Data / Rankings / Binge drinking in adults, local model estimate / Counties in North Carolina

Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate

Onslow County had the highest binge drinking in adults, local model estimate of 100 counties in 2021, at 19.8%. Northampton County had the lowest, at 11.3%. The median was 14.9%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest19.8Onslow County
Lowest11.3Northampton County
Median14.9100 counties

Map of counties, 2021

Alamance County: 15.6 %Alexander County: 16.2 %Alleghany County: 13.1 %Anson County: 13.6 %Ashe County: 14.6 %Avery County: 16.3 %Beaufort County: 13.3 %Bertie County: 12.1 %Bladen County: 13.3 %Brunswick County: 13.7 %Buncombe County: 17.1 %Burke County: 15 %Cabarrus County: 16.1 %Caldwell County: 14.9 %Camden County: 17.2 %Carteret County: 14.8 %Caswell County: 14 %Catawba County: 16.1 %Chatham County: 14.5 %Cherokee County: 13 %Chowan County: 12.7 %Clay County: 13.3 %Cleveland County: 14.9 %Columbus County: 13.9 %Craven County: 15.8 %Cumberland County: 17.4 %Currituck County: 17.8 %Dare County: 16.5 %Davidson County: 14.7 %Davie County: 15.3 %Duplin County: 13.9 %Durham County: 17.2 %Edgecombe County: 12.2 %Forsyth County: 14.9 %Franklin County: 15.5 %Gaston County: 16.2 %Gates County: 14.3 %Graham County: 15.2 %Granville County: 15.6 %Greene County: 15.3 %Guilford County: 15 %Halifax County: 11.9 %Harnett County: 15.3 %Haywood County: 15 %Henderson County: 14.9 %Hertford County: 12.7 %Hoke County: 16.4 %Hyde County: 14.1 %Iredell County: 16.3 %Jackson County: 16.9 %Johnston County: 16.6 %Jones County: 13.3 %Lee County: 14.9 %Lenoir County: 13.2 %Lincoln County: 16.6 %McDowell County: 15.3 %Macon County: 13.5 %Madison County: 15.6 %Martin County: 12.9 %Mecklenburg County: 17.5 %Mitchell County: 15.1 %Montgomery County: 13.9 %Moore County: 16 %Nash County: 14.8 %New Hanover County: 18 %Northampton County: 11.3 %Onslow County: 19.8 %Orange County: 17.4 %Pamlico County: 13.6 %Pasquotank County: 15.7 %Pender County: 16.1 %Perquimans County: 13.5 %Person County: 14.5 %Pitt County: 14.7 %Polk County: 13.8 %Randolph County: 15.6 %Richmond County: 13.9 %Robeson County: 14 %Rockingham County: 14.5 %Rowan County: 16.6 %Rutherford County: 14.5 %Sampson County: 14.1 %Scotland County: 13.5 %Stanly County: 15.8 %Stokes County: 14.9 %Surry County: 14.5 %Swain County: 15.5 %Transylvania County: 14.3 %Tyrrell County: 14.2 %Union County: 17 %Vance County: 13.3 %Wake County: 19.1 %Warren County: 12 %Washington County: 11.6 %Watauga County: 17.6 %Wayne County: 14.6 %Wilkes County: 14.3 %Wilson County: 13.6 %Yadkin County: 15.1 %Yancey County: 14.7 %
  • Under 13
  • 13 to 14
  • 14 to 15
  • 15 to 16
  • 16 and over
%, 2021. Source: CDC, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Onslow County: 19.8 %Onslow County19.8Wake County: 19.1 %Wake County19.1New Hanover County: 18 %New Hanover County18Currituck County: 17.8 %Currituck County17.8Watauga County: 17.6 %Watauga County17.6Mecklenburg County: 17.5 %Mecklenburg County17.5Cumberland County: 17.4 %Cumberland County17.4Orange County: 17.4 %Orange County17.4Camden County: 17.2 %Camden County17.2Durham County: 17.2 %Durham County17.2Buncombe County: 17.1 %Buncombe County17.1Union County: 17 %Union County17Jackson County: 16.9 %Jackson County16.9Johnston County: 16.6 %Johnston County16.6Lincoln County: 16.6 %Lincoln County16.6Rowan County: 16.6 %Rowan County16.6Dare County: 16.5 %Dare County16.5Hoke County: 16.4 %Hoke County16.4Avery County: 16.3 %Avery County16.3Iredell County: 16.3 %Iredell County16.3Alexander County: 16.2 %Alexander County16.2Gaston County: 16.2 %Gaston County16.2Cabarrus County: 16.1 %Cabarrus County16.1Catawba County: 16.1 %Catawba County16.1Pender County: 16.1 %Pender County16.1Moore County: 16 %Moore County16Craven County: 15.8 %Craven County15.8Stanly County: 15.8 %Stanly County15.8Pasquotank County: 15.7 %Pasquotank County15.7Alamance County: 15.6 %Alamance County15.6Granville County: 15.6 %Granville County15.6Madison County: 15.6 %Madison County15.6Randolph County: 15.6 %Randolph County15.6Franklin County: 15.5 %Franklin County15.5Swain County: 15.5 %Swain County15.5Davie County: 15.3 %Davie County15.3Greene County: 15.3 %Greene County15.3Harnett County: 15.3 %Harnett County15.3McDowell County: 15.3 %McDowell County15.3Graham County: 15.2 %Graham County15.2Onslow County: 19.8 %Onslow County19.8Wake County: 19.1 %Wake County19.1New Hanover County: 18 %New Hanover County18Currituck County: 17.8 %Currituck County17.8Watauga County: 17.6 %Watauga County17.6Mecklenburg County: 17.5 %Mecklenburg County17.5Cumberland County: 17.4 %Cumberland County17.4Orange County: 17.4 %Orange County17.4Camden County: 17.2 %Camden County17.2Durham County: 17.2 %Durham County17.2Buncombe County: 17.1 %Buncombe County17.1Union County: 17 %Union County17Jackson County: 16.9 %Jackson County16.9Johnston County: 16.6 %Johnston County16.6Lincoln County: 16.6 %Lincoln County16.6Rowan County: 16.6 %Rowan County16.6Dare County: 16.5 %Dare County16.5Hoke County: 16.4 %Hoke County16.4Avery County: 16.3 %Avery County16.3Iredell County: 16.3 %Iredell County16.3Alexander County: 16.2 %Alexander County16.2Gaston County: 16.2 %Gaston County16.2Cabarrus County: 16.1 %Cabarrus County16.1Catawba County: 16.1 %Catawba County16.1Pender County: 16.1 %Pender County16.1Moore County: 16 %Moore County16Craven County: 15.8 %Craven County15.8Stanly County: 15.8 %Stanly County15.8Pasquotank County: 15.7 %Pasquotank County15.7Alamance County: 15.6 %Alamance County15.6Granville County: 15.6 %Granville County15.6Madison County: 15.6 %Madison County15.6Randolph County: 15.6 %Randolph County15.6Franklin County: 15.5 %Franklin County15.5Swain County: 15.5 %Swain County15.5Davie County: 15.3 %Davie County15.3Greene County: 15.3 %Greene County15.3Harnett County: 15.3 %Harnett County15.3McDowell County: 15.3 %McDowell County15.3Graham County: 15.2 %Graham County15.2
%. Source: CDC, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Onslow County19.8
2Wake County19.1
3New Hanover County18
4Currituck County17.8
5Watauga County17.6
6Mecklenburg County17.5
7Cumberland County17.4
7Orange County17.4
9Camden County17.2
9Durham County17.2
11Buncombe County17.1
12Union County17
13Jackson County16.9
14Johnston County16.6
14Lincoln County16.6
14Rowan County16.6
17Dare County16.5
18Hoke County16.4
19Avery County16.3
19Iredell County16.3
21Alexander County16.2
21Gaston County16.2
23Cabarrus County16.1
23Catawba County16.1
23Pender County16.1
26Moore County16
27Craven County15.8
27Stanly County15.8
29Pasquotank County15.7
30Alamance County15.6
30Granville County15.6
30Madison County15.6
30Randolph County15.6
34Franklin County15.5
34Swain County15.5
36Davie County15.3
36Greene County15.3
36Harnett County15.3
36McDowell County15.3
40Graham County15.2
41Mitchell County15.1
41Yadkin County15.1
43Burke County15
43Guilford County15
43Haywood County15
46Caldwell County14.9
46Cleveland County14.9
46Forsyth County14.9
46Henderson County14.9
46Lee County14.9
46Stokes County14.9
52Carteret County14.8
52Nash County14.8
54Davidson County14.7
54Pitt County14.7
54Yancey County14.7
57Ashe County14.6
57Wayne County14.6
59Chatham County14.5
59Person County14.5
59Rockingham County14.5
59Rutherford County14.5
59Surry County14.5
64Gates County14.3
64Transylvania County14.3
64Wilkes County14.3
67Tyrrell County14.2
68Hyde County14.1
68Sampson County14.1
70Caswell County14
70Robeson County14
72Columbus County13.9
72Duplin County13.9
72Montgomery County13.9
72Richmond County13.9
76Polk County13.8
77Brunswick County13.7
78Anson County13.6
78Pamlico County13.6
78Wilson County13.6
81Macon County13.5
81Perquimans County13.5
81Scotland County13.5
84Beaufort County13.3
84Bladen County13.3
84Clay County13.3
84Jones County13.3
84Vance County13.3
89Lenoir County13.2
90Alleghany County13.1
91Cherokee County13
92Martin County12.9
93Chowan County12.7
93Hertford County12.7
95Edgecombe County12.2
96Bertie County12.1
97Warren County12
98Halifax County11.9
99Washington County11.6
100Northampton County11.3

