USA Tick Guide (By State)

Written by Phillip George · Last updated: July 24, 2026

Ticks in the USA: the national picture

The CDC estimates that roughly 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease every year, but Lyme is only part of the story — and which ticks and diseases you face depends heavily on where you live. The United States has several distinct tick regions, each with its own dominant species. This hub follows CDC fundamentals and then breaks guidance down state by state.

Tick regions of the United States

• Northeast & Upper Midwest: the blacklegged (deer) tick drives Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan. This band — from Maine and the Hudson Valley through Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and Minnesota — carries most US Lyme cases.
• Southeast & South-Central: the lone star tick dominates, causing ehrlichiosis, STARI, and alpha-gal (red-meat) allergy; the American dog tick spreads Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
• Pacific Coast: the western blacklegged tick carries Lyme at lower rates than the Northeast.
• Rocky Mountain West: the Rocky Mountain wood tick can cause tick paralysis, Colorado tick fever, and spotted fever.

Two ranges are also shifting north and outward: the lone star tick and the invasive Asian longhorned tick, first found in the US in New Jersey in 2017.

Use CDC fundamentals, then your state

CDC guidance covers prevention and what to do after a bite; your state health department has the local risk maps and, in several states, free or subsidized tick-testing programs. Start with the state pages below.

Choose your state (starter set)

What to do after a tick bite (USA)

If you’ve removed a tick, your next steps are usually: clean the area, note the date/location, and monitor for symptoms. For removal technique and monitoring: