Drinking in America: How Drunk is Your State?

The last time Healing Properties took a look at overall drinking in America we cited data developed by the good folks at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Addiction. And while there’s no doubt about that august group’s findings (after all, the NIAAA is a division of the National Institutes of Health), the study concentrated solely on the amount of alcohol consumed by each state. Drinking doesn’t exist in a vacuum, of course, especially excessive drinking. So we thought that this time we’d dive a little deeper into the issue. Besides, it’s been well over a year since we last addressed the issue, and we want to be sure our numbers are kept up to date.

Well, we want our numbers to be kept as up to date as possible anyway. We also want them to stay reliable. Last year’s post cited data that ended in 2018; this year we were able to track down results dating to 2021. Even better, the findings come from the estimable people behind County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R), which has a pedigree on par with the NIAAA.

Okay, so the program’s name might not be a headline grabber. But that doesn’t mean its work isn’t worthy of any front page. Then again, when a program is produced by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, its findings are bound to be newsworthy.

Those findings are also quite likely to provide data that supports the results. In fact, the County Health Rankings folks don’t simply chart a state’s excessive drinking rate, but, as the program name attests, they cite the drunkest county, as well as the drunkest metro area. Even better, researchers provide data on alcohol-related driving deaths, in addition to a state’s health and poverty rates, which are often indicative of excessive drinking.

Drinking in America: Ten Drunkest States

If you’ll recall, the NIAAA found New Hampshire to be America’s drunkest state – and by a full gallon per to boot! The CHR report however found Wisconsin to be the new number one. Perhaps the Badger State’s affinity for liquor is what compelled The University of Wisconsin to research the subject in the first place. Then again, this is the school’s Population Health Institute, and excessive drinking does most certainly impact a person’s health, wherever they happen to be. Unfortunately, the repercussions of all that liquor tend to spill on to others as well.

Here are the 10 most drunk states, as well as some of their attendant conditions. If you’d like to find out the rankings of the other 40, head on over to 247wallst, or, better yet, go straight to the source. The CHR site let’s you search by state, county and/or zip code. And if you explore a bit, you’ll discover all kinds of enlightening data.

10. Montana

> Adults drinking excessively: 20.9% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 45.1% — the highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 14.7% — 13th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 12.6% — 20th highest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Montana: Missoula
> Adults drinking excessively in Missoula: 25.3% (10th highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Montana: Gallatin
> Adults drinking excessively in Gallatin: 26.8% (15th highest among all 3,142 counties)

9. Hawaii

> Adults drinking excessively: 21.1% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 31.2% — 18th highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 14.2% — 7th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 9.3% — 6th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Hawaii: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina
> Adults drinking excessively in Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina: 21.1% (62nd highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Hawaii: Kauai
> Adults drinking excessively in Kauai: 21.6% (265th highest among all 3,142 counties)

8. Alaska

> Adults drinking excessively: 21.3% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 38.1% — 3rd highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 18.1% — 16th highest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 10.1% — 13th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Alaska: Fairbanks
> Adults drinking excessively in Fairbanks: 22.8% (31st highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Alaska: Valdez-Cordova
> Adults drinking excessively in Valdez-Cordova: 24.6% (58th highest among all 3,142 counties)

7. Massachusetts

> Adults drinking excessively: 21.3% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 30.0% — 25th lowest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 14.4% — 8th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 9.4% — 8th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Massachusetts: Boston-Cambridge-Nashua
> Adults drinking excessively in Boston-Cambridge-Nashua: 22.2% (36th highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Massachusetts: Suffolk
> Adults drinking excessively in Suffolk: 24.4% (70th highest among all 3,142 counties)

6. Illinois

> Adults drinking excessively: 21.4% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 31.9% — 17th highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 17.2% — 25th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 11.5% — 25th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Illinois: Bloomington
> Adults drinking excessively in Bloomington: 21.8% (44th highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Illinois: Clinton
> Adults drinking excessively in Clinton: 23.2% (118th highest among all 3,142 counties)

5. Minnesota

> Adults drinking excessively: 21.7% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 30.0% — 25th highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 12.1% — the lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 9.0% — 3rd lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Minnesota: Mankato-North Mankato
> Adults drinking excessively in Mankato-North Mankato: 24.4% (14th highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Minnesota: Chisago
> Adults drinking excessively in Chisago: 25.1% (41st highest among all 3,142 counties)

4. Nebraska

> Adults drinking excessively: 21.7% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 34.0% — 11th highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 14.4% — 9th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 9.9% — 10th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Nebraska: Lincoln
> Adults drinking excessively in Lincoln: 25.0% (12th highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Nebraska: Lancaster
> Adults drinking excessively in Lancaster: 25.1% (39th highest among all 3,142 counties)

3. Iowa

> Adults drinking excessively: 22.1% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 26.9% — 16th lowest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 14.5% — 11th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 11.2% — 20th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Iowa: Dubuque
> Adults drinking excessively in Dubuque: 24.0% (21st highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Iowa: Johnson
> Adults drinking excessively in Johnson: 24.6% (61st highest among all 3,142 counties)

2. North Dakota

> Adults drinking excessively: 24.1% (US share: 19.0%)
> Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 43.2% — 2nd highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 15.1% — 17th lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 10.6% — 17th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in North Dakota: Fargo
> Adults drinking excessively in Fargo: 25.1% (11th highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in North Dakota: Williams
> Adults drinking excessively in Williams: 26.3% (20th highest among all 3,142 counties)

1. Wisconsin

Adults drinking excessively: 24.2% (US share: 19.0%)
>Pct. driving deaths that are alcohol related: 36.2% — 6th highest (US share: 27.8%)
> Adults in poor of fair health: 16.7% — 23rd lowest (US share: 17.2%)
> Poverty rate: 10.4% — 16th lowest (US rate: 12.3%)
> Drunkest metro area in Wisconsin: Madison
> Adults drinking excessively in Madison: 27.8% (the highest among all 384 metro areas)
> Drunkest county in Wisconsin: Pierce
> Adults drinking excessively in Pierce: 28.6% (the highest among all 3,142 counties)

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