Despite cautions from law enforcement, health agencies, and educators, the U.S. continues to grapple with issues related to alcohol consumption. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every six American adults engages in binge drinking, which is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion for men or four or more drinks on one occasion for women.(Here are 23 ways a drinking habit can harm you.)
As with other behavior, excessive drinking varies from state to state. To identify America’s drunkest states – those in which the highest percentage of residents 18 and older report indulging in binge or heavy drinking with a 30-day period, 24/7 Tempo data from the 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Engaging in binge drinking poses significant risks to health, contributing to the development of severe conditions like liver disease, cancer, heart disease, and hypertension. Each year, excessive alcohol consumption leads to over 140,000 deaths in the U.S. alone.(Read how deaths from alcohol-related cirrhosis have gone up almost every years since 2000.)
Binge drinking additionally increases the risk of motor-vehicle accidents, with alarming statistics. In 2021, alcohol-related traffic fatalities accounted for the deaths of 13,384 individuals in the country. On a daily basis, approximately 37 Americans lose their lives in crashes involving drunk driving.
The regions with the highest levels of excessive drinking are located in the Plains, Midwest, and Far West. Among the states with the highest rates of alcohol-related driving fatalities, four include Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Alaska. These states, known for their vast size, often involve motorists covering considerable distances after a night of drinking. Additionally, these areas are among the coldest in the nation, which might contribute to increased alcohol consumption.
50. Utah
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 11.8%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 21.7% — 6th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Salt Lake City (14.0%)
49. West Virginia
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 13.5%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 26.1% — 18th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Wheeling (16.8%)
48. Oklahoma
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 13.8%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 26.8% — 20th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Enid (15.2%)
47. Maryland
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 14.6%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 28.3% — 25th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson (17.1%)
46. Illinois
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 15.4%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 28.8% — 25th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Kankakee (17.2%)
45. Alabama
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 16.1%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.9% — 17th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Daphne-Fairhope-Foley (19.0%)
44. Georgia
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 16.2%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 20.7% — 5th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Gainesville (17.5%)
43. Mississippi
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 16.4%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 18.5% — the lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Gulfport-Biloxi (18.3%)
42. Kentucky
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 16.8%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.5% — 14th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Louisville/Jefferson County (18.1%)
41. Virginia
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 16.9%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 30.3% — 21st highest
> Drunkest metro area: Staunton (18.9%)
40. Tennessee
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 23.5% — 10th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin (17.3%)
39. North Carolina
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.9% — 16th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Wilmington (20.3%)
38. Idaho
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.1%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 31.1% — 18th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Lewiston (20.3%)
37. Florida
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.2%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 22.0% — 7th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Homosassa Springs (21.6%)
36. Delaware
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.3%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.0% — 11th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Dover (16.1%)
35. Arizona
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.4%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 22.3% — 8th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Lake Havasu City-Kingman (22.3%)
34. Connecticut
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.4%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 30.4% — 20th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Norwich-New London (20.8%)
33. New Mexico
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.5%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.4% — 23rd highest
> Drunkest metro area: Albuquerque (17.0%)
32. New York
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.6%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 20.2% — 4th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Glens Falls (22.3%)
31. Arkansas
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 17.8%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.7% — 15th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers (18.0%)
30. Washington
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 18.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.7% — 13th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Bellingham (22.9%)
29. Rhode Island
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 18.3%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 40.3% — 3rd highest
> Drunkest metro area: Providence-Warwick (20.0%)
28. Indiana
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 18.4%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 19.0% — 2nd lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Bloomington (19.4%)
27. California
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 18.4%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.7% — 23rd lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Santa Rosa-Petaluma (23.2%)
26. Texas
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 18.6%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.4% — 13th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Sherman-Denison (21.1%)
25. New Jersey
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 18.6%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 22.8% — 9th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Ocean City (23.3%)
24. Hawaii
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 31.5% — 16th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina (21.5%)
23. Ohio
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.5% — 14th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Columbus (20.5%)
22. South Carolina
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.8% — 12th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Charleston-North Charleston (21.8%)
21. Maine
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 34.4% — 8th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Portland-South Portland (20.3%)
20. Massachusetts
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.3%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 30.5% — 19th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Barnstable Town (24.2%)
19. Wyoming
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.3%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 31.8% — 15th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Casper (19.0%)
18. Kansas
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.7%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 19.4% — 3rd lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Lawrence (20.6%)
17. New Hampshire
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.9%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 33.1% — 11th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Manchester-Nashua (20.7%)
16. Oregon
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.9%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.9% — 24th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Bend (22.6%)
15. Nevada
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 19.9%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.3% — 21st lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Reno (22.6%)
14. Missouri
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 20.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.6% — 22nd lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Cape Girardeau (20.8%)
13. Alaska
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 20.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 36.9% — 4th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Anchorage (21.6%)
12. Michigan
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 20.1%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.2% — 24th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Bay City (23.8%)
11. Colorado
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 20.3%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 34.0% — 9th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Fort Collins (22.2%)
10. Pennsylvania
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 20.7%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.4% — 12th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Pittsburgh (23.0%)
9. South Dakota
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 21.0%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 36.1% — 5th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Rapid City (21.1%)
8. Minnesota
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 21.5%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.9% — 22nd highest
> Drunkest metro area: Duluth (24.2%)
7. Louisiana
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 21.9%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 31.2% — 17th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Houma-Thibodaux (22.7%)
6. Vermont
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 22.1%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 35.4% — 7th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Burlington-South Burlington (20.7%)
5. Nebraska
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 23.2%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 33.2% — 10th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Omaha-Council Bluffs (22.8%)
4. North Dakota
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 23.5%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 41.4% — 2nd highest
> Drunkest metro area: Bismarck (23.1%)
3. Montana
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 23.9%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 46.4% — the highest
> Drunkest metro area: Missoula (24.9%)
2. Iowa
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 24.7%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 26.8% — 19th lowest
> Drunkest metro area: Dubuque (27.4%)
1. Wisconsin
> Adults who drink excessively regularly: 26.1%
> Alcohol-related driving deaths: 35.6% — 6th highest
> Drunkest metro area: Appleton (26.0%)