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US Kidney Statistics

Kidney Disease Statistics in Ohio, USA

Kidney disease is one of Ohio’s most significant and underrecognized public health challenges. More than 1.3 million Ohio adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet only around 150,000 are aware of their condition. Ohio’s CKD prevalence of 4.7% exceeds the national average, and the state’s kidney disease death rate of 15.2 per 100,000 population is higher than the U.S. rate of 13.4—reflecting both a heavier disease burden and a persistent gap in early detection and care.

The consequences of untreated kidney disease are severe. When kidney function deteriorates to the point of failure—known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD)—patients must rely on dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. As of 2025, more than 27,000 Ohioans are living with kidney failure, a number that has grown by 13% since 2012. Diabetes and high blood pressure, which affect a combined majority of Ohio adults, are responsible for nearly three-quarters of all kidney failure cases in the state.

Kidney disease in Ohio is not only a medical crisis but also a social and economic one. The disease disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities, with Black Americans facing a 4.3 times greater likelihood of kidney failure than White Americans. More than 80% of dialysis patients cannot work, and average out-of-pocket costs exceed $10,000 per year for patients whose average income is under $25,000. This report brings together the most comprehensive available data on kidney disease prevalence, mortality, treatment, disparities, and outcomes across all of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Statewide Prevalence and Awareness

Ohio’s CKD prevalence among adults (4.7%) ranks the state 41st in the nation—meaning Ohio performs worse than most U.S. states on this measure. Despite affecting an estimated 1.3 million adults, the disease is overwhelmingly undetected.

Ohio CKD adult prevalence: 4.7% — higher than the U.S. average
Ohio national rank for CKD prevalence: 41st
Estimated Ohio adults with CKD: 1.3 million
Ohio adults who are aware they have CKD: approximately 150,000
Proportion of at-risk adults tested annually (diabetes + hypertension): less than 15%

Only roughly 1 in 9 of the estimated 1.3 million Ohioans with CKD are aware of their condition. The abysmally low testing rate—under 15% among those most at risk—underscores a critical public health gap with direct consequences: undetected CKD progresses silently toward kidney failure.

Leading Risk Factors

Risk Factor	Ohio Adult Prevalence	Share of Kidney Failure Cases Caused
Diabetes (diagnosed)	12%	43%
High blood pressure	34.5%	30%
Obesity (self-reported)	34.8%	Major contributing factor

Together, diabetes and high blood pressure account for 73% of all kidney failure cases in Ohio. With more than one-third of Ohioans living with high blood pressure and 12% diagnosed with diabetes, the pipeline of patients progressing to kidney failure remains large. Aggressive management of these conditions is the most direct lever for reducing new ESRD cases.

CKD Prevalence by County

Highest-Prevalence Counties

County	CKD Prevalence (%)
Noble	4.4
Morgan	4.1
Monroe	3.9
Pike	3.9
Meigs	3.9
Vinton	3.8
Trumbull	3.8
Scioto	3.8
Jefferson	3.8
Harrison	3.8
Ashtabula	3.8

Lowest-Prevalence Counties

County	CKD Prevalence (%)
Auglaize	3.2
Mercer	3.2
Miami	3.2
Hardin	3.2
Hamilton	3.2
Hancock	3.2
Licking	3.1
Madison	3.1
Putnam	3.1
Clermont	3.1
Greene	3.0
Summit	3.0
Portage	3.0
Medina	3.0
Fairfield	3.0
Butler	3.0
Wood	2.8
Franklin	2.8
Warren	2.7
Athens	2.7
Delaware	2.6
Union	2.6 (lowest in the state)

Kidney disease burden varies significantly across Ohio’s 88 counties and its broader regions. Southern, southeastern, and Appalachian Ohio consistently show the highest rates of CKD prevalence, kidney disease mortality, and kidney cancer incidence, while suburban counties around major cities tend to perform better.

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD / Kidney Failure)

Current ESRD Population (2025)

Total Ohioans living with kidney failure: 27,220
On dialysis: 17,811
Living with a functioning kidney transplant: 9,409
Increase since 2012: +13%

The 2025 figures show that the majority of kidney failure patients in Ohio depend on dialysis, with fewer than half living with a functioning transplant—reflecting the persistent national shortage of donor kidneys.

New Kidney Failure Cases (2022)

4,975 new kidney failure cases diagnosed in Ohio in 2022
4,758 patients (95.6%) began dialysis
217 patients (4.4%) received a kidney transplant

The 13% increase in total ESRD cases since 2012 reflects both an aging population and the compounding burden of diabetes and hypertension. Of 4,975 new cases in 2022, only 217 received a transplant—leaving 4,758 newly dependent on lifelong dialysis, with all its clinical, financial, and lifestyle consequences.

Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer in Ohio

Five-Year Relative Survival by Stage

Early-stage detection is critical. Five-year survival drops from 95% when the cancer is confined locally to just 19% when it has spread to distant sites.

All stages combined: 80%
Local stage: 95%
Regional stage: 77%
Distant stage: 19%

Cancer Types (Histology)

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for the vast majority of kidney and renal pelvis cancer cases in Ohio, with clear cell RCC making up more than half of all cases.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) — total: 2,397 avg. annual cases (88.7% of all cases)
Clear cell RCC: 1,397 cases (51.7%)
Papillary RCC: 296 cases (11.0%)
Chromophobe RCC: 112 cases (4.2%)
Other / Not otherwise specified RCC: 592 cases (21.9%)
Transitional cell cancer: 72 cases (2.7%)
Wilms tumor: 19 cases (0.7%)
Other types: 214 cases (7.9%)

Ohio’s kidney and renal pelvis cancer incidence (18.2 per 100,000) exceeds the national rate (17.3), and the 70% rise since 1996 is dramatic—though partly explained by improved CT imaging. The 19% five-year survival rate for distant-stage tumors vs. 95% at local stage makes early detection critical. Mortality has declined 18% since 1996 despite rising incidence, pointing to meaningful treatment advances. Black Ohioans face the highest incidence rates, a disparity that likely reflects broader patterns of access to screening and care.

Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer Incidence by County (2018–2022)

Highest Cancer Incidence Counties

County	Total Rate (per 100,000)	Male Rate	Female Rate
Hardin	32.0	42.3	23.1
Harrison	30.8	38.6	23.5
Brown	29.3	32.2	26.4
Meigs	28.9	42.2	18.1
Washington	25.8	33.9	18.5
Pickaway	26.2	33.2	19.7
Ross	25.0	32.0	18.4
Pike	25.4	32.5	18.9
Gallia	25.3	28.5	22.7

Counties Above State Average

County	Total Rate (per 100,000)
Jackson	24.7
Morgan	24.7
Crawford	24.5
Jefferson	23.9
Huron	23.9
Lawrence	23.6
Scioto	23.3
Muskingum	23.0
Hocking	22.7
Seneca	21.7
Highland	21.5
Clermont	21.5
Sandusky	21.2
Mercer	20.9
Athens	20.8
Defiance	20.7
Montgomery	20.5
Miami	20.5
Henry	20.4
Auglaize	20.2
Clark	20.0
Madison	20.0
Shelby	20.0
Wyandot	20.0
Butler	19.9
Monroe	19.9
Champaign	19.7
Lorain	19.6
Allen	19.1
Hancock	19.0

Counties At or Below State Average (18.2)

County	Total Rate (per 100,000)	Male Rate	Female Rate
Portage	18.1	23.5	13.2
Preble	18.1	20.4	16.0
Putnam	18.7	28.5	9.7
Ashland	17.6	22.1	13.9
Fairfield	17.7	22.5	13.8
Medina	17.6	23.1	12.6
Logan	17.3	18.8	16.2
Summit	17.3	23.3	12.0
Ohio (state average)	18.2	24.1	13.0
U.S. (national average)	17.3	23.4	12.0
Noble (lowest in Ohio)	10.5	16.5	*

County cancer incidence ranges from 10.5 (Noble) to 32.0 (Hardin) per 100,000—a threefold difference. The highest-burden counties are clustered in southern and southeastern Ohio, mirroring the geographic patterns seen in CKD prevalence and mortality. Counties with smaller populations (under 100,000) show more variable rates (10.5–32.0 per 100,000) than larger-population counties (14.5–21.5), a typical small-numbers effect that should be accounted for before drawing comparisons between individual counties.

Treatment: Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation

Dialysis

Dialysis is life-sustaining treatment that most kidney failure patients in Ohio depend on. Ohio has 326 free-standing dialysis clinics licensed by the Ohio Department of Health and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

Patient Profile (2016)

The following statistics show the demographic and clinical makeup of Ohio’s approximately 18,000 dialysis patients as of the most recent detailed profile data available.

Male patients: 57%
Female patients: 43%
White: 62%
African American: 37%
Other race: 1%
Diabetes as a primary cause: 45%
High blood pressure as a primary cause: 25%

Treatment Type

Most Ohio dialysis patients receive outpatient hemodialysis at a community clinic, requiring three visits per week. A smaller share use home-based dialysis modalities.

88% use outpatient hemodialysis at a community clinic (three times per week)
12% use home dialysis
Of home dialysis patients: 15% use home hemodialysis, 85% use home peritoneal dialysis

Insurance Coverage

In 1972, Congress expanded Medicare to cover ESRD patients under age 65 meeting certain requirements, after a standard waiting period of typically three months. All major insurance types cover dialysis.

Medicare or Medicaid: 82%
Private insurance: 11%
VA or other government payers: 7%

The overwhelming reliance on Medicare and Medicaid (82%) reflects the intersection of age, disability, and low income among dialysis patients. More than 80% of dialysis patients cannot work—treatment is effectively more demanding than a full-time job—making public insurance critical to their survival. The 88% outpatient hemodialysis rate means most patients structure their entire lives around three clinic visits per week.

Kidney Transplantation

Supply, Demand, and Cost (2024)

2,171 Ohioans are currently on the kidney transplant waiting list
1,311 kidney transplants were performed in Ohio in 2024 — approximately 1 in 2 wait-list patients received a transplant
221 transplants used living donors; 1,090 used deceased donors
Total transplants increased 88% from 2014 to 2024
Living donor transplants decreased 20% compared to 2014
Average Medicare cost for a dialysis patient: $85,979 per year
Average Medicare cost for a transplant patient (after first year): $32,586 per year
Medicare savings per patient per year with transplant vs. dialysis: ~$53,393

Total transplants grew dramatically (88%) from 2014 to 2024, but the 20% decline in living donor transplants is concerning—living donor kidneys typically yield better outcomes. With 2,171 on the waiting list and 1,311 transplants performed, roughly 860 Ohioans did not receive a transplant in 2024. The cost data makes a compelling fiscal case for expanding transplant access: a transplant saves Medicare over $53,000 per patient per year compared to dialysis, yet fewer than 5% of new ESRD patients in Ohio received a transplant in 2022.

Adult Transplant Center Outcomes

Center	NKR Txp. (12 mo.)	LD 3-yr Graft	LD 3-yr Patient	DD 3-yr Graft	DD 3-yr Patient
Cleveland Clinic	29	92%	91%	87%	92%
The Christ Hospital	8	95%	97%	76%	80%
UC Medical Center	8	96%	97%	84%	91%
UH Cleveland Medical Center	7	92%	98%	80%	83%
OU Medical Center	0	91%	100%	83%	85%
Ohio State University Medical Center	0	89%	93%	82%	85%
University of Toledo Medical Center	0	85%	94%	81%	86%

LD = Living Donor | DD = Deceased Donor | NKR = National Kidney Registry

Pediatric Transplant Center Outcomes

Center	NKR Txp. (12 mo.)	LD Txp. (Prior Yr.)	LD 3-yr Graft	LD 3-yr Patient	DD 3-yr Graft	DD 3-yr Patient
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital	5	9	89%	95%	97%	100%
Nationwide Children’s Hospital	0	4	100%	100%	100%	100%
OU Medical Center	0	7	100%	100%	100%	100%

Ohio’s transplant centers show strong one-year outcomes across the board, with most exceeding 95% patient survival at one year for both donor types. Cleveland Clinic leads in NKR activity (29 transplants in the past 12 months). Three-year graft survival varies more, particularly for deceased donor transplants, reflecting the greater clinical challenges associated with that donor type. Pediatric centers are a particular strength: Nationwide Children’s Hospital reports 100% survival across every measured metric.

