Data / Rankings / Heavy drinking in adults / US states

US states by heavy drinking in adults

Montana had the highest heavy drinking in adults of 51 states in 2022, at 10.2%. Oklahoma had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 6.9%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest10.2Montana
Lowest4.5Oklahoma
Median6.951 states

Map of states, 2022

Alabama: 5.9 %Alaska: 8.3 %Arizona: 7 %Arkansas: 7.8 %California: 6.3 %Colorado: 8.1 %Connecticut: 6.1 %Delaware: 5.5 %District of Columbia: 9.6 %Florida: 7.6 %Georgia: 6.2 %Hawaii: 8.1 %Idaho: 7.2 %Illinois: 5.1 %Indiana: 5.6 %Iowa: 8.1 %Kansas: 6.2 %Kentucky: 4.6 %Louisiana: 7.3 %Maine: 7.9 %Maryland: 5.2 %Massachusetts: 6.7 %Michigan: 7.2 %Minnesota: 8 %Mississippi: 5.9 %Missouri: 8 %Montana: 10.2 %Nebraska: 7.3 %Nevada: 7.4 %New Hampshire: 7.8 %New Jersey: 5 %New Mexico: 6.3 %New York: 6.1 %North Carolina: 6.1 %North Dakota: 8.4 %Ohio: 6.6 %Oklahoma: 4.5 %Oregon: 8.4 %Pennsylvania: 6.6 %Rhode Island: 6.6 %South Carolina: 7 %South Dakota: 6.6 %Tennessee: 6.6 %Texas: 6.9 %Utah: 5 %Vermont: 9.8 %Virginia: 6.7 %Washington: 6.9 %West Virginia: 5.7 %Wisconsin: 7.9 %Wyoming: 8.1 %
  • Under 5.8
  • 5.8 to 6.3
  • 6.3 to 6.9
  • 6.9 to 7.5
  • 7.5 to 8.1
  • 8.1 and over
%, 2022. 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, 2022

Montana: 10.2 %Montana10.2Vermont: 9.8 %Vermont9.8District of Columbia: 9.6 %District of Columbia9.6North Dakota: 8.4 %North Dakota8.4Oregon: 8.4 %Oregon8.4Alaska: 8.3 %Alaska8.3Colorado: 8.1 %Colorado8.1Hawaii: 8.1 %Hawaii8.1Iowa: 8.1 %Iowa8.1Wyoming: 8.1 %Wyoming8.1Minnesota: 8 %Minnesota8Missouri: 8 %Missouri8Maine: 7.9 %Maine7.9Wisconsin: 7.9 %Wisconsin7.9Arkansas: 7.8 %Arkansas7.8New Hampshire: 7.8 %New Hampshire7.8Florida: 7.6 %Florida7.6Nevada: 7.4 %Nevada7.4Louisiana: 7.3 %Louisiana7.3Nebraska: 7.3 %Nebraska7.3Idaho: 7.2 %Idaho7.2Michigan: 7.2 %Michigan7.2Arizona: 7 %Arizona7South Carolina: 7 %South Carolina7Texas: 6.9 %Texas6.9Washington: 6.9 %Washington6.9Massachusetts: 6.7 %Massachusetts6.7Virginia: 6.7 %Virginia6.7Ohio: 6.6 %Ohio6.6Pennsylvania: 6.6 %Pennsylvania6.6Rhode Island: 6.6 %Rhode Island6.6South Dakota: 6.6 %South Dakota6.6Tennessee: 6.6 %Tennessee6.6California: 6.3 %California6.3New Mexico: 6.3 %New Mexico6.3Georgia: 6.2 %Georgia6.2Kansas: 6.2 %Kansas6.2Connecticut: 6.1 %Connecticut6.1New York: 6.1 %New York6.1North Carolina: 6.1 %North Carolina6.1Alabama: 5.9 %Alabama5.9Mississippi: 5.9 %Mississippi5.9West Virginia: 5.7 %West Virginia5.7Indiana: 5.6 %Indiana5.6Delaware: 5.5 %Delaware5.5Maryland: 5.2 %Maryland5.2Illinois: 5.1 %Illinois5.1New Jersey: 5 %New Jersey5Utah: 5 %Utah5Kentucky: 4.6 %Kentucky4.6Oklahoma: 4.5 %Oklahoma4.5Montana: 10.2 %Montana10.2Vermont: 9.8 %Vermont9.8District of Columbia: 9.6 %District of Columbia9.6North Dakota: 8.4 %North Dakota8.4Oregon: 8.4 %Oregon8.4Alaska: 8.3 %Alaska8.3Colorado: 8.1 %Colorado8.1Hawaii: 8.1 %Hawaii8.1Iowa: 8.1 %Iowa8.1Wyoming: 8.1 %Wyoming8.1Minnesota: 8 %Minnesota8Missouri: 8 %Missouri8Maine: 7.9 %Maine7.9Wisconsin: 7.9 %Wisconsin7.9Arkansas: 7.8 %Arkansas7.8New Hampshire: 7.8 %New Hampshire7.8Florida: 7.6 %Florida7.6Nevada: 7.4 %Nevada7.4Louisiana: 7.3 %Louisiana7.3Nebraska: 7.3 %Nebraska7.3Idaho: 7.2 %Idaho7.2Michigan: 7.2 %Michigan7.2Arizona: 7 %Arizona7South Carolina: 7 %South Carolina7Texas: 6.9 %Texas6.9Washington: 6.9 %Washington6.9Massachusetts: 6.7 %Massachusetts6.7Virginia: 6.7 %Virginia6.7Ohio: 6.6 %Ohio6.6Pennsylvania: 6.6 %Pennsylvania6.6Rhode Island: 6.6 %Rhode Island6.6South Dakota: 6.6 %South Dakota6.6Tennessee: 6.6 %Tennessee6.6California: 6.3 %California6.3New Mexico: 6.3 %New Mexico6.3Georgia: 6.2 %Georgia6.2Kansas: 6.2 %Kansas6.2Connecticut: 6.1 %Connecticut6.1New York: 6.1 %New York6.1North Carolina: 6.1 %North Carolina6.1Alabama: 5.9 %Alabama5.9Mississippi: 5.9 %Mississippi5.9West Virginia: 5.7 %West Virginia5.7Indiana: 5.6 %Indiana5.6Delaware: 5.5 %Delaware5.5Maryland: 5.2 %Maryland5.2Illinois: 5.1 %Illinois5.1New Jersey: 5 %New Jersey5Utah: 5 %Utah5Kentucky: 4.6 %Kentucky4.6Oklahoma: 4.5 %Oklahoma4.5
%. 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

