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 50 states in 2019, at 24.8%. Utah had the lowest, at 11.2%. The median was 16.8%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest24.8District of Columbia
Lowest11.2Utah
Median16.850 states

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 12.4 %Alaska: 15.9 %Arizona: 15 %Arkansas: 13.7 %California: 16.8 %Colorado: 18.2 %Connecticut: 15.6 %Delaware: 17.2 %District of Columbia: 24.8 %Florida: 15.8 %Georgia: 15.7 %Hawaii: 17.3 %Idaho: 16.6 %Illinois: 19.9 %Indiana: 15.6 %Iowa: 21.6 %Kansas: 17.4 %Kentucky: 15.4 %Louisiana: 18.9 %Maine: 17 %Maryland: 13.8 %Massachusetts: 19.1 %Michigan: 17.9 %Minnesota: 20.7 %Mississippi: 13.4 %Missouri: 16.8 %Montana: 20.7 %Nebraska: 20.9 %Nevada: 16.8 %New Hampshire: 16.7 %New Mexico: 14.8 %New York: 16.7 %North Carolina: 13.5 %North Dakota: 22.2 %Ohio: 17.5 %Oklahoma: 12.7 %Oregon: 17.5 %Pennsylvania: 16.9 %Rhode Island: 18.2 %South Carolina: 15.9 %South Dakota: 21.2 %Tennessee: 14.4 %Texas: 17.9 %Utah: 11.2 %Vermont: 18.3 %Virginia: 15.3 %Washington: 14.1 %West Virginia: 12.4 %Wisconsin: 21.9 %Wyoming: 17.7 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 16
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  • 20 and over
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%, 2019. Hatched areas have no value for this period. 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, 2019

District of Columbia: 24.8 %District of Columbia24.8North Dakota: 22.2 %North Dakota22.2Wisconsin: 21.9 %Wisconsin21.9Iowa: 21.6 %Iowa21.6South Dakota: 21.2 %South Dakota21.2Nebraska: 20.9 %Nebraska20.9Minnesota: 20.7 %Minnesota20.7Montana: 20.7 %Montana20.7Illinois: 19.9 %Illinois19.9Massachusetts: 19.1 %Massachusetts19.1Louisiana: 18.9 %Louisiana18.9Vermont: 18.3 %Vermont18.3Colorado: 18.2 %Colorado18.2Rhode Island: 18.2 %Rhode Island18.2Michigan: 17.9 %Michigan17.9Texas: 17.9 %Texas17.9Wyoming: 17.7 %Wyoming17.7Ohio: 17.5 %Ohio17.5Oregon: 17.5 %Oregon17.5Kansas: 17.4 %Kansas17.4Hawaii: 17.3 %Hawaii17.3Delaware: 17.2 %Delaware17.2Maine: 17 %Maine17Pennsylvania: 16.9 %Pennsylvania16.9California: 16.8 %California16.8Missouri: 16.8 %Missouri16.8Nevada: 16.8 %Nevada16.8New Hampshire: 16.7 %New Hampshire16.7New York: 16.7 %New York16.7Idaho: 16.6 %Idaho16.6Alaska: 15.9 %Alaska15.9South Carolina: 15.9 %South Carolina15.9Florida: 15.8 %Florida15.8Georgia: 15.7 %Georgia15.7Connecticut: 15.6 %Connecticut15.6Indiana: 15.6 %Indiana15.6Kentucky: 15.4 %Kentucky15.4Virginia: 15.3 %Virginia15.3Arizona: 15 %Arizona15New Mexico: 14.8 %New Mexico14.8Tennessee: 14.4 %Tennessee14.4Washington: 14.1 %Washington14.1Maryland: 13.8 %Maryland13.8Arkansas: 13.7 %Arkansas13.7North Carolina: 13.5 %North Carolina13.5Mississippi: 13.4 %Mississippi13.4Oklahoma: 12.7 %Oklahoma12.7Alabama: 12.4 %Alabama12.4West Virginia: 12.4 %West Virginia12.4Utah: 11.2 %Utah11.2District of Columbia: 24.8 %District of Columbia24.8North Dakota: 22.2 %North Dakota22.2Wisconsin: 21.9 %Wisconsin21.9Iowa: 21.6 %Iowa21.6South Dakota: 21.2 %South Dakota21.2Nebraska: 20.9 %Nebraska20.9Minnesota: 20.7 %Minnesota20.7Montana: 20.7 %Montana20.7Illinois: 19.9 %Illinois19.9Massachusetts: 19.1 %Massachusetts19.1Louisiana: 18.9 %Louisiana18.9Vermont: 18.3 %Vermont18.3Colorado: 18.2 %Colorado18.2Rhode Island: 18.2 %Rhode Island18.2Michigan: 17.9 %Michigan17.9Texas: 17.9 %Texas17.9Wyoming: 17.7 %Wyoming17.7Ohio: 17.5 %Ohio17.5Oregon: 17.5 %Oregon17.5Kansas: 17.4 %Kansas17.4Hawaii: 17.3 %Hawaii17.3Delaware: 17.2 %Delaware17.2Maine: 17 %Maine17Pennsylvania: 16.9 %Pennsylvania16.9California: 16.8 %California16.8Missouri: 16.8 %Missouri16.8Nevada: 16.8 %Nevada16.8New Hampshire: 16.7 %New Hampshire16.7New York: 16.7 %New York16.7Idaho: 16.6 %Idaho16.6Alaska: 15.9 %Alaska15.9South Carolina: 15.9 %South Carolina15.9Florida: 15.8 %Florida15.8Georgia: 15.7 %Georgia15.7Connecticut: 15.6 %Connecticut15.6Indiana: 15.6 %Indiana15.6Kentucky: 15.4 %Kentucky15.4Virginia: 15.3 %Virginia15.3Arizona: 15 %Arizona15New Mexico: 14.8 %New Mexico14.8Tennessee: 14.4 %Tennessee14.4Washington: 14.1 %Washington14.1Maryland: 13.8 %Maryland13.8Arkansas: 13.7 %Arkansas13.7North Carolina: 13.5 %North Carolina13.5Mississippi: 13.4 %Mississippi13.4Oklahoma: 12.7 %Oklahoma12.7Alabama: 12.4 %Alabama12.4West Virginia: 12.4 %West Virginia12.4Utah: 11.2 %Utah11.2
%. 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

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1District of Columbia24.8+0.4 pts
2North Dakota22.2+0.2 pts
3Wisconsin21.9-1.9 pts
4Iowa21.6-1 pts
5South Dakota21.2-0.1 pts
6Nebraska20.9-0.3 pts
7Minnesota20.7+0.4 pts
7Montana20.7+2.7 pts
9Illinois19.9+0.4 pts
10Massachusetts19.1-0.7 pts
11Louisiana18.9+1.8 pts
12Vermont18.3+1.8 pts
13Colorado18.2-1 pts
13Rhode Island18.2+1.7 pts
15Michigan17.9-0.3 pts
15Texas17.9+0.5 pts
17Wyoming17.7+0.3 pts
18Ohio17.5+1.7 pts
18Oregon17.5+1.6 pts
20Kansas17.4+1.6 pts
21Hawaii17.3-1.9 pts
22Delaware17.2+0.8 pts
23Maine17+0.1 pts
24Pennsylvania16.9-0.1 pts
25California16.8+0.8 pts
25Missouri16.8-0.8 pts
25Nevada16.8+1.8 pts
28New Hampshire16.7+0.5 pts
28New York16.7+0.2 pts
30Idaho16.6+1.5 pts
31Alaska15.90 pts
31South Carolina15.9+0.8 pts
33Florida15.80 pts
34Georgia15.7+1.2 pts
35Connecticut15.6-1.5 pts
35Indiana15.6-0.6 pts
37Kentucky15.4+0.7 pts
38Virginia15.3-0.2 pts
39Arizona15-0.6 pts
40New Mexico14.8+0.2 pts
41Tennessee14.4+0.1 pts
42Washington14.1-0.6 pts
43Maryland13.8+0.2 pts
44Arkansas13.7-1 pts
45North Carolina13.5-1.2 pts
46Mississippi13.4+0.7 pts
47Oklahoma12.7-0.3 pts
48Alabama12.4-0.2 pts
48West Virginia12.4+0.3 pts
50Utah11.2+0.6 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. 1 states with data in other periods have no value for 2019 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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, 2019) [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, 2019. 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=2019. 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, 2019. 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=2019.

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, 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_binge_2019,
  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, 2019}},
  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=2019. 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, 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-binge-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2019.
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 24.8% in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest binge drinking in adults?

Utah, with 11.2% in 2019.

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. 1 states have no value for 2019 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings