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 2018, at 24.4%. Utah had the lowest, at 10.6%. The median was 16.2%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest24.4District of Columbia
Lowest10.6Utah
Median16.251 states

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 12.6 %Alaska: 15.9 %Arizona: 15.6 %Arkansas: 14.7 %California: 16 %Colorado: 19.2 %Connecticut: 17.1 %Delaware: 16.4 %District of Columbia: 24.4 %Florida: 15.8 %Georgia: 14.5 %Hawaii: 19.2 %Idaho: 15.1 %Illinois: 19.5 %Indiana: 16.2 %Iowa: 22.6 %Kansas: 15.8 %Kentucky: 14.7 %Louisiana: 17.1 %Maine: 16.9 %Maryland: 13.6 %Massachusetts: 19.8 %Michigan: 18.2 %Minnesota: 20.3 %Mississippi: 12.7 %Missouri: 17.6 %Montana: 18 %Nebraska: 21.2 %Nevada: 15 %New Hampshire: 16.2 %New Jersey: 13.5 %New Mexico: 14.6 %New York: 16.5 %North Carolina: 14.7 %North Dakota: 22 %Ohio: 15.8 %Oklahoma: 13 %Oregon: 15.9 %Pennsylvania: 17 %Rhode Island: 16.5 %South Carolina: 15.1 %South Dakota: 21.3 %Tennessee: 14.3 %Texas: 17.4 %Utah: 10.6 %Vermont: 16.5 %Virginia: 15.5 %Washington: 14.7 %West Virginia: 12.1 %Wisconsin: 23.8 %Wyoming: 17.4 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 16
  • 16 to 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2018. 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, 2018

District of Columbia: 24.4 %District of Columbia24.4Wisconsin: 23.8 %Wisconsin23.8Iowa: 22.6 %Iowa22.6North Dakota: 22 %North Dakota22South Dakota: 21.3 %South Dakota21.3Nebraska: 21.2 %Nebraska21.2Minnesota: 20.3 %Minnesota20.3Massachusetts: 19.8 %Massachusetts19.8Illinois: 19.5 %Illinois19.5Colorado: 19.2 %Colorado19.2Hawaii: 19.2 %Hawaii19.2Michigan: 18.2 %Michigan18.2Montana: 18 %Montana18Missouri: 17.6 %Missouri17.6Texas: 17.4 %Texas17.4Wyoming: 17.4 %Wyoming17.4Connecticut: 17.1 %Connecticut17.1Louisiana: 17.1 %Louisiana17.1Pennsylvania: 17 %Pennsylvania17Maine: 16.9 %Maine16.9New York: 16.5 %New York16.5Rhode Island: 16.5 %Rhode Island16.5Vermont: 16.5 %Vermont16.5Delaware: 16.4 %Delaware16.4Indiana: 16.2 %Indiana16.2New Hampshire: 16.2 %New Hampshire16.2California: 16 %California16Alaska: 15.9 %Alaska15.9Oregon: 15.9 %Oregon15.9Florida: 15.8 %Florida15.8Kansas: 15.8 %Kansas15.8Ohio: 15.8 %Ohio15.8Arizona: 15.6 %Arizona15.6Virginia: 15.5 %Virginia15.5Idaho: 15.1 %Idaho15.1South Carolina: 15.1 %South Carolina15.1Nevada: 15 %Nevada15Arkansas: 14.7 %Arkansas14.7Kentucky: 14.7 %Kentucky14.7North Carolina: 14.7 %North Carolina14.7Washington: 14.7 %Washington14.7New Mexico: 14.6 %New Mexico14.6Georgia: 14.5 %Georgia14.5Tennessee: 14.3 %Tennessee14.3Maryland: 13.6 %Maryland13.6New Jersey: 13.5 %New Jersey13.5Oklahoma: 13 %Oklahoma13Mississippi: 12.7 %Mississippi12.7Alabama: 12.6 %Alabama12.6West Virginia: 12.1 %West Virginia12.1Utah: 10.6 %Utah10.6District of Columbia: 24.4 %District of Columbia24.4Wisconsin: 23.8 %Wisconsin23.8Iowa: 22.6 %Iowa22.6North Dakota: 22 %North Dakota22South Dakota: 21.3 %South Dakota21.3Nebraska: 21.2 %Nebraska21.2Minnesota: 20.3 %Minnesota20.3Massachusetts: 19.8 %Massachusetts19.8Illinois: 19.5 %Illinois19.5Colorado: 19.2 %Colorado19.2Hawaii: 19.2 %Hawaii19.2Michigan: 18.2 %Michigan18.2Montana: 18 %Montana18Missouri: 17.6 %Missouri17.6Texas: 17.4 %Texas17.4Wyoming: 17.4 %Wyoming17.4Connecticut: 17.1 %Connecticut17.1Louisiana: 17.1 %Louisiana17.1Pennsylvania: 17 %Pennsylvania17Maine: 16.9 %Maine16.9New York: 16.5 %New York16.5Rhode Island: 16.5 %Rhode Island16.5Vermont: 16.5 %Vermont16.5Delaware: 16.4 %Delaware16.4Indiana: 16.2 %Indiana16.2New Hampshire: 16.2 %New Hampshire16.2California: 16 %California16Alaska: 15.9 %Alaska15.9Oregon: 15.9 %Oregon15.9Florida: 15.8 %Florida15.8Kansas: 15.8 %Kansas15.8Ohio: 15.8 %Ohio15.8Arizona: 15.6 %Arizona15.6Virginia: 15.5 %Virginia15.5Idaho: 15.1 %Idaho15.1South Carolina: 15.1 %South Carolina15.1Nevada: 15 %Nevada15Arkansas: 14.7 %Arkansas14.7Kentucky: 14.7 %Kentucky14.7North Carolina: 14.7 %North Carolina14.7Washington: 14.7 %Washington14.7New Mexico: 14.6 %New Mexico14.6Georgia: 14.5 %Georgia14.5Tennessee: 14.3 %Tennessee14.3Maryland: 13.6 %Maryland13.6New Jersey: 13.5 %New Jersey13.5Oklahoma: 13 %Oklahoma13Mississippi: 12.7 %Mississippi12.7Alabama: 12.6 %Alabama12.6West Virginia: 12.1 %West Virginia12.1Utah: 10.6 %Utah10.6
%. 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

RankStates2018 (%)Change on 2017
1District of Columbia24.4-1.2 pts
2Wisconsin23.8+1.1 pts
3Iowa22.6+1.5 pts
4North Dakota22-1.3 pts
5South Dakota21.3+3.9 pts
6Nebraska21.2+0.6 pts
7Minnesota20.3+0.3 pts
8Massachusetts19.8+1 pts
9Illinois19.5-0.8 pts
10Colorado19.2+0.3 pts
10Hawaii19.2-0.3 pts
12Michigan18.2+0.1 pts
13Montana18-1.5 pts
14Missouri17.6-1.2 pts
15Texas17.4-0.4 pts
15Wyoming17.4-0.6 pts
17Connecticut17.1+1.7 pts
17Louisiana17.1-1 pts
19Pennsylvania17-1.2 pts
20Maine16.9-1 pts
21New York16.5-1 pts
21Rhode Island16.5-1.6 pts
21Vermont16.5-0.9 pts
24Delaware16.4+1.6 pts
25Indiana16.2-0.4 pts
25New Hampshire16.2-2.4 pts
27California16-1.6 pts
28Alaska15.9-3.7 pts
28Oregon15.9-0.1 pts
30Florida15.8+0.7 pts
30Kansas15.8-1.4 pts
30Ohio15.8-3.2 pts
33Arizona15.6+0.4 pts
34Virginia15.5-0.5 pts
35Idaho15.10 pts
35South Carolina15.1-0.4 pts
37Nevada15-2.9 pts
38Arkansas14.7-0.4 pts
38Kentucky14.7-1.1 pts
38North Carolina14.7-0.7 pts
38Washington14.7-0.9 pts
42New Mexico14.6-0.1 pts
43Georgia14.5+1.6 pts
44Tennessee14.3+1.2 pts
45Maryland13.6-1.7 pts
46New Jersey13.5-3.1 pts
47Oklahoma13-0.4 pts
48Mississippi12.7+0.1 pts
49Alabama12.6+0.2 pts
50West Virginia12.1+0.6 pts
51Utah10.6-0.9 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, 2018) [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, 2018. 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=2018. 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, 2018. 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=2018.

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, 2018 [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=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_binge_2018,
  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, 2018}},
  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=2018. 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, 2018
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=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2018.
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 24.4% in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest binge drinking in adults?

Utah, with 10.6% in 2018.

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