Data / Rankings / Heavy drinking in adults / US states

US states by heavy drinking in adults

Alaska had the highest heavy drinking in adults of 50 states in 2021, at 8.7%. Oklahoma had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 6.3%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest8.7Alaska
Lowest3.8Oklahoma
Median6.350 states

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 5 %Alaska: 8.7 %Arizona: 6.3 %Arkansas: 6 %California: 6.1 %Colorado: 7.3 %Connecticut: 5.3 %Delaware: 5 %District of Columbia: 8.7 %Georgia: 6.2 %Hawaii: 7 %Idaho: 6.8 %Illinois: 5 %Indiana: 5.9 %Iowa: 7 %Kansas: 6.1 %Kentucky: 4.4 %Louisiana: 7.1 %Maine: 8.2 %Maryland: 4.8 %Massachusetts: 6.3 %Michigan: 6.4 %Minnesota: 6.9 %Mississippi: 6 %Missouri: 6.6 %Montana: 8.3 %Nebraska: 6.8 %Nevada: 5 %New Hampshire: 7.3 %New Jersey: 5.2 %New Mexico: 4.8 %New York: 5.5 %North Carolina: 5.4 %North Dakota: 6.7 %Ohio: 6.2 %Oklahoma: 3.8 %Oregon: 8.5 %Pennsylvania: 6.6 %Rhode Island: 6.7 %South Carolina: 6.2 %South Dakota: 6.7 %Tennessee: 5.5 %Texas: 5.7 %Utah: 4 %Vermont: 8.6 %Virginia: 5.9 %Washington: 6.6 %West Virginia: 5 %Wisconsin: 8.2 %Wyoming: 6.7 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 5.9
  • 5.9 to 6.3
  • 6.3 to 6.7
  • 6.7 to 7.3
  • 7.3 and over
  • No data
%, 2021. Hatched areas have no value for this period. 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, 2021

Alaska: 8.7 %Alaska8.7District of Columbia: 8.7 %District of Columbia8.7Vermont: 8.6 %Vermont8.6Oregon: 8.5 %Oregon8.5Montana: 8.3 %Montana8.3Maine: 8.2 %Maine8.2Wisconsin: 8.2 %Wisconsin8.2Colorado: 7.3 %Colorado7.3New Hampshire: 7.3 %New Hampshire7.3Louisiana: 7.1 %Louisiana7.1Hawaii: 7 %Hawaii7Iowa: 7 %Iowa7Minnesota: 6.9 %Minnesota6.9Idaho: 6.8 %Idaho6.8Nebraska: 6.8 %Nebraska6.8North Dakota: 6.7 %North Dakota6.7Rhode Island: 6.7 %Rhode Island6.7South Dakota: 6.7 %South Dakota6.7Wyoming: 6.7 %Wyoming6.7Missouri: 6.6 %Missouri6.6Pennsylvania: 6.6 %Pennsylvania6.6Washington: 6.6 %Washington6.6Michigan: 6.4 %Michigan6.4Arizona: 6.3 %Arizona6.3Massachusetts: 6.3 %Massachusetts6.3Georgia: 6.2 %Georgia6.2Ohio: 6.2 %Ohio6.2South Carolina: 6.2 %South Carolina6.2California: 6.1 %California6.1Kansas: 6.1 %Kansas6.1Arkansas: 6 %Arkansas6Mississippi: 6 %Mississippi6Indiana: 5.9 %Indiana5.9Virginia: 5.9 %Virginia5.9Texas: 5.7 %Texas5.7New York: 5.5 %New York5.5Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5North Carolina: 5.4 %North Carolina5.4Connecticut: 5.3 %Connecticut5.3New Jersey: 5.2 %New Jersey5.2Alabama: 5 %Alabama5Delaware: 5 %Delaware5Illinois: 5 %Illinois5Nevada: 5 %Nevada5West Virginia: 5 %West Virginia5Maryland: 4.8 %Maryland4.8New Mexico: 4.8 %New Mexico4.8Kentucky: 4.4 %Kentucky4.4Utah: 4 %Utah4Oklahoma: 3.8 %Oklahoma3.8Alaska: 8.7 %Alaska8.7District of Columbia: 8.7 %District of Columbia8.7Vermont: 8.6 %Vermont8.6Oregon: 8.5 %Oregon8.5Montana: 8.3 %Montana8.3Maine: 8.2 %Maine8.2Wisconsin: 8.2 %Wisconsin8.2Colorado: 7.3 %Colorado7.3New Hampshire: 7.3 %New Hampshire7.3Louisiana: 7.1 %Louisiana7.1Hawaii: 7 %Hawaii7Iowa: 7 %Iowa7Minnesota: 6.9 %Minnesota6.9Idaho: 6.8 %Idaho6.8Nebraska: 6.8 %Nebraska6.8North Dakota: 6.7 %North Dakota6.7Rhode Island: 6.7 %Rhode Island6.7South Dakota: 6.7 %South Dakota6.7Wyoming: 6.7 %Wyoming6.7Missouri: 6.6 %Missouri6.6Pennsylvania: 6.6 %Pennsylvania6.6Washington: 6.6 %Washington6.6Michigan: 6.4 %Michigan6.4Arizona: 6.3 %Arizona6.3Massachusetts: 6.3 %Massachusetts6.3Georgia: 6.2 %Georgia6.2Ohio: 6.2 %Ohio6.2South Carolina: 6.2 %South Carolina6.2California: 6.1 %California6.1Kansas: 6.1 %Kansas6.1Arkansas: 6 %Arkansas6Mississippi: 6 %Mississippi6Indiana: 5.9 %Indiana5.9Virginia: 5.9 %Virginia5.9Texas: 5.7 %Texas5.7New York: 5.5 %New York5.5Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5North Carolina: 5.4 %North Carolina5.4Connecticut: 5.3 %Connecticut5.3New Jersey: 5.2 %New Jersey5.2Alabama: 5 %Alabama5Delaware: 5 %Delaware5Illinois: 5 %Illinois5Nevada: 5 %Nevada5West Virginia: 5 %West Virginia5Maryland: 4.8 %Maryland4.8New Mexico: 4.8 %New Mexico4.8Kentucky: 4.4 %Kentucky4.4Utah: 4 %Utah4Oklahoma: 3.8 %Oklahoma3.8
%. 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

RankStates2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Alaska8.7-0.7 pts
1District of Columbia8.70 pts
3Vermont8.6-1.2 pts
4Oregon8.5+0.6 pts
5Montana8.3-1 pts
6Maine8.2+0.1 pts
6Wisconsin8.2-1.7 pts
8Colorado7.3-0.5 pts
8New Hampshire7.3-0.9 pts
10Louisiana7.1-0.7 pts
11Hawaii7-0.7 pts
11Iowa7-1.2 pts
13Minnesota6.9-0.3 pts
14Idaho6.8-0.3 pts
14Nebraska6.8-0.6 pts
16North Dakota6.7-1.3 pts
16Rhode Island6.7+0.9 pts
16South Dakota6.7+0.4 pts
16Wyoming6.7+0.4 pts
20Missouri6.6-0.5 pts
20Pennsylvania6.6-0.8 pts
20Washington6.6-0.5 pts
23Michigan6.4-0.4 pts
24Arizona6.3-0.2 pts
24Massachusetts6.3-0.7 pts
26Georgia6.2+0.2 pts
26Ohio6.2-0.2 pts
26South Carolina6.2-1.4 pts
29California6.1-0.1 pts
29Kansas6.1-0.4 pts
31Arkansas6-0.9 pts
31Mississippi6+0.2 pts
33Indiana5.9-0.5 pts
33Virginia5.9+0.2 pts
35Texas5.7-0.8 pts
36New York5.5-1 pts
36Tennessee5.5-0.2 pts
38North Carolina5.4-0.4 pts
39Connecticut5.3-0.7 pts
40New Jersey5.2-1.5 pts
41Alabama5-0.3 pts
41Delaware5-0.9 pts
41Illinois5-0.9 pts
41Nevada5-2.3 pts
41West Virginia5+0.6 pts
46Maryland4.8-0.4 pts
46New Mexico4.8-1.9 pts
48Kentucky4.4-1.9 pts
49Utah4-0.4 pts
50Oklahoma3.8-0.9 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. 1 states with data in other periods have no value for 2021 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), 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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_heavy_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2021.
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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Questions

Which state has the highest heavy drinking in adults?

Alaska, with 8.7% in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest heavy drinking in adults?

Oklahoma, with 3.8% in 2021.

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. 1 states have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings