Data / Rankings / Heavy drinking in adults / US states

US states by heavy drinking in adults

Vermont had the highest heavy drinking in adults of 51 states in 2014, at 9.1%. Utah had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 5.9%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest9.1Vermont
Lowest3.3Utah
Median5.951 states

Map of states, 2014

Alabama: 4.5 %Alaska: 8.8 %Arizona: 5.8 %Arkansas: 5.1 %California: 5.7 %Colorado: 6.5 %Connecticut: 5.7 %Delaware: 5.2 %District of Columbia: 9 %Florida: 6.7 %Georgia: 5.3 %Hawaii: 7.9 %Idaho: 5 %Illinois: 6.5 %Indiana: 5.2 %Iowa: 6.3 %Kansas: 5.1 %Kentucky: 5.5 %Louisiana: 6.5 %Maine: 7.1 %Maryland: 5.3 %Massachusetts: 7 %Michigan: 6.8 %Minnesota: 6.4 %Mississippi: 4.3 %Missouri: 5.2 %Montana: 7.5 %Nebraska: 6.4 %Nevada: 6.9 %New Hampshire: 7.1 %New Jersey: 4.8 %New Mexico: 5.7 %New York: 4.9 %North Carolina: 5.1 %North Dakota: 6.7 %Ohio: 6.4 %Oklahoma: 3.9 %Oregon: 7.7 %Pennsylvania: 6 %Rhode Island: 6.2 %South Carolina: 5.9 %South Dakota: 5 %Tennessee: 4.1 %Texas: 5.8 %Utah: 3.3 %Vermont: 9.1 %Virginia: 5.3 %Washington: 6.8 %West Virginia: 3.6 %Wisconsin: 7.2 %Wyoming: 6.2 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 5.3
  • 5.3 to 5.9
  • 5.9 to 6.5
  • 6.5 to 7.1
  • 7.1 and over
%, 2014. Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2014

Vermont: 9.1 %Vermont9.1District of Columbia: 9 %District of Columbia9Alaska: 8.8 %Alaska8.8Hawaii: 7.9 %Hawaii7.9Oregon: 7.7 %Oregon7.7Montana: 7.5 %Montana7.5Wisconsin: 7.2 %Wisconsin7.2Maine: 7.1 %Maine7.1New Hampshire: 7.1 %New Hampshire7.1Massachusetts: 7 %Massachusetts7Nevada: 6.9 %Nevada6.9Michigan: 6.8 %Michigan6.8Washington: 6.8 %Washington6.8Florida: 6.7 %Florida6.7North Dakota: 6.7 %North Dakota6.7Colorado: 6.5 %Colorado6.5Illinois: 6.5 %Illinois6.5Louisiana: 6.5 %Louisiana6.5Minnesota: 6.4 %Minnesota6.4Nebraska: 6.4 %Nebraska6.4Ohio: 6.4 %Ohio6.4Iowa: 6.3 %Iowa6.3Rhode Island: 6.2 %Rhode Island6.2Wyoming: 6.2 %Wyoming6.2Pennsylvania: 6 %Pennsylvania6South Carolina: 5.9 %South Carolina5.9Arizona: 5.8 %Arizona5.8Texas: 5.8 %Texas5.8California: 5.7 %California5.7Connecticut: 5.7 %Connecticut5.7New Mexico: 5.7 %New Mexico5.7Kentucky: 5.5 %Kentucky5.5Georgia: 5.3 %Georgia5.3Maryland: 5.3 %Maryland5.3Virginia: 5.3 %Virginia5.3Delaware: 5.2 %Delaware5.2Indiana: 5.2 %Indiana5.2Missouri: 5.2 %Missouri5.2Arkansas: 5.1 %Arkansas5.1Kansas: 5.1 %Kansas5.1North Carolina: 5.1 %North Carolina5.1Idaho: 5 %Idaho5South Dakota: 5 %South Dakota5New York: 4.9 %New York4.9New Jersey: 4.8 %New Jersey4.8Alabama: 4.5 %Alabama4.5Mississippi: 4.3 %Mississippi4.3Tennessee: 4.1 %Tennessee4.1Oklahoma: 3.9 %Oklahoma3.9West Virginia: 3.6 %West Virginia3.6Utah: 3.3 %Utah3.3Vermont: 9.1 %Vermont9.1District of Columbia: 9 %District of Columbia9Alaska: 8.8 %Alaska8.8Hawaii: 7.9 %Hawaii7.9Oregon: 7.7 %Oregon7.7Montana: 7.5 %Montana7.5Wisconsin: 7.2 %Wisconsin7.2Maine: 7.1 %Maine7.1New Hampshire: 7.1 %New Hampshire7.1Massachusetts: 7 %Massachusetts7Nevada: 6.9 %Nevada6.9Michigan: 6.8 %Michigan6.8Washington: 6.8 %Washington6.8Florida: 6.7 %Florida6.7North Dakota: 6.7 %North Dakota6.7Colorado: 6.5 %Colorado6.5Illinois: 6.5 %Illinois6.5Louisiana: 6.5 %Louisiana6.5Minnesota: 6.4 %Minnesota6.4Nebraska: 6.4 %Nebraska6.4Ohio: 6.4 %Ohio6.4Iowa: 6.3 %Iowa6.3Rhode Island: 6.2 %Rhode Island6.2Wyoming: 6.2 %Wyoming6.2Pennsylvania: 6 %Pennsylvania6South Carolina: 5.9 %South Carolina5.9Arizona: 5.8 %Arizona5.8Texas: 5.8 %Texas5.8California: 5.7 %California5.7Connecticut: 5.7 %Connecticut5.7New Mexico: 5.7 %New Mexico5.7Kentucky: 5.5 %Kentucky5.5Georgia: 5.3 %Georgia5.3Maryland: 5.3 %Maryland5.3Virginia: 5.3 %Virginia5.3Delaware: 5.2 %Delaware5.2Indiana: 5.2 %Indiana5.2Missouri: 5.2 %Missouri5.2Arkansas: 5.1 %Arkansas5.1Kansas: 5.1 %Kansas5.1North Carolina: 5.1 %North Carolina5.1Idaho: 5 %Idaho5South Dakota: 5 %South Dakota5New York: 4.9 %New York4.9New Jersey: 4.8 %New Jersey4.8Alabama: 4.5 %Alabama4.5Mississippi: 4.3 %Mississippi4.3Tennessee: 4.1 %Tennessee4.1Oklahoma: 3.9 %Oklahoma3.9West Virginia: 3.6 %West Virginia3.6Utah: 3.3 %Utah3.3
%. Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2014 (%)Change on 2013
1Vermont9.1+2 pts
2District of Columbia9+2.6 pts
3Alaska8.8+0.6 pts
4Hawaii7.9+0.3 pts
5Oregon7.7-0.9 pts
6Montana7.5-0.2 pts
7Wisconsin7.2-0.6 pts
8Maine7.1-0.1 pts
8New Hampshire7.1+0.6 pts
10Massachusetts7-0.5 pts
11Nevada6.9-0.2 pts
12Michigan6.8+0.5 pts
12Washington6.8+0.2 pts
14Florida6.7-0.5 pts
14North Dakota6.7-0.5 pts
16Colorado6.5-0.2 pts
16Illinois6.50 pts
16Louisiana6.5+0.2 pts
19Minnesota6.4-0.9 pts
19Nebraska6.4-0.4 pts
19Ohio6.4+0.7 pts
22Iowa6.3-0.2 pts
23Rhode Island6.2+0.1 pts
23Wyoming6.2+0.4 pts
25Pennsylvania6+0.1 pts
26South Carolina5.9+0.2 pts
27Arizona5.8-0.5 pts
27Texas5.8-0.1 pts
29California5.7-0.7 pts
29Connecticut5.7-0.6 pts
29New Mexico5.7-0.2 pts
32Kentucky5.5+0.6 pts
33Georgia5.3+0.6 pts
33Maryland5.3+0.1 pts
33Virginia5.3-0.4 pts
36Delaware5.2-1.4 pts
36Indiana5.20 pts
36Missouri5.2-0.8 pts
39Arkansas5.1+0.1 pts
39Kansas5.1+0.5 pts
39North Carolina5.1+0.2 pts
42Idaho5-1.2 pts
42South Dakota5-0.2 pts
44New York4.9-1.1 pts
45New Jersey4.8-0.2 pts
46Alabama4.5+0.2 pts
47Mississippi4.3+0.1 pts
48Tennessee4.1+0.8 pts
49Oklahoma3.9-0.3 pts
50West Virginia3.6-0.3 pts
51Utah3.3-1.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who are heavy drinkers: men having more than 14 drinks a week and women more than 7 drinks a week, on average over 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. From 2011 to 2014 (variable _RFDRHV4) BRFSS stated the threshold per day: more than two drinks for men and more than one for women, the same average. Later years use variables _RFDRHV5 to _RFDRHV9.

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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall (US states by heavy drinking in adults, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall, US states by heavy drinking in adults, 2014. 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_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2014. 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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. US states by heavy drinking in adults, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2014.

Harvard

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2026) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall, US states by heavy drinking in adults, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_heavy_2014,
  author = {{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}},
  title = {{Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall: US states by heavy drinking in adults, 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%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-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2014. Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?\%24order=\%3Aid\&\%24limit=50000\&\%24where=questionid+in+\%28\%27\_RFDRHV4\%27\%2C\%27\_RFDRHV5\%27\%2C\%27\_RFDRHV6\%27\%2C\%27\_RFDRHV7\%27\%2C\%27\_RFDRHV8\%27\%2C\%27\_RFDRHV9\%27\%29+AND+responseid+in+\%28\%27RESP046\%27\%2C\%27RESP206\%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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall: US states by heavy drinking in adults, 2014
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_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%27%29+AND+breakoutid%3D%27BO1%27+AND+data_value_type%3D%27Crude+Prevalence%27
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present (dttw-5yxu), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. https://data.cdc.gov/resource/dttw-5yxu.json?%24order=%3Aid&%24limit=50000&%24where=questionid+in+%28%27_RFDRHV4%27%2C%27_RFDRHV5%27%2C%27_RFDRHV6%27%2C%27_RFDRHV7%27%2C%27_RFDRHV8%27%2C%27_RFDRHV9%27%29+AND+responseid+in+%28%27RESP046%27%2C%27RESP206%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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Rank US states by heavy drinking in adults using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest heavy drinking in adults?

Vermont, with 9.1% in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest heavy drinking in adults?

Utah, with 3.3% in 2014.

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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings