Data / Rankings / Heavy drinking in adults / US states

US states by heavy drinking in adults

Montana had the highest heavy drinking in adults of 50 states in 2024, at 9.8%. Pennsylvania had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 6.2%. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest9.8Montana
Lowest3.1Pennsylvania
Median6.250 states

Map of states, 2024

Alabama: 6 %Alaska: 8.7 %Arizona: 6.8 %Arkansas: 6.2 %California: 5.2 %Colorado: 7.2 %Connecticut: 5.4 %Delaware: 6.1 %District of Columbia: 7.5 %Florida: 5.8 %Georgia: 5 %Hawaii: 6.8 %Idaho: 6.8 %Illinois: 6 %Indiana: 5.3 %Iowa: 7.7 %Kansas: 6.4 %Kentucky: 4.8 %Louisiana: 7.3 %Maine: 7 %Maryland: 4.4 %Massachusetts: 5.5 %Michigan: 6.2 %Minnesota: 7 %Mississippi: 5.9 %Missouri: 6.2 %Montana: 9.8 %Nebraska: 6.5 %Nevada: 5.6 %New Hampshire: 7.6 %New Jersey: 4.4 %New Mexico: 4.7 %New York: 5.1 %North Carolina: 4.3 %North Dakota: 7.2 %Ohio: 6.2 %Oklahoma: 4.9 %Oregon: 6.5 %Pennsylvania: 3.1 %Rhode Island: 6.2 %South Carolina: 7.1 %South Dakota: 7.6 %Texas: 6.4 %Utah: 3.5 %Vermont: 8.2 %Virginia: 5.6 %Washington: 5.9 %West Virginia: 4.9 %Wisconsin: 7.4 %Wyoming: 6.2 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 5.7
  • 5.7 to 6.2
  • 6.2 to 6.7
  • 6.7 to 7.3
  • 7.3 and over
  • No data
%, 2024. 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, 2024

Montana: 9.8 %Montana9.8Alaska: 8.7 %Alaska8.7Vermont: 8.2 %Vermont8.2Iowa: 7.7 %Iowa7.7South Dakota: 7.6 %South Dakota7.6New Hampshire: 7.6 %New Hampshire7.6District of Columbia: 7.5 %District of Columbia7.5Wisconsin: 7.4 %Wisconsin7.4Louisiana: 7.3 %Louisiana7.3North Dakota: 7.2 %North Dakota7.2Colorado: 7.2 %Colorado7.2South Carolina: 7.1 %South Carolina7.1Maine: 7 %Maine7Minnesota: 7 %Minnesota7Hawaii: 6.8 %Hawaii6.8Arizona: 6.8 %Arizona6.8Idaho: 6.8 %Idaho6.8Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5Oregon: 6.5 %Oregon6.5Texas: 6.4 %Texas6.4Kansas: 6.4 %Kansas6.4Rhode Island: 6.2 %Rhode Island6.2Ohio: 6.2 %Ohio6.2Arkansas: 6.2 %Arkansas6.2Wyoming: 6.2 %Wyoming6.2Michigan: 6.2 %Michigan6.2Missouri: 6.2 %Missouri6.2Delaware: 6.1 %Delaware6.1Illinois: 6 %Illinois6Alabama: 6 %Alabama6Mississippi: 5.9 %Mississippi5.9Washington: 5.9 %Washington5.9Florida: 5.8 %Florida5.8Virginia: 5.6 %Virginia5.6Nevada: 5.6 %Nevada5.6Massachusetts: 5.5 %Massachusetts5.5Connecticut: 5.4 %Connecticut5.4Indiana: 5.3 %Indiana5.3California: 5.2 %California5.2New York: 5.1 %New York5.1Georgia: 5 %Georgia5Oklahoma: 4.9 %Oklahoma4.9West Virginia: 4.9 %West Virginia4.9Kentucky: 4.8 %Kentucky4.8New Mexico: 4.7 %New Mexico4.7Maryland: 4.4 %Maryland4.4New Jersey: 4.4 %New Jersey4.4North Carolina: 4.3 %North Carolina4.3Utah: 3.5 %Utah3.5Pennsylvania: 3.1 %Pennsylvania3.1Montana: 9.8 %Montana9.8Alaska: 8.7 %Alaska8.7Vermont: 8.2 %Vermont8.2Iowa: 7.7 %Iowa7.7South Dakota: 7.6 %South Dakota7.6New Hampshire: 7.6 %New Hampshire7.6District of Columbia: 7.5 %District of Columbia7.5Wisconsin: 7.4 %Wisconsin7.4Louisiana: 7.3 %Louisiana7.3North Dakota: 7.2 %North Dakota7.2Colorado: 7.2 %Colorado7.2South Carolina: 7.1 %South Carolina7.1Maine: 7 %Maine7Minnesota: 7 %Minnesota7Hawaii: 6.8 %Hawaii6.8Arizona: 6.8 %Arizona6.8Idaho: 6.8 %Idaho6.8Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5Oregon: 6.5 %Oregon6.5Texas: 6.4 %Texas6.4Kansas: 6.4 %Kansas6.4Rhode Island: 6.2 %Rhode Island6.2Ohio: 6.2 %Ohio6.2Arkansas: 6.2 %Arkansas6.2Wyoming: 6.2 %Wyoming6.2Michigan: 6.2 %Michigan6.2Missouri: 6.2 %Missouri6.2Delaware: 6.1 %Delaware6.1Illinois: 6 %Illinois6Alabama: 6 %Alabama6Mississippi: 5.9 %Mississippi5.9Washington: 5.9 %Washington5.9Florida: 5.8 %Florida5.8Virginia: 5.6 %Virginia5.6Nevada: 5.6 %Nevada5.6Massachusetts: 5.5 %Massachusetts5.5Connecticut: 5.4 %Connecticut5.4Indiana: 5.3 %Indiana5.3California: 5.2 %California5.2New York: 5.1 %New York5.1Georgia: 5 %Georgia5Oklahoma: 4.9 %Oklahoma4.9West Virginia: 4.9 %West Virginia4.9Kentucky: 4.8 %Kentucky4.8New Mexico: 4.7 %New Mexico4.7Maryland: 4.4 %Maryland4.4New Jersey: 4.4 %New Jersey4.4North Carolina: 4.3 %North Carolina4.3Utah: 3.5 %Utah3.5Pennsylvania: 3.1 %Pennsylvania3.1
%. 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

RankStates2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Montana9.8+1.6 pts
2Alaska8.7+0.3 pts
3Vermont8.2+0.6 pts
4Iowa7.7+0.5 pts
5South Dakota7.6+0.4 pts
6New Hampshire7.6-0.2 pts
7District of Columbia7.5-0.9 pts
8Wisconsin7.40 pts
9Louisiana7.3+0.7 pts
10North Dakota7.2+0.9 pts
11Colorado7.2+0.5 pts
12South Carolina7.1+0.8 pts
13Maine7-1.2 pts
14Minnesota7+1 pts
15Hawaii6.8-1.8 pts
16Arizona6.8+1 pts
17Idaho6.8+0.9 pts
18Nebraska6.5+0.3 pts
19Oregon6.5-0.3 pts
20Texas6.4+0.5 pts
21Kansas6.4-0 pts
22Rhode Island6.2-0.4 pts
23Ohio6.2-0.1 pts
24Arkansas6.2+0.7 pts
25Wyoming6.2-0.3 pts
26Michigan6.2+0.4 pts
26Missouri6.2+0.5 pts
28Delaware6.1+0.9 pts
29Illinois6+0.7 pts
30Alabama6-0 pts
31Mississippi5.9-0.2 pts
32Washington5.9-0.5 pts
33Florida5.8-0.8 pts
34Virginia5.60 pts
35Nevada5.6-1.1 pts
36Massachusetts5.5-0.9 pts
37Connecticut5.4-0.5 pts
38Indiana5.3+0.1 pts
39California5.2+0.4 pts
40New York5.1+0.1 pts
41Georgia5-0.5 pts
42Oklahoma4.9+0.1 pts
43West Virginia4.9-0.4 pts
44Kentucky4.8n/a
45New Mexico4.7-0.2 pts
46Maryland4.4+0.4 pts
47New Jersey4.4+0.1 pts
48North Carolina4.3-0.9 pts
49Utah3.5-0.4 pts
50Pennsylvania3.1n/a

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 2024 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

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, 2024) [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, 2024. 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=2024. 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, 2024. 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=2024.

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, 2024 [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=2024 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_heavy_2024,
  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, 2024}},
  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=2024. 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, 2024
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=2024
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/adult-heavy-drinking-rate/us-states?period=2024.
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?

Montana, with 9.8% in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest heavy drinking in adults?

Pennsylvania, with 3.1% in 2024.

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 2024 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings