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States With the Highest Rates of Binge Drinking

States With the Highest Rates of Binge Drinking

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six adults in the U.S. indulges in binge drinking on occasion, with 25% consuming alcohol excessively at least weekly. The CDC defines binge drinking as “consuming 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women.”

While binge drinking may not mean a person is dependent on alcohol, it carries the potential for serious health consequences. Binge drinking, the CDC notes, can lead to chronic conditions such as liver disease, cancer, heart disease, and hypertension. Downing several alcohol beverages in a row also raises the chance of deadly motor vehicle accidents and falls. (These are the states where drunk driving causes the most driving deaths.)

Like overall alcohol usage, the prevalence of binge drinking varies from state to state. To compile a list of the states with the highest percentage of binge drinking (and also the lowest), 24/7 Tempo reviewed “Binge drinking prevalence among adults in the United States as of 2021, by state,” a study by the data site Statista, which in turn analyzed data published in October 2022 by the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.  

The CDC data surveyed about 70,000 people aged 12 to 64, but the incidence of binge drinking among minors is minimal, and the Statista analysis covers only those 18 or older who – in the 30 days prior to being surveyed – consumed four or more alcoholic drinks (for women) or five or more (for men) on a single occasion. (No data was available for the state of Florida. Median household income and population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey.)  

State by state, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin – in ascending order – all registered a population of binge drinkers in the 20% range. (In terms of total consumption, these are the states where people drink the most alcohol.)

There seems to be no correlation between median household income and the percentage of binge drinkers in a state. Median household income in Wisconsin is $67,125, 22nd highest on the list, for instance, while the percentage of adults who binge drank in 2021 topped all states at 21.9%. Meanwhile, West Virginia’s median household income is much lower at $51,248. Yet only 11.6% binge drink, the lowest rate of any state.

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49. West Virginia
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 11.6%
> Median household income: $51,248 — 2nd lowest
> Population: 1,782,959

Source: krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

48. Utah
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 11.8%
> Median household income: $79,449 — 11th highest
> Population: 3,337,975

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

47. Oklahoma
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 11.9%
> Median household income: $55,826 — 8th lowest
> Population: 3,986,639

Source: Michelle Bryant / Pixabay

45. Alabama
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 12.5%
> Median household income: $53,913 — 5th lowest
> Population: 5,039,877

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

45. Mississippi
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 12.5%
> Median household income: $48,716 — the lowest
> Population: 2,949,965

Source: benedek / iStock via Getty Images

44. Kentucky
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 12.6%
> Median household income: $55,573 — 7th lowest
> Population: 4,509,394

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

42. Nevada
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 12.7%
> Median household income: $66,274 — 22nd lowest
> Population: 3,143,991

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

42. Arkansas
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 12.7%
> Median household income: $52,528 — 4th lowest
> Population: 3,025,891

Source: John M. Chase / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

41. Delaware
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 12.9%
> Median household income: $71,091 — 19th highest
> Population: 1,003,384

Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

40. Maryland
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 13.0%
> Median household income: $90,203 — the highest
> Population: 6,165,129

Source: Gim42 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

39. New Mexico
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 13.2%
> Median household income: $53,992 — 6th lowest
> Population: 2,115,877

Source: Kirkikis / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

38. Connecticut
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 13.6%
> Median household income: $83,771 — 8th highest
> Population: 3,605,597

Source: mobili / Flickr

37. Idaho
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.0%
> Median household income: $66,474 — 23rd lowest
> Population: 1,900,923

Source: benedek / iStock via Getty Images

36. Tennessee
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.2%
> Median household income: $59,695 — 10th lowest
> Population: 6,975,218

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

35. Georgia
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.5%
> Median household income: $66,559 — 25th highest
> Population: 10,799,566

Source: Brian Logan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

33. New Jersey
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.6%
> Median household income: $89,296 — 3rd highest
> Population: 9,267,130

Source: ErikaMitchell / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

33. New Hampshire
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.6%
> Median household income: $88,465 — 4th highest
> Population: 1,388,992

Source: aloha75 / Flickr

32. Illinois
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.8%
> Median household income: $72,205 — 17th highest
> Population: 12,671,469

Source: sjgolding / Flickr

31. New York
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 14.9%
> Median household income: $74,314 — 14th highest
> Population: 19,835,913

Source: Kirkikis / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

29. California
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.0%
> Median household income: $84,907 — 5th highest
> Population: 39,237,836

Source: krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

29. South Carolina
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.0%
> Median household income: $59,318 — 9th lowest
> Population: 5,190,705

Source: Nikada / Getty Images

27. Washington
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.2%
> Median household income: $84,247 — 7th highest
> Population: 7,738,692

Source: jmoor17 / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

27. Maine
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.2%
> Median household income: $64,767 — 18th lowest
> Population: 1,372,247

Source: littleny / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

25. Pennsylvania
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.3%
> Median household income: $68,957 — 21st highest
> Population: 12,964,056

Source: peeterv / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

25. North Carolina
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.3%
> Median household income: $61,972 — 12th lowest
> Population: 10,551,162

Source: AlbertPego / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

23. Virginia
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.4%
> Median household income: $80,963 — 10th highest
> Population: 8,642,274

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

23. Indiana
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.4%
> Median household income: $62,743 — 14th lowest
> Population: 6,805,985

Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

22. Oregon
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.8%
> Median household income: $71,562 — 18th highest
> Population: 4,246,155

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

20. Arizona
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.9%
> Median household income: $69,056 — 20th highest
> Population: 7,276,316

Source: Solange_Z / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

20. Wyoming
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 15.9%
> Median household income: $65,204 — 19th lowest
> Population: 578,803

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

19. Michigan
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 16.1%
> Median household income: $63,498 — 16th lowest
> Population: 10,050,811

Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images

18. Massachusetts
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 16.2%
> Median household income: $89,645 — 2nd highest
> Population: 6,984,723

Source: RyanJLane / E+ via Getty Images

17. Texas
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 16.4%
> Median household income: $66,963 — 23rd highest
> Population: 29,527,941

Source: HPphoto / iStock via Getty Images

15. Hawaii
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 16.6%
> Median household income: $84,857 — 6th highest
> Population: 1,441,553

Source: tomofbluesprings / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

15. Missouri
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 16.6%
> Median household income: $61,847 — 11th lowest
> Population: 6,168,187

Source: benedek / iStock via Getty Images

14. Ohio
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 16.8%
> Median household income: $62,262 — 13th lowest
> Population: 11,780,017

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

13. Vermont
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 17.0%
> Median household income: $72,431 — 16th highest
> Population: 645,570

Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

12. Louisiana
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 17.2%
> Median household income: $52,087 — 3rd lowest
> Population: 4,624,047

Source: aimintang / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

11. Rhode Island
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 17.3%
> Median household income: $74,008 — 15th highest
> Population: 1,095,610

Source: mixmotive / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

10. Alaska
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 17.5%
> Median household income: $77,845 — 12th highest
> Population: 732,673

Source: Taveesaksri / Getty Images

9. Kansas
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 17.7%
> Median household income: $64,124 — 17th lowest
> Population: 2,934,582

Source: opie / Flickr

8. Minnesota
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 17.9%
> Median household income: $77,720 — 13th highest
> Population: 5,707,390

Source: krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

7. Colorado
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 18.7%
> Median household income: $82,254 — 9th highest
> Population: 5,812,069

Source: davidwilson1949 / Flickr

6. Nebraska
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 19.5%
> Median household income: $66,817 — 24th highest
> Population: 1,963,692

Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

5. South Dakota
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 19.6%
> Median household income: $66,143 — 21st lowest
> Population: 895,376

Source: alan-light / Flickr

4. Iowa
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 20.1%
> Median household income: $65,600 — 20th lowest
> Population: 3,193,079

Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

3. Montana
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 20.5%
> Median household income: $63,249 — 15th lowest
> Population: 1,104,271

Source: afiler / Flickr

2. North Dakota
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 20.8%
> Median household income: $66,519 — 24th lowest
> Population: 774,948

Source: peeterv / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

1. Wisconsin
> Adults binge-drinking in 2021: 21.9%
> Median household income: $67,125 — 22nd highest
> Population: 5,895,908

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