Data / Rankings / Binge drinking in adults / US states

US states by binge drinking in adults

District of Columbia had the highest binge drinking in adults of 51 states in 2015, at 27.2%. Tennessee had the lowest, at 10.3%. The median was 16.3%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest27.2District of Columbia
Lowest10.3Tennessee
Median16.351 states

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 11.6 %Alaska: 20.4 %Arizona: 14.2 %Arkansas: 14.1 %California: 16.5 %Colorado: 17.6 %Connecticut: 16.9 %Delaware: 14.9 %District of Columbia: 27.2 %Florida: 15.6 %Georgia: 15.3 %Hawaii: 18.9 %Idaho: 14.1 %Illinois: 20.2 %Indiana: 15.7 %Iowa: 19.8 %Kansas: 15.6 %Kentucky: 15.3 %Louisiana: 17.3 %Maine: 17.6 %Maryland: 14.2 %Massachusetts: 17.6 %Michigan: 18.5 %Minnesota: 19.5 %Mississippi: 11.8 %Missouri: 16.7 %Montana: 19.8 %Nebraska: 19.5 %Nevada: 14.2 %New Hampshire: 16.5 %New Jersey: 16 %New Mexico: 12.9 %New York: 16.7 %North Carolina: 13.8 %North Dakota: 24.1 %Ohio: 18.2 %Oklahoma: 13.1 %Oregon: 16.6 %Pennsylvania: 17 %Rhode Island: 16 %South Carolina: 15.2 %South Dakota: 16.9 %Tennessee: 10.3 %Texas: 15.9 %Utah: 11.6 %Vermont: 17.2 %Virginia: 16.3 %Washington: 16.1 %West Virginia: 10.6 %Wisconsin: 22.9 %Wyoming: 16 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 16
  • 16 to 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2015. Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2015

District of Columbia: 27.2 %District of Columbia27.2North Dakota: 24.1 %North Dakota24.1Wisconsin: 22.9 %Wisconsin22.9Alaska: 20.4 %Alaska20.4Illinois: 20.2 %Illinois20.2Iowa: 19.8 %Iowa19.8Montana: 19.8 %Montana19.8Minnesota: 19.5 %Minnesota19.5Nebraska: 19.5 %Nebraska19.5Hawaii: 18.9 %Hawaii18.9Michigan: 18.5 %Michigan18.5Ohio: 18.2 %Ohio18.2Colorado: 17.6 %Colorado17.6Maine: 17.6 %Maine17.6Massachusetts: 17.6 %Massachusetts17.6Louisiana: 17.3 %Louisiana17.3Vermont: 17.2 %Vermont17.2Pennsylvania: 17 %Pennsylvania17Connecticut: 16.9 %Connecticut16.9South Dakota: 16.9 %South Dakota16.9Missouri: 16.7 %Missouri16.7New York: 16.7 %New York16.7Oregon: 16.6 %Oregon16.6California: 16.5 %California16.5New Hampshire: 16.5 %New Hampshire16.5Virginia: 16.3 %Virginia16.3Washington: 16.1 %Washington16.1New Jersey: 16 %New Jersey16Rhode Island: 16 %Rhode Island16Wyoming: 16 %Wyoming16Texas: 15.9 %Texas15.9Indiana: 15.7 %Indiana15.7Florida: 15.6 %Florida15.6Kansas: 15.6 %Kansas15.6Georgia: 15.3 %Georgia15.3Kentucky: 15.3 %Kentucky15.3South Carolina: 15.2 %South Carolina15.2Delaware: 14.9 %Delaware14.9Arizona: 14.2 %Arizona14.2Maryland: 14.2 %Maryland14.2Nevada: 14.2 %Nevada14.2Arkansas: 14.1 %Arkansas14.1Idaho: 14.1 %Idaho14.1North Carolina: 13.8 %North Carolina13.8Oklahoma: 13.1 %Oklahoma13.1New Mexico: 12.9 %New Mexico12.9Mississippi: 11.8 %Mississippi11.8Alabama: 11.6 %Alabama11.6Utah: 11.6 %Utah11.6West Virginia: 10.6 %West Virginia10.6Tennessee: 10.3 %Tennessee10.3District of Columbia: 27.2 %District of Columbia27.2North Dakota: 24.1 %North Dakota24.1Wisconsin: 22.9 %Wisconsin22.9Alaska: 20.4 %Alaska20.4Illinois: 20.2 %Illinois20.2Iowa: 19.8 %Iowa19.8Montana: 19.8 %Montana19.8Minnesota: 19.5 %Minnesota19.5Nebraska: 19.5 %Nebraska19.5Hawaii: 18.9 %Hawaii18.9Michigan: 18.5 %Michigan18.5Ohio: 18.2 %Ohio18.2Colorado: 17.6 %Colorado17.6Maine: 17.6 %Maine17.6Massachusetts: 17.6 %Massachusetts17.6Louisiana: 17.3 %Louisiana17.3Vermont: 17.2 %Vermont17.2Pennsylvania: 17 %Pennsylvania17Connecticut: 16.9 %Connecticut16.9South Dakota: 16.9 %South Dakota16.9Missouri: 16.7 %Missouri16.7New York: 16.7 %New York16.7Oregon: 16.6 %Oregon16.6California: 16.5 %California16.5New Hampshire: 16.5 %New Hampshire16.5Virginia: 16.3 %Virginia16.3Washington: 16.1 %Washington16.1New Jersey: 16 %New Jersey16Rhode Island: 16 %Rhode Island16Wyoming: 16 %Wyoming16Texas: 15.9 %Texas15.9Indiana: 15.7 %Indiana15.7Florida: 15.6 %Florida15.6Kansas: 15.6 %Kansas15.6Georgia: 15.3 %Georgia15.3Kentucky: 15.3 %Kentucky15.3South Carolina: 15.2 %South Carolina15.2Delaware: 14.9 %Delaware14.9Arizona: 14.2 %Arizona14.2Maryland: 14.2 %Maryland14.2Nevada: 14.2 %Nevada14.2Arkansas: 14.1 %Arkansas14.1Idaho: 14.1 %Idaho14.1North Carolina: 13.8 %North Carolina13.8Oklahoma: 13.1 %Oklahoma13.1New Mexico: 12.9 %New Mexico12.9Mississippi: 11.8 %Mississippi11.8Alabama: 11.6 %Alabama11.6Utah: 11.6 %Utah11.6West Virginia: 10.6 %West Virginia10.6Tennessee: 10.3 %Tennessee10.3
%. Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2015 (%)Change on 2014
1District of Columbia27.2+2.3 pts
2North Dakota24.1+0.1 pts
3Wisconsin22.9+0.8 pts
4Alaska20.4+0.2 pts
5Illinois20.20 pts
6Iowa19.8-1.6 pts
6Montana19.8+0.9 pts
8Minnesota19.50 pts
8Nebraska19.5-0.8 pts
10Hawaii18.9-0.8 pts
11Michigan18.5-0.4 pts
12Ohio18.2+0.1 pts
13Colorado17.6+0.1 pts
13Maine17.6+0.6 pts
13Massachusetts17.6+0.2 pts
16Louisiana17.3+1.3 pts
17Vermont17.2-0.7 pts
18Pennsylvania17+0.3 pts
19Connecticut16.9+1 pts
19South Dakota16.9-0.5 pts
21Missouri16.7+1.6 pts
21New York16.7+1.7 pts
23Oregon16.60 pts
24California16.5+0.9 pts
24New Hampshire16.5-0.3 pts
26Virginia16.3+1.1 pts
27Washington16.1-1 pts
28New Jersey16+0.2 pts
28Rhode Island16-2.4 pts
28Wyoming16-1.2 pts
31Texas15.9-0.4 pts
32Indiana15.7+0.9 pts
33Florida15.6+0.6 pts
33Kansas15.6-0.2 pts
35Georgia15.3+1.1 pts
35Kentucky15.3+2.6 pts
37South Carolina15.2+1.1 pts
38Delaware14.9-0.8 pts
39Arizona14.2-0.7 pts
39Maryland14.2-1.2 pts
39Nevada14.2-1.8 pts
42Arkansas14.1+0.8 pts
42Idaho14.1-0.7 pts
44North Carolina13.8+0.2 pts
45Oklahoma13.1+0.2 pts
46New Mexico12.9-0.8 pts
47Mississippi11.8-1 pts
48Alabama11.6-0.4 pts
48Utah11.6+0.2 pts
50West Virginia10.6+1 pts
51Tennessee10.3-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

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

CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey of adults, crude prevalence. States and DC only: BRFSS publishes the median of the states rather than a national prevalence, so no national value is served. A state that did not meet BRFSS data standards in a year has no value, and CDC withholds estimates from fewer than 50 respondents or with a relative standard error above 0.3. The dataset also publishes 95% confidence intervals. The series starts in 2011, when BRFSS changed its weighting and added cell phones. BRFSS variable _RFBING5 to 2021 and _RFBING6 from 2022.

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

How to cite

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. 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. (2026). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall (US states by binge drinking in adults, 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27

MLA 9

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall, US states by binge drinking in adults, 2015. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Sept. 2026, https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2026. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. US states by binge drinking in adults, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2015.

Harvard

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2026) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall, US states by binge drinking in adults, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_binge_2015,
  author = {{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}},
  title = {{Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall: US states by binge drinking in adults, 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2015. Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?\%24order=\%3Aid\&\%24limit=50000\&\%24where=questionid+in+\%28\%27\_RFBING5\%27\%2C\%27\_RFBING6\%27\%29+AND+responseid+in+\%28\%27RESP046\%27\%29+AND+breakoutid\%3D\%27BO1\%27+AND+data\_value\_type\%3D\%27Crude+Prevalence\%27. 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  - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall: US states by binge drinking in adults, 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/15
PB  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFBING5%27%2C%27_RFBING6%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. 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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Questions

Which state has the highest binge drinking in adults?

District of Columbia, with 27.2% in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest binge drinking in adults?

Tennessee, with 10.3% in 2015.

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, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), binge drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings