ve pulled a list of states with the most hospice organizations.
| Rank | State | Number of hospice organizations | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CA | 2,279 | Explore |
| 2 | TX | 1,184 | Explore |
| 3 | GA | 309 | Explore |
| 4 | OH | 285 | Explore |
| 5 | AZ | 271 | Explore |
| 6 | PA | 257 | Explore |
| 7 | MI | 246 | Explore |
| 8 | FL | 208 | Explore |
| 9 | MO | 206 | Explore |
| 10 | IL | 196 | Explore |
Fig. 1. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare ClinicView product. Data accessed November 2025.
Which states have the most hospice organizations?
California and Texas stand out as the clear leaders in hospice organizations, with California alone supporting more than 2,200 providers—nearly double Texas and more than seven times the number in Georgia, the third-ranked state. This steep drop-off indicates a highly concentrated market dominated by just a few states. The large hospice presence in both California and Texas is likely tied to their high populations and sizable aging communities, which drive greater demand for end-of-life care.
Beyond the top two, the list reflects strong hospice markets in across southern and midwestern states with large senior populations and established community healthcare networks, such as Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. Retirement destinations like Arizona, Florida, and Georgia rank prominently due to influxes of older adults, while states like Ohio and Pennsylvania may be driven more by longstanding provider networks and aging regional demographics.
| Rank | State | Number of hospice organizations | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AK | 7 | Explore |
| 2 | DC | 7 | Explore |
| 3 | HI | 11 | Explore |
| 4 | DE | 12 | Explore |
| 5 | VT | 16 | Explore |
| 6 | ND | 17 | Explore |
| 7 | RI | 18 | Explore |
| 8 | WY | 24 | Explore |
| 9 | SD | 24 | Explore |
| 10 | NH | 35 | Explore |
Fig. 2. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare ClinicView product. Data accessed November 2025.
Which states have the fewest hospice organizations?
States with the fewest hospice organizations tend to be small in both geography and population. Alaska and Washington, D.C. tie for the lowest number of hospice providers at just seven each, followed closely by other small or low-density areas like Hawaii, Delaware, and Vermont. These markets likely reflect limited patient volumes, fewer healthcare facilities overall, and geographic challenges, particularly in Alaska, where delivering in-home services across remote or rural regions can restrict market growth and provider expansion.
Hospice organizations by state
Fig. 3. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare ClinicView product. Data accessed November 2025.
Where are the largest hospice organizations located?
Hospice organizations are essential to the healthcare system in every state, providing critical services to those in need of end-of-life care. However, the availability of these services varies depending on the state’s population, healthcare infrastructure, and geographic characteristics.
In states like California and Texas, the large number of hospice organizations aligns with the high demand driven by their large and aging populations. In contrast, smaller states like Alaska have fewer hospice organizations, reflecting its smaller, more dispersed population.
How to use hospice metrics for your commercialization strategy
For companies targeting hospice organizations, understanding the distribution of these providers across states is essential for tailoring your commercialization strategy. States with a high number of hospice organizations, like California and Texas, may represent significant opportunities for partnerships or sales, but there may also be a risk of over-saturation in the market. Conversely, states with fewer hospice providers may have less competition but also lower demand.
Hospice metrics, such as the number of organizations per capita, can also offer insights into the healthcare market's maturity and potential growth areas. States with lower hospice organization densities may be underserved, providing opportunities for companies offering products or services that improve hospice care access or quality.
Learn more
Hospice organizations are critical to the U.S. healthcare system and provide compassionate end-of-life care to millions of Americans. At Definitive Healthcare, we offer in-depth insights to help organizations understand and navigate the hospice, home health, and broader healthcare market. To gain access to comprehensive data and insights that can fuel your healthcare strategy, start a free trial today and explore the latest in hospice trends.