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage of adults who had 5 or more drinks (men) or 4 or more drinks (women) on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. Model-based estimate for adults aged 18 and over from CDC PLACES. Crude prevalence, not age-adjusted.

US counties and cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). CDC PLACES combines Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) answers with local population data through multilevel regression and poststratification, so a county or city value is a model estimate, not a survey count. The year is the BRFSS survey year, not the release year. CDC says the method does not support tracking change in a place over time, and each annual release can change the model, so values for different years are not strictly comparable. A state is missing in a year when its BRFSS data did not meet standards (Kentucky and Pennsylvania in 2023, Florida in 2021). Connecticut counties appear as its nine planning regions from 2022; its eight former counties are not served. City values for 2021 come from the 2023 release, built on 2010 Census place boundaries; later years use 2020 boundaries.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence (Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.cdc.gov/places/

MLA 9

PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate, 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 Dec. 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2025. PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025) PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/places/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_counties_in_north_carolina_2021,
  author = {{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}},
  title = {{PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence: Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate, 2021}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.cdc.gov/places/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
TI  - PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence: Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate, 2021
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/04
PB  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.cdc.gov/places/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate-county-estimate/north-carolina-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/places/. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in North Carolina by binge drinking in adults, local model estimate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest binge drinking in adults, local model estimate?

Onslow County, with 19.8% in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which county has the lowest binge drinking in adults, local model estimate?

Northampton County, with 11.3% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (swc5-untb, fu4u-a9bh, h3ej-a9ec and later releases), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Binge drinking in adults, local model estimate: other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings