Autism statistics for the United States
Prevalence, Medicaid spending for ABA therapy, the behavior analyst workforce and special education counts. Every figure links to its original source.
Key figures
| Figure | What it counts | Year | Source | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +2,985 | additional annual BCBA/BCBA-D job postings in New Jersey | 2024 to 2025 | BACB / Lightcast | Read the report |
| 26.1% | numerical ratio of HHS public-file ABA payments to the CMS total; not a completeness estimate | 2024 | HHS / CMS | Read the report |
| 1 in 31 | eight-year-olds identified with autism in CDC monitoring sites | 2022 | CDC ADDM Network | Read the report |
| $10.11B | Medicaid and CHIP payments for ABA therapy | 2025 | CMS | Read the report |
| 1,031,968 | students ages 6 to 21 served under the autism category | Fall 2024 | US Department of Education | Read the report |
| 81,570 | board certified behavior analysts in the 50 states and DC | October 2026 | BACB | Read the report |
| $198.6M | improper payments estimated in four federal audits of autism services | 2019 to 2023 claims | HHS-OIG | Read the report |
Reports
All reportsBCBA job demand by state: where postings grew in 2025
New Jersey added 2,985 BCBA/BCBA-D job postings in 2025, the largest increase among the 30 states in the BACB report. Five states accounted for 39.7% of the national net increase.
Public Medicaid ABA spending data compared with CMS totals
For the same eight ABA billing codes in 2024, the February 2026 HHS public extract sums to $2.117 billion, compared with $8.103 billion in the August 2026 CMS data book. The difference is not a fraud estimate.
Autism rates across CDC monitoring sites
The CDC's 1-in-31 estimate describes eight-year-olds in 16 monitoring sites in 2022. Those sites are not representative samples of their states.
Medicaid spending on ABA therapy
CMS reports $10.11 billion in Medicaid and CHIP payments for ABA services in 2025. Compare the national series and reported state totals.
Autism in US special education
IDEA counted 1,031,968 students ages 6–21 under the autism category in fall 2024. The same-age count was 443,994 in fall 2012.
BCBA workforce density by state
The saved BACB snapshot lists 81,570 BCBAs across the 50 states and DC. Compare credential counts with each state's population under 18.
Federal audits of autism-service payments
Four HHS-OIG audits estimated at least $198.6 million in improper payments. Their service definitions and audited years differ.
Writing a story?
Each report gives you a sentence you can quote, the year and population behind it, and the original source. Charts download as PNG with our name on them, and every table downloads as CSV.
- Quote lines with the source and year
- PNG charts and CSV tables
- Methods and limits on every report
- A public corrections log