Cancer is projected to claim more than 626,000 lives in 2026, according to new estimates from the American Cancer Society. Another 2.1 million people will be diagnosed. The science is moving fast and the stakes are massive.
But when you look closely at where cancer research is strongest, a pattern emerges that is hard to ignore. The states leading the country in research are not the states where Black Americans live in the greatest numbers. That gap shapes who benefits from the country’s most advanced cancer breakthroughs.
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The States Winning the Research Race
SmileHub’s 2026 ranking of the best states for cancer research highlights the places with the deepest research ecosystems. These states have the most researchers per capita, the strongest funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), the highest clinical trial output, and the most robust cancer care infrastructure.
The top 10 states for cancer research are:
- Massachusetts
- New York
- California
- Pennsylvania
- Colorado
- Maryland
- Oregon
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Minnesota
The ranking is built on thirteen metrics, including NIH grant funding, ACS funding, clinical trial activity, and hospital quality data from U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Cancer.
Massachusetts leads the list with top scores in both research funding and research output. New York ranks first in health care infrastructure. California sits in the top three across funding, output, and hospital quality. These states have long histories of academic investment, major research universities, and strong philanthropic networks.
But this map tells only one story. The real story is about who lives where.
Where Black America Actually Lives
Neilsberg’s 2025 analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data shows a clear picture of where Black Americans live today. The five states with the largest Black populations are Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, and California. These states anchor the modern Black population map. Pew Research Center reports that more than half of all Black Americans, about 56 percent, live in the South, which underscores how deeply rooted the population is in this region.
According to Neilsberg’s Black population ranking, Texas has 4,146,550 Black residents, which is 11.66 percent of the state’s population. Florida has 3,900,650, or 15.24 percent. Georgia has 3,648,016, representing 31.27 percent of the state. New York has 3,519,047, and California has 2,841,399.
Together, these five states account for more than 38 percent of all Black Americans.
A Map That Leaves Too Many Behind
The states with the largest Black populations rarely appear near the top of cancer research rankings. Georgia ranks thirty-eight. Florida ranks thirty. Texas ranks twenty-two. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina all fall in the bottom fifteen, even though they are home to some of the country’s most concentrated Black communities.
That gap has real consequences. Black Americans continue to face the highest cancer mortality rates in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. When the strongest research ecosystems are located far from the communities carrying the highest burden, access to clinical trials, specialty care, and advanced treatment becomes uneven by design.
When Distance Becomes a Barrier to Survival
Cancer research is tied to place. Clinical trials usually require in person visits. High quality cancer hospitals cluster in specific regions. Funding from the National Institutes of Health flows to institutions with long established research capacity. Insurance coverage varies by state. These factors shape who gets early detection, who gets advanced treatment, and who gets to participate in the studies that guide national standards of care.
When research is concentrated in the Northeast and West, and the highest burden communities are concentrated in the South, the result is a structural divide.
Black Americans are less likely to live near cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). They are less likely to be offered clinical trial participation. They are less likely to receive proper care. These patterns appear consistently in national cancer disparities reports and peer-reviewed research.
SmileHub did not create these disparities. But when its data is read through a different lens, the gaps reveal themselves with uncomfortable clarity.
What Real Investment Would Look Like
Imagine a South with more NCI designated cancer centers, stronger clinical trial networks, and research universities that anchor long-term investment. A South with increased NIH and ACS funding, deeper community-based research partnerships, better insurance coverage, and high-quality cancer hospitals within reach.
Imagine a research landscape that follows need instead of legacy.
The data points toward a future where investment is measured not only by scientific output, but by who can reach the front door of a research center. A future where breakthroughs are shaped by the communities that carry the highest burden. A future where geography is not destiny.
The Question We Cannot Ignore
The United States is investing billions to end cancer. But unless research infrastructure expands into the states where Black Americans actually live, the benefits of that investment will remain uneven. The communities with the highest cancer burden will continue to be left behind.
The country has the science, the momentum, and the resources to change the story of cancer. What remains uncertain is whether that progress will reach the communities that have carried the heaviest burden for the longest time.
Resources:
Cancer statistics, 2026 – Siegel – 2026 – CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians – Wiley Online Library
Best States for Cancer Research in 2026
Best Hospitals for Cancer in the U.S. | Rankings & Ratings
States in United States ranked by Black population – 2025 | Neilsberg
