Are ER wait times in MS longer than in other states? Here’s what a new survey found
Visits to the hospital emergency room are no fun, and waiting a long time to see the doctor can make it all the more worse.
Most Americans will visit the ER about 35 times throughout their life, waiting an average of 2 hours and 35 minutes each time, according to experts.
Mississippians are lucky in that their ER wait time is shorter compared to most states, according to a recent study by Nursa.
Here’s how the state ranks by ER waiting times.
Mississippi ER wait times
The Magnolia State ranked among the top 10 states with the shortest ER wait times, tying with Minnesota at an average time of 2 hours and 9 minutes, according to the Nursa study.
The length of wait time in Mississippi is nearly 17% shorter than the national average of two hours and 35 minutes, analysts said.
The state has an average of 567 ER visits per capita and about 4% of patients leave the ER before being seen, the study found.
What are the top reasons for ER visits?
Here’s what causes Americans to visit the ER the most, according to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Stomach and abdominal pain, cramps and spasms: 8.9%
- Chest pain and related symptoms: 5.6%
- Shortness of breath: 4.2%
- Cough: 3.3%
- Fever: 3.3%
- Headache, pain in head: 2.8%
Which states have the shortest ER wait times?
These are the states where residents spend the least amount of time waiting for the ER, according to the Nursa study:
1. North Dakota
2. Nebraska
3. South Dakota and Hawaii (tie)
4. Oklahoma
5. Kansas
6. Iowa
7. Montana
8. Mississippi and Minnesota (tie)
9. Louisiana and Utah (tie)
10. Colorado and Wyoming (tie)
Which states have the longest ER wait times?
These are the states where residents spend the most amount of time waiting for the ER, according to the Nursa study:
1. Maryland
2. Rhode Island and Massachusetts (tie)
3. Delaware
4. Connecticut
5. New York
6. North Carolina
7. Vermont
8. New Jersey
9. California and Pennsylvania (tie)
10. Arizona
How did healthcare staffing app find and rank wait times?
Nursa used September 2025 data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service, KFF, Becker’s Hospital Review and the Health Resources & Services Administration to conduct the study, analysts said.
