Data / Rankings / Heavy drinking in adults / US states

US states by heavy drinking in adults

District of Columbia had the highest heavy drinking in adults of 51 states in 2015, at 9.1%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 5.9%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest9.1District of Columbia
Lowest3.5West Virginia
Median5.951 states

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 4.8 %Alaska: 8.6 %Arizona: 5.2 %Arkansas: 5.3 %California: 5.7 %Colorado: 5.9 %Connecticut: 6.1 %Delaware: 5.3 %District of Columbia: 9.1 %Florida: 6 %Georgia: 5.3 %Hawaii: 7.7 %Idaho: 5.3 %Illinois: 6.2 %Indiana: 5.3 %Iowa: 5.9 %Kansas: 5.1 %Kentucky: 5.9 %Louisiana: 6.6 %Maine: 8.1 %Maryland: 4.9 %Massachusetts: 7.2 %Michigan: 6.5 %Minnesota: 6.5 %Mississippi: 4.5 %Missouri: 6.2 %Montana: 7.7 %Nebraska: 5.7 %Nevada: 6.2 %New Hampshire: 6.4 %New Jersey: 4.8 %New Mexico: 4.5 %New York: 5.5 %North Carolina: 4.7 %North Dakota: 6.6 %Ohio: 6.1 %Oklahoma: 4.2 %Oregon: 7.2 %Pennsylvania: 5.6 %Rhode Island: 6.2 %South Carolina: 6.3 %South Dakota: 4.8 %Tennessee: 4.7 %Texas: 5.8 %Utah: 3.6 %Vermont: 7.7 %Virginia: 5.9 %Washington: 6.3 %West Virginia: 3.5 %Wisconsin: 8.2 %Wyoming: 6.2 %
  • Under 4.8
  • 4.8 to 5.3
  • 5.3 to 5.9
  • 5.9 to 6.2
  • 6.2 to 7
  • 7 and over
%, 2015. 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, 2015

District of Columbia: 9.1 %District of Columbia9.1Alaska: 8.6 %Alaska8.6Wisconsin: 8.2 %Wisconsin8.2Maine: 8.1 %Maine8.1Hawaii: 7.7 %Hawaii7.7Montana: 7.7 %Montana7.7Vermont: 7.7 %Vermont7.7Massachusetts: 7.2 %Massachusetts7.2Oregon: 7.2 %Oregon7.2Louisiana: 6.6 %Louisiana6.6North Dakota: 6.6 %North Dakota6.6Michigan: 6.5 %Michigan6.5Minnesota: 6.5 %Minnesota6.5New Hampshire: 6.4 %New Hampshire6.4South Carolina: 6.3 %South Carolina6.3Washington: 6.3 %Washington6.3Illinois: 6.2 %Illinois6.2Missouri: 6.2 %Missouri6.2Nevada: 6.2 %Nevada6.2Rhode Island: 6.2 %Rhode Island6.2Wyoming: 6.2 %Wyoming6.2Connecticut: 6.1 %Connecticut6.1Ohio: 6.1 %Ohio6.1Florida: 6 %Florida6Colorado: 5.9 %Colorado5.9Iowa: 5.9 %Iowa5.9Kentucky: 5.9 %Kentucky5.9Virginia: 5.9 %Virginia5.9Texas: 5.8 %Texas5.8California: 5.7 %California5.7Nebraska: 5.7 %Nebraska5.7Pennsylvania: 5.6 %Pennsylvania5.6New York: 5.5 %New York5.5Arkansas: 5.3 %Arkansas5.3Delaware: 5.3 %Delaware5.3Georgia: 5.3 %Georgia5.3Idaho: 5.3 %Idaho5.3Indiana: 5.3 %Indiana5.3Arizona: 5.2 %Arizona5.2Kansas: 5.1 %Kansas5.1Maryland: 4.9 %Maryland4.9Alabama: 4.8 %Alabama4.8New Jersey: 4.8 %New Jersey4.8South Dakota: 4.8 %South Dakota4.8North Carolina: 4.7 %North Carolina4.7Tennessee: 4.7 %Tennessee4.7Mississippi: 4.5 %Mississippi4.5New Mexico: 4.5 %New Mexico4.5Oklahoma: 4.2 %Oklahoma4.2Utah: 3.6 %Utah3.6West Virginia: 3.5 %West Virginia3.5District of Columbia: 9.1 %District of Columbia9.1Alaska: 8.6 %Alaska8.6Wisconsin: 8.2 %Wisconsin8.2Maine: 8.1 %Maine8.1Hawaii: 7.7 %Hawaii7.7Montana: 7.7 %Montana7.7Vermont: 7.7 %Vermont7.7Massachusetts: 7.2 %Massachusetts7.2Oregon: 7.2 %Oregon7.2Louisiana: 6.6 %Louisiana6.6North Dakota: 6.6 %North Dakota6.6Michigan: 6.5 %Michigan6.5Minnesota: 6.5 %Minnesota6.5New Hampshire: 6.4 %New Hampshire6.4South Carolina: 6.3 %South Carolina6.3Washington: 6.3 %Washington6.3Illinois: 6.2 %Illinois6.2Missouri: 6.2 %Missouri6.2Nevada: 6.2 %Nevada6.2Rhode Island: 6.2 %Rhode Island6.2Wyoming: 6.2 %Wyoming6.2Connecticut: 6.1 %Connecticut6.1Ohio: 6.1 %Ohio6.1Florida: 6 %Florida6Colorado: 5.9 %Colorado5.9Iowa: 5.9 %Iowa5.9Kentucky: 5.9 %Kentucky5.9Virginia: 5.9 %Virginia5.9Texas: 5.8 %Texas5.8California: 5.7 %California5.7Nebraska: 5.7 %Nebraska5.7Pennsylvania: 5.6 %Pennsylvania5.6New York: 5.5 %New York5.5Arkansas: 5.3 %Arkansas5.3Delaware: 5.3 %Delaware5.3Georgia: 5.3 %Georgia5.3Idaho: 5.3 %Idaho5.3Indiana: 5.3 %Indiana5.3Arizona: 5.2 %Arizona5.2Kansas: 5.1 %Kansas5.1Maryland: 4.9 %Maryland4.9Alabama: 4.8 %Alabama4.8New Jersey: 4.8 %New Jersey4.8South Dakota: 4.8 %South Dakota4.8North Carolina: 4.7 %North Carolina4.7Tennessee: 4.7 %Tennessee4.7Mississippi: 4.5 %Mississippi4.5New Mexico: 4.5 %New Mexico4.5Oklahoma: 4.2 %Oklahoma4.2Utah: 3.6 %Utah3.6West Virginia: 3.5 %West Virginia3.5
%. 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

RankStates2015 (%)Change on 2014
1District of Columbia9.1+0.1 pts
2Alaska8.6-0.2 pts
3Wisconsin8.2+1 pts
4Maine8.1+1 pts
5Hawaii7.7-0.2 pts
5Montana7.7+0.2 pts
5Vermont7.7-1.4 pts
8Massachusetts7.2+0.2 pts
8Oregon7.2-0.5 pts
10Louisiana6.6+0.1 pts
10North Dakota6.6-0.1 pts
12Michigan6.5-0.3 pts
12Minnesota6.5+0.1 pts
14New Hampshire6.4-0.7 pts
15South Carolina6.3+0.4 pts
15Washington6.3-0.5 pts
17Illinois6.2-0.3 pts
17Missouri6.2+1 pts
17Nevada6.2-0.7 pts
17Rhode Island6.20 pts
17Wyoming6.20 pts
22Connecticut6.1+0.4 pts
22Ohio6.1-0.3 pts
24Florida6-0.7 pts
25Colorado5.9-0.6 pts
25Iowa5.9-0.4 pts
25Kentucky5.9+0.4 pts
25Virginia5.9+0.6 pts
29Texas5.80 pts
30California5.70 pts
30Nebraska5.7-0.7 pts
32Pennsylvania5.6-0.4 pts
33New York5.5+0.6 pts
34Arkansas5.3+0.2 pts
34Delaware5.3+0.1 pts
34Georgia5.30 pts
34Idaho5.3+0.3 pts
34Indiana5.3+0.1 pts
39Arizona5.2-0.6 pts
40Kansas5.10 pts
41Maryland4.9-0.4 pts
42Alabama4.8+0.3 pts
42New Jersey4.80 pts
42South Dakota4.8-0.2 pts
45North Carolina4.7-0.4 pts
45Tennessee4.7+0.6 pts
47Mississippi4.5+0.2 pts
47New Mexico4.5-1.2 pts
49Oklahoma4.2+0.3 pts
50Utah3.6+0.3 pts
51West Virginia3.5-0.1 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

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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, 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_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, 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_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=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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. US states by heavy 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_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=2015.

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, 2015 [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=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_heavy_2015,
  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, 2015}},
  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=2015. 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, 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_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=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-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), 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?

District of Columbia, with 9.1% in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest heavy drinking in adults?

West Virginia, with 3.5% 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), heavy drinking in adults, crude prevalence, overall. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings