The Drunkest City in Every State [MAP]

It’s no secret that Americans love to drink. Every year, they take down billions — yes, billions — of gallons of booze nationwide in the form of beer, wine, and spirits. While consumption is relatively high across the board — approximately 2.51 gallons of alcohol are consumed per capita annually — some regions are better known for their drinking than others. And thanks to data from independent financial news website 24/7 Wall St, we now know the drunkest cities in every state.

To determine the most intoxicated places in all 50 states, 24/7 Tempo — a subsect of 24/7 Wall St. media company — analyzed data from the 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a report compiled by the University of Wisconsin Public Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The organization then singled out the percentage of men and women over the age of 18 who reported either heavy or binge drinking. Each metropolitan area with the highest rate in each state was then selected as the drunkest city.

Some of the drunkest cities aren’t all that shocking. Take Lincoln, Neb., home to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Big 10 school known for its robust social scene. In the capital city, 24.1 percent of the over-18 population reports overconsumption. The situation is similar in fellow college town Bloomington, Ind. There, 19.1 percent of people over 18 report heavy or binge drinking.

Other states were much more of a surprise. New Jersey’s drunkest city doesn’t even allow for the sale of alcohol: Ocean City, nestled along the state’s 130-mile coastline, has been a dry town since it was established in 1879 and the manufacture and sale of alcohol has been expressly prohibited since 1909. That clearly hasn’t stopped citizens from imbibing, though, with 23.3 percent of people over the age of 18 reporting excessive consumption.

Curious to find out which city drinks the most in your home state? Keep reading to check out our state-by-state list of the drunkest metropolitan areas in every state.

*Image retrieved from Krzysztof Wiktor via stock.adobe.com