Kidney Disease Mortality

Kidney Disease Death Rates by County (2019–2023)

Highest Death Rate Counties

County	Death Rate (per 100,000)
Lawrence	32.9
Pike	21.0
Jackson	20.8
Erie	20.7
Harrison	20.6
Hamilton	20.3
Meigs	19.9
Butler	19.6
Crawford	19.6
Ashtabula	19.0
Columbiana	18.4
Mahoning	18.2
Jefferson	18.1
Muskingum	17.6
Clermont	17.5
Cuyahoga	17.3
Richland	17.3
Montgomery	17.2
Belmont	17.1
Seneca	17.1

Lowest Death Rate Counties

County	Death Rate (per 100,000)
Fulton	13.6
Wyandot	13.5
Hocking	13.3
Wood	13.3
Athens	13.2
Hardin	13.2
Portage	13.1
Warren	12.9
Pickaway	12.8
Sandusky	12.7
Greene	12.6
Auglaize	12.5
Defiance	11.6
Washington	11.3
Clark	11.1
Holmes	11.1
Wayne	11.0
Lake	10.9
Knox	10.8
Allen	10.7
Fayette	10.7
Union	10.7
Putnam	10.6
Coshocton	10.5
Highland	10.5
Miami	10.4
Carroll	10.1
Fairfield	10.1
Champaign	10.0
Shelby	10.0
Delaware	9.9
Logan	9.7
Tuscarawas	9.7
Geauga	9.4
Morrow	8.9
Ashland	8.5
Williams	7.8
Mercer	7.5

Ohio’s overall kidney disease death rate (15.2 per 100,000) exceeds the U.S. rate (13.4). The table below lists all counties with available data, ranked from highest to lowest. Counties with rising trends are priority areas for intervention.

Regional Kidney Disease Death Rates (2022–2024)

Region	Age-Adjusted Death Rate (per 100,000)	vs. Ohio Average (15.4)
Ohio overall	15.4	—
Healthy Northeast Ohio	15.5	Higher and worse
Appalachian Ohio	15.3	Lower and better

While Appalachian Ohio’s regional average is marginally better than Northeast Ohio’s, individual county data within Appalachia (e.g., Lawrence at 32.9, Meigs at 19.9, Jackson at 20.8) reveal pockets of extreme burden. Regional averages obscure sharp within-region variation, reinforcing the importance of county-level targeting.

CKD Mortality

Ohio age-adjusted kidney disease death rate (2019–2023): 15.2 per 100,000
U.S. age-adjusted kidney disease death rate (2019–2023): 13.4 per 100,000
Ohio age-adjusted kidney disease death rate (2022–2024): 15.4 per 100,000

Ohio’s kidney disease death rate (15.2–15.4) is approximately 14–15% higher than the national average, a gap that reflects inadequate early detection, the high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and unequal access to specialist care—particularly in rural and Appalachian regions.

Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer Incidence and Mortality

An average of 2,702 new cases were diagnosed and 590 deaths occurred each year in Ohio from 2018 to 2022. Ohio’s rates exceed national benchmarks on both measures.

Indicator	Ohio (2018–2022)	U.S. Comparison
Average annual new cases	2,702	—
Age-adjusted incidence rate (per 100,000)	18.2	17.3 (2017–2021)
Average annual deaths	590	—
Age-adjusted mortality rate (per 100,000)	3.8	3.4
Share of all newly diagnosed cancers in Ohio	3.8%	—
Lifetime risk — men	2.2%	—
Lifetime risk — women	1.3%	—

Long-Term Incidence and Mortality Trends

Incidence and mortality have moved in opposite directions since 1996, with incidence rising sharply and mortality declining—a pattern attributable to improved imaging and better treatments respectively.

Incidence rates increased 70% in Ohio from 1996 (10.6 per 100,000) to 2022 (18.0 per 100,000)
Mortality rates decreased nearly 18% in Ohio from 1996 (4.5 per 100,000) to 2022 (3.7 per 100,000)
For every year from 1996 to 2022, both incidence and mortality rates were higher among males than females
Part of the incidence rise is attributed to broader use of CT imaging, which detects tumors not previously found

Incidence and Mortality

By Sex

Males are diagnosed with kidney and renal pelvis cancer at nearly twice the rate of females, and their mortality rate is more than twice as high.

Sex	Avg. Annual Cases	Incidence Rate (per 100,000)	Avg. Annual Deaths	Mortality Rate (per 100,000)
Male	1,691	24.1	378	5.5
Female	1,011	13.0	212	2.5

By Race and Ethnicity

Black Ohioans have the highest incidence rate, exceeding White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander populations. Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander populations have notably lower rates, both for incidence and mortality.

Race / Ethnicity	Avg. Annual Cases	Incidence (per 100,000)	Mortality (per 100,000)
White	2,354	18.2	3.9
Black	299	18.7 (highest)	3.5
Hispanic	45	14.0	1.6
Asian/Pacific Islander	18	6.5 (lowest)	0.8

By Age Group

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer incidence increases with advancing age for both sexes, peaking in the 65–69 age group, then declining in older cohorts.

Most frequently diagnosed age group for both males and females: 65 to 69 years
Incidence rates rise from the 20–24 age group through the 75–79 age group, then decline

Financial Impact

More than 80% of dialysis patients cannot work
Average income of AKF-assisted patients: less than $25,000 per year
Average out-of-pocket costs for dialysis patients: more than $10,000 per year
Average Medicare cost for a dialysis patient: $85,979 per year
Average Medicare cost for a transplant patient (after first year): $32,586 per year
Cost of a kidney disease test: $80–$143

Kidney failure imposes a devastating financial burden. Dialysis is equivalent to a full-time job, yet most patients are unable to work. Out-of-pocket costs far exceed the typical income of affected patients.

American Kidney Fund (AKF) Financial Assistance in Ohio

The AKF provides grants to low-income patients to cover insurance premiums and other out-of-pocket health care costs not covered by insurance. The fund disproportionately serves minority patients, reflecting their greater financial vulnerability.

AKF Assistance Totals

Year	Ohio Grant Recipients	Total AKF Assistance	Covered Costs
2020	1,567	~$4,500,000	Insurance premiums, pandemic-related costs, other uncovered health care costs
2024	882	$2,875,058	Insurance premiums and other health care costs not covered by insurance

Share of Kidney Failure Patients Reached by Race

The AKF reaches a higher proportion of minority patients with kidney failure, reflecting both their greater disease burden and greater financial need.

1 in 20 White Americans with kidney failure receives AKF assistance
1 in 13 Black Americans with kidney failure receives AKF assistance
1 in 10 Hispanic/Latino Americans with kidney failure receives AKF assistance

Racial/Ethnic Breakdown of Ohio AKF Grant Recipients (2020)

Black: 34.7%
Hispanic/Latino: 20.9%
Native American / Asian / Pacific Islander: 5.2%

The financial data compounds this: patients earning under $25,000 face over $10,000 in annual out-of-pocket costs, on top of losing their ability to work. The AKF’s assistance reaching 1 in 10 Hispanic/Latino patients—vs. 1 in 20 White patients—illustrates both the higher disease burden and greater financial fragility of minority populations.

Conclusion

Kidney disease in Ohio represents an ongoing and intensifying public health emergency. With 1.3 million adults estimated to have CKD—and fewer than 12% aware of their condition—the state faces a largely invisible epidemic that will continue translating into preventable kidney failure cases, dialysis dependency, and premature death unless detection and early intervention are dramatically scaled up. The 13% increase in kidney failure cases since 2012, the state’s death rate exceeding the national average, and the 70% rise in kidney cancer incidence since 1996 all point to a crisis that has been building over decades.

The data make clear that kidney disease in Ohio is not experienced equally. Black Ohioans are 4.3 times more likely to develop kidney failure than White Ohioans, and Hispanic and American Indian populations face more than twice the risk. Patients who develop kidney failure are thrust into poverty by a disease that prevents most from working, yet generates out-of-pocket costs exceeding $10,000 per year against incomes under $25,000. Geographic disparities are equally pronounced: counties in southern and Appalachian Ohio consistently rank highest in both CKD mortality and kidney cancer incidence, yet these same communities often have the fewest health care resources and lowest access to specialized care.

There are, however, meaningful signals of progress. Kidney transplant volumes in Ohio have grown by 88% since 2014, reaching 1,311 procedures in 2024. Kidney cancer mortality has declined by nearly 18% since 1996 even as incidence rose, a testament to improving treatments. And several high-population counties—including Franklin, Summit, Delaware, and Clark—are showing falling kidney disease death rate trends, demonstrating that coordinated care, early diagnosis, and access to treatment can bend the curve. Sustained investment in CKD screening among high-risk populations, expanded transplant access to reduce reliance on costly dialysis, and targeted outreach in underserved Appalachian and minority communities represent the clearest pathways to reducing Ohio’s disproportionate kidney disease burden.