RankStates2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Montana10.2+1.9 pts
2Vermont9.8+1.2 pts
3District of Columbia9.6+0.9 pts
4North Dakota8.4+1.7 pts
4Oregon8.4-0.1 pts
6Alaska8.3-0.4 pts
7Colorado8.1+0.8 pts
7Hawaii8.1+1.1 pts
7Iowa8.1+1.1 pts
7Wyoming8.1+1.4 pts
11Minnesota8+1.1 pts
11Missouri8+1.4 pts
13Maine7.9-0.3 pts
13Wisconsin7.9-0.3 pts
15Arkansas7.8+1.8 pts
15New Hampshire7.8+0.5 pts
17Florida7.6n/a
18Nevada7.4+2.4 pts
19Louisiana7.3+0.2 pts
19Nebraska7.3+0.5 pts
21Idaho7.2+0.4 pts
21Michigan7.2+0.8 pts
23Arizona7+0.7 pts
23South Carolina7+0.8 pts
25Texas6.9+1.2 pts
25Washington6.9+0.3 pts
27Massachusetts6.7+0.4 pts
27Virginia6.7+0.8 pts
29Ohio6.6+0.4 pts
29Pennsylvania6.60 pts
29Rhode Island6.6-0.1 pts
29South Dakota6.6-0.1 pts
29Tennessee6.6+1.1 pts
34California6.3+0.2 pts
34New Mexico6.3+1.5 pts
36Georgia6.20 pts
36Kansas6.2+0.1 pts
38Connecticut6.1+0.8 pts
38New York6.1+0.6 pts
38North Carolina6.1+0.7 pts
41Alabama5.9+0.9 pts
41Mississippi5.9-0.1 pts
43West Virginia5.7+0.7 pts
44Indiana5.6-0.3 pts
45Delaware5.5+0.5 pts
46Maryland5.2+0.4 pts
47Illinois5.1+0.1 pts
48New Jersey5-0.2 pts
48Utah5+1 pts
50Kentucky4.6+0.2 pts
51Oklahoma4.5+0.7 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, 2022) [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, 2022. 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=2022. 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, 2022. 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=2022.

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, 2022 [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=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_heavy_2022,
  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, 2022}},
  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=2022. 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, 2022
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=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2022.
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?

Montana, with 10.2% in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest heavy drinking in adults?

Oklahoma, with 4.5% in 2022.

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.

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