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 2016, at 25.5%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 11.3%. The median was 16.9%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest25.5District of Columbia
Lowest11.3West Virginia
Median16.951 states

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 13 %Alaska: 18.2 %Arizona: 15.6 %Arkansas: 15 %California: 16.3 %Colorado: 19 %Connecticut: 16.7 %Delaware: 17 %District of Columbia: 25.5 %Florida: 15.5 %Georgia: 13.4 %Hawaii: 18.6 %Idaho: 16.1 %Illinois: 19.9 %Indiana: 17.5 %Iowa: 21.2 %Kansas: 16 %Kentucky: 14.6 %Louisiana: 16.9 %Maine: 18.3 %Maryland: 15.3 %Massachusetts: 17.8 %Michigan: 19 %Minnesota: 21.3 %Mississippi: 12.3 %Missouri: 18.3 %Montana: 18.9 %Nebraska: 20 %Nevada: 15.8 %New Hampshire: 18 %New Jersey: 16 %New Mexico: 15 %New York: 17.5 %North Carolina: 14.6 %North Dakota: 24.8 %Ohio: 17.9 %Oklahoma: 11.8 %Oregon: 16.3 %Pennsylvania: 19.4 %Rhode Island: 15.8 %South Carolina: 16.8 %South Dakota: 19.3 %Tennessee: 13.1 %Texas: 17.9 %Utah: 12.5 %Vermont: 18.4 %Virginia: 15.8 %Washington: 16.4 %West Virginia: 11.3 %Wisconsin: 24.6 %Wyoming: 18.4 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 16
  • 16 to 17
  • 17 to 18
  • 18 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2016. 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, 2016

District of Columbia: 25.5 %District of Columbia25.5North Dakota: 24.8 %North Dakota24.8Wisconsin: 24.6 %Wisconsin24.6Minnesota: 21.3 %Minnesota21.3Iowa: 21.2 %Iowa21.2Nebraska: 20 %Nebraska20Illinois: 19.9 %Illinois19.9Pennsylvania: 19.4 %Pennsylvania19.4South Dakota: 19.3 %South Dakota19.3Colorado: 19 %Colorado19Michigan: 19 %Michigan19Montana: 18.9 %Montana18.9Hawaii: 18.6 %Hawaii18.6Vermont: 18.4 %Vermont18.4Wyoming: 18.4 %Wyoming18.4Maine: 18.3 %Maine18.3Missouri: 18.3 %Missouri18.3Alaska: 18.2 %Alaska18.2New Hampshire: 18 %New Hampshire18Ohio: 17.9 %Ohio17.9Texas: 17.9 %Texas17.9Massachusetts: 17.8 %Massachusetts17.8Indiana: 17.5 %Indiana17.5New York: 17.5 %New York17.5Delaware: 17 %Delaware17Louisiana: 16.9 %Louisiana16.9South Carolina: 16.8 %South Carolina16.8Connecticut: 16.7 %Connecticut16.7Washington: 16.4 %Washington16.4California: 16.3 %California16.3Oregon: 16.3 %Oregon16.3Idaho: 16.1 %Idaho16.1Kansas: 16 %Kansas16New Jersey: 16 %New Jersey16Nevada: 15.8 %Nevada15.8Rhode Island: 15.8 %Rhode Island15.8Virginia: 15.8 %Virginia15.8Arizona: 15.6 %Arizona15.6Florida: 15.5 %Florida15.5Maryland: 15.3 %Maryland15.3Arkansas: 15 %Arkansas15New Mexico: 15 %New Mexico15Kentucky: 14.6 %Kentucky14.6North Carolina: 14.6 %North Carolina14.6Georgia: 13.4 %Georgia13.4Tennessee: 13.1 %Tennessee13.1Alabama: 13 %Alabama13Utah: 12.5 %Utah12.5Mississippi: 12.3 %Mississippi12.3Oklahoma: 11.8 %Oklahoma11.8West Virginia: 11.3 %West Virginia11.3District of Columbia: 25.5 %District of Columbia25.5North Dakota: 24.8 %North Dakota24.8Wisconsin: 24.6 %Wisconsin24.6Minnesota: 21.3 %Minnesota21.3Iowa: 21.2 %Iowa21.2Nebraska: 20 %Nebraska20Illinois: 19.9 %Illinois19.9Pennsylvania: 19.4 %Pennsylvania19.4South Dakota: 19.3 %South Dakota19.3Colorado: 19 %Colorado19Michigan: 19 %Michigan19Montana: 18.9 %Montana18.9Hawaii: 18.6 %Hawaii18.6Vermont: 18.4 %Vermont18.4Wyoming: 18.4 %Wyoming18.4Maine: 18.3 %Maine18.3Missouri: 18.3 %Missouri18.3Alaska: 18.2 %Alaska18.2New Hampshire: 18 %New Hampshire18Ohio: 17.9 %Ohio17.9Texas: 17.9 %Texas17.9Massachusetts: 17.8 %Massachusetts17.8Indiana: 17.5 %Indiana17.5New York: 17.5 %New York17.5Delaware: 17 %Delaware17Louisiana: 16.9 %Louisiana16.9South Carolina: 16.8 %South Carolina16.8Connecticut: 16.7 %Connecticut16.7Washington: 16.4 %Washington16.4California: 16.3 %California16.3Oregon: 16.3 %Oregon16.3Idaho: 16.1 %Idaho16.1Kansas: 16 %Kansas16New Jersey: 16 %New Jersey16Nevada: 15.8 %Nevada15.8Rhode Island: 15.8 %Rhode Island15.8Virginia: 15.8 %Virginia15.8Arizona: 15.6 %Arizona15.6Florida: 15.5 %Florida15.5Maryland: 15.3 %Maryland15.3Arkansas: 15 %Arkansas15New Mexico: 15 %New Mexico15Kentucky: 14.6 %Kentucky14.6North Carolina: 14.6 %North Carolina14.6Georgia: 13.4 %Georgia13.4Tennessee: 13.1 %Tennessee13.1Alabama: 13 %Alabama13Utah: 12.5 %Utah12.5Mississippi: 12.3 %Mississippi12.3Oklahoma: 11.8 %Oklahoma11.8West Virginia: 11.3 %West Virginia11.3
%. 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

RankStates2016 (%)Change on 2015
1District of Columbia25.5-1.7 pts
2North Dakota24.8+0.7 pts
3Wisconsin24.6+1.7 pts
4Minnesota21.3+1.8 pts
5Iowa21.2+1.4 pts
6Nebraska20+0.5 pts
7Illinois19.9-0.3 pts
8Pennsylvania19.4+2.4 pts
9South Dakota19.3+2.4 pts
10Colorado19+1.4 pts
10Michigan19+0.5 pts
12Montana18.9-0.9 pts
13Hawaii18.6-0.3 pts
14Vermont18.4+1.2 pts
14Wyoming18.4+2.4 pts
16Maine18.3+0.7 pts
16Missouri18.3+1.6 pts
18Alaska18.2-2.2 pts
19New Hampshire18+1.5 pts
20Ohio17.9-0.3 pts
20Texas17.9+2 pts
22Massachusetts17.8+0.2 pts
23Indiana17.5+1.8 pts
23New York17.5+0.8 pts
25Delaware17+2.1 pts
26Louisiana16.9-0.4 pts
27South Carolina16.8+1.6 pts
28Connecticut16.7-0.2 pts
29Washington16.4+0.3 pts
30California16.3-0.2 pts
30Oregon16.3-0.3 pts
32Idaho16.1+2 pts
33Kansas16+0.4 pts
33New Jersey160 pts
35Nevada15.8+1.6 pts
35Rhode Island15.8-0.2 pts
35Virginia15.8-0.5 pts
38Arizona15.6+1.4 pts
39Florida15.5-0.1 pts
40Maryland15.3+1.1 pts
41Arkansas15+0.9 pts
41New Mexico15+2.1 pts
43Kentucky14.6-0.7 pts
43North Carolina14.6+0.8 pts
45Georgia13.4-1.9 pts
46Tennessee13.1+2.8 pts
47Alabama13+1.4 pts
48Utah12.5+0.9 pts
49Mississippi12.3+0.5 pts
50Oklahoma11.8-1.3 pts
51West Virginia11.3+0.7 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, 2016) [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, 2016. 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=2016. 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, 2016. 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=2016.

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, 2016 [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=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_binge_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  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=2016. 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, 2016
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=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2016.
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 25.5% in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest binge drinking in adults?

West Virginia, with 11.3% in 2016.

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