It’s easy to see why humans like to drink. Sipping wine, beer, or a mixed drink occasionally releases endorphins, natural opiates that calm us and uplift our mood. After a stressful day at work, a glass of wine is a relaxing way to wind down.
But like eating too much ice cream, excessive alcohol consumption can be harmful to our bodies and emotional well-being.
And we, Americans, do like to drink. According to a 2019 survey sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 85.6% of adults 18 and older said they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime. Nearly 70% reported having a drink in the past year, and 55% in the past month.
Unfortunately, the residents in the counties in each state listed here took their imbedding to an extreme. Perhaps it was the stress of the pandemic. A scientific study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health surveyed 832 adults over age 21 in May 2020 on their drinking habits.
Sixty percent reported increasing drinking compared to pre-COVID times. (On the other hand, 13% reported downing fewer libations.) Top reasons for reaching for the bottle included stress (45.7%); availability of alcohol (34.4%); and boredom (30.1%). A third reported binge drinking and 7% reported extreme binge drinking.
Does drinking have a negative effect on the overall health of the residents in these counties? Not necessarily. Despite having some heavy drinkers in their midst, the people in many of these counties aren’t terribly unhealthy compared to the rest of the state. In Alaska’s Skagway Municipality, for example, 22.2% of the residents drink excessively, compared to 17.6% statewide. Yet 12.2% of its citizens are in fair to poor health, compared to the state percentage of 15.6%. So the message is: An occasional drink is okay, just don’t make it a habit. To find the heaviest drinking metros, see the 50 drunkest cities in America.
Click here for the drunkest county in every state
Click here to see our detailed methodology
Alabama: Baldwin County
> Adults who drink excessively: 18.7% (state: 14.9% — 4th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.6% (state: 26.9% — 19th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 16.5% (state: 21.4% — 6th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 31.9% (state: 25.5% — 7th lowest)
> Median household income: $58,320 (state: $50,536 — 6th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Daphne
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Alaska: Skagway Municipality
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.2% (state: 17.6% — 16th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: N/A (state: 37.9% — 4th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 12.2% (state: 15.6% — 20th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.6% (state: 29.6% — 21st lowest)
> Median household income: $73,906 (state: $77,640 — 6th highest)
> Largest place in area: N/A
24/7 Wall St.
Arizona: Yavapai County
> Adults who drink excessively: 21.6% (state: 18.1% — 20th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 17.3% (state: 24.7% — 10th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 16.7% (state: 18.6% — 14th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 25.9% (state: 29.5% — 20th lowest)
> Median household income: $52,451 (state: $58,945 — 22nd lowest)
> Largest place in county: Prescott Valley
Arkansas: Benton County
> Adults who drink excessively: 18.5% (state: 17.3% — 14th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 27.9% (state: 26.2% — 15th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 19.9% (state: 23.3% — 2nd highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 33.4% (state: 23.0% — 3rd lowest)
> Median household income: $66,362 (state: $47,597 — 3rd lowest)
> Largest place in county: Rogers
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California: Nevada County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.9% (state: 18.1% — 21st lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 34.8% (state: 28.7% — 22nd lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.9% (state: 17.6% — 22nd highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 37.2% (state: 33.9% — 15th highest)
> Median household income: $66,096 (state: $75,235 — 8th highest)
> Largest place in county: Truckee
Colorado: Denver County
> Adults who drink excessively: 25.3% (state: 21.3% — 12th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 34.4% (state: 33.7% — 9th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 15.5% (state: 13.8% — 9th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 49.4% (state: 40.9% — 2nd highest)
> Median household income: $68,592 (state: $72,331 — 11th highest)
> Largest place in county: Denver
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Connecticut: Middlesex County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.7% (state: 20.5% — 15th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.9% (state: 31.5% — 16th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 11.1% (state: 13.0% — 4th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 42.2% (state: 39.3% — 5th highest)
> Median household income: $85,898 (state: $78,444 — 5th highest)
> Largest place in county: Middletown
Delaware: Sussex County
> Adults who drink excessively: 20.3% (state: 19.8% — 20th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 26.9% (state: 26.0% — 14th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 18.9% (state: 16.3% — 23rd lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 28.3% (state: 32.0% — 20th highest)
> Median household income: $63,162 (state: $68,287 — 15th highest)
> Largest place in county: Seaford
Florida: Sarasota County
> Adults who drink excessively: 25.6% (state: 19.7% — 21st highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.3% (state: 22.3% — 8th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 15.7% (state: 19.5% — 10th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 35.4% (state: 29.9% — 22nd lowest)
> Median household income: $62,236 (state: $55,660 — 14th lowest)
> Largest place in county: North Port
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Georgia: Chatham County
> Adults who drink excessively: 20.7% (state: 16.8% — 9th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 20.6% (state: 20.3% — 4th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 19.2% (state: 18.4% — 15th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 33.6% (state: 31.3% — 24th highest)
> Median household income: $56,842 (state: $58,700 — 21st lowest)
> Largest place in county: Savannah
Hawaii: Kauai County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.9% (state: 23.0% — 8th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 30.3% (state: 31.2% — 20th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 15.7% (state: 15.4% — 18th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.2% (state: 33.0% — 18th highest)
> Median household income: $83,554 (state: $81,275 — 3rd highest)
> Largest place in county: Kapaa
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Idaho: Idaho County,
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.1% (state: 17.1% — 10th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 39.5% (state: 31.4% — 19th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 19.5% (state: 15.1% — 15th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 19.8% (state: 27.6% — 13th lowest)
> Median household income: $41,516 (state: $55,785 — 15th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Grangeville
Illinois: Woodford County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.2% (state: 21.5% — 11th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.4% (state: 31.1% — 21st highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.4% (state: 15.9% — 21st lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 33.2% (state: 34.7% — 12th highest)
> Median household income: $72,808 (state: $65,886 — 17th highest)
> Largest place in county: Eureka
Indiana: Porter County
> Adults who drink excessively: 21.3% (state: 18.6% — 24th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 18.1% (state: 18.8% — the lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 16.6% (state: 18.2% — 17th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 28.4% (state: 26.5% — 9th lowest)
> Median household income: $71,152 (state: $56,303 — 16th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Portage
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Iowa: Winneshiek County
> Adults who drink excessively: 28.3% (state: 25.8% — 2nd highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 40.0% (state: 26.8% — 18th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 11.4% (state: 13.5% — 6th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 30.6% (state: 28.6% — 16th lowest)
> Median household income: $65,263 (state: $60,523 — 25th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Decorah
Kansas: Miami County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.0% (state: 18.2% — 22nd lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 20.7% (state: 19.9% — 3rd lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.2% (state: 16.3% — 24th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.8% (state: 33.4% — 17th highest)
> Median household income: $71,995 (state: $59,597 — 23rd lowest)
> Largest place in county: Paola
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Kentucky: Campbell County
> Adults who drink excessively: 20.2% (state: 17.2% — 13th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 33.3% (state: 25.5% — 12th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 18.5% (state: 21.8% — 4th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 36.3% (state: 24.2% — 5th lowest)
> Median household income: $63,050 (state: $50,589 — 7th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Fort Thomas
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Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.3% (state: 19.7% — 22nd highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 28.2% (state: 32.3% — 13th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 16.2% (state: 21.4% — 5th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 33.8% (state: 24.1% — 4th lowest)
> Median household income: $68,905 (state: $49,469 — 4th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Slidell
Maine: Cumberland County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.7% (state: 22.0% — 9th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.0% (state: 35.4% — 7th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 11.7% (state: 17.1% — 24th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 47.6% (state: 31.8% — 22nd highest)
> Median household income: $73,072 (state: $57,918 — 19th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Portland
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Maryland: Queen Anne’s County
> Adults who drink excessively: 21.4% (state: 15.4% — 6th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 36.6% (state: 28.8% — 23rd lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.1% (state: 15.2% — 16th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 36.5% (state: 40.2% — 3rd highest)
> Median household income: $97,034 (state: $84,805 — the highest)
> Largest place in county: Stevensville
Massachusetts: Barnstable County
> Adults who drink excessively: 26.5% (state: 23.5% — 6th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 37.3% (state: 30.2% — 22nd highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 12.7% (state: 13.5% — 7th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 43.4% (state: 43.7% — the highest)
> Median household income: $74,336 (state: $81,215 — 4th highest)
> Largest place in county: Barnstable Town
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Michigan: Marquette County
> Adults who drink excessively: 23.5% (state: 20.9% — 13th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 42.3% (state: 29.3% — 25th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 16.9% (state: 18.3% — 16th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 32.9% (state: 29.1% — 18th lowest)
> Median household income: $53,970 (state: $57,144 — 18th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Marquette
Minnesota: Le Sueur County
> Adults who drink excessively: 27.2% (state: 23.2% — 7th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 31.3% (state: 29.7% — 25th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 12.9% (state: 12.9% — 3rd lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 23.0% (state: 36.1% — 10th highest)
> Median household income: $71,080 (state: $71,306 — 13th highest)
> Largest place in county: Le Sueur
Mississippi: George County
> Adults who drink excessively: 17.1% (state: 14.8% — 3rd lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 30.4% (state: 19.6% — 2nd lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 22.7% (state: 22.1% — 3rd highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 13.8% (state: 22.0% — 2nd lowest)
> Median household income: $47,292 (state: $45,081 — the lowest)
> Largest place in county: Lucedale
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Missouri: St. Charles County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.0% (state: 20.5% — 14th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 32.3% (state: 27.1% — 20th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.2% (state: 19.5% — 11th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 38.9% (state: 29.2% — 19th lowest)
> Median household income: $84,978 (state: $55,461 — 13th lowest)
> Largest place in county: St. Charles
Montana: Gallatin County
> Adults who drink excessively: 25.8% (state: 21.9% — 10th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 64.4% (state: 44.8% — the highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 11.3% (state: 14.1% — 11th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 50.1% (state: 32.0% — 19th highest)
> Median household income: $66,397 (state: $54,970 — 12th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Bozeman
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Nebraska: Sherman County
> Adults who drink excessively: 26.3% (state: 23.7% — 5th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 50.0% (state: 32.7% — 11th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.1% (state: 13.8% — 10th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.2% (state: 31.9% — 21st highest)
> Median household income: $50,781 (state: $61,439 — 25th highest)
> Largest place in county: Loup City
Nevada: Humboldt County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.3% (state: 17.9% — 19th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 40.0% (state: 29.1% — 24th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 20.1% (state: 19.1% — 12th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 16.8% (state: 24.7% — 6th lowest)
> Median household income: $67,756 (state: $60,365 — 24th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Winnemucca
New Hampshire: Rockingham County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.7% (state: 20.2% — 17th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 41.0% (state: 31.5% — 17th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 11.5% (state: 12.8% — 2nd lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 41.4% (state: 37.0% — 8th highest)
> Median household income: $93,756 (state: $76,768 — 7th highest)
> Largest place in county: Derry
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New Jersey: Sussex County
> Adults who drink excessively: 21.4% (state: 16.0% — 7th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 21.8% (state: 21.9% — 7th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.0% (state: 15.5% — 19th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 36.1% (state: 39.7% — 4th highest)
> Median household income: $94,520 (state: $82,545 — 2nd highest)
> Largest place in county: Hopatcong
New Mexico: Lincoln County
> Adults who drink excessively: 19.4% (state: 16.7% — 8th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 36.0% (state: 29.8% — 23rd highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 18.3% (state: 20.3% — 9th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 25.8% (state: 27.3% — 10th lowest)
> Median household income: $46,216 (state: $49,754 — 5th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Ruidoso
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New York: Rensselaer County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.9% (state: 19.2% — 25th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 20.0% (state: 20.6% — 5th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.9% (state: 16.3% — 22nd lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 32.0% (state: 36.6% — 9th highest)
> Median household income: $68,991 (state: $68,486 — 14th highest)
> Largest place in county: Troy
North Carolina: Dare County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.0% (state: 17.6% — 15th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 10.5% (state: 27.6% — 21st lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 15.1% (state: 18.0% — 19th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 34.7% (state: 31.3% — 25th highest)
> Median household income: $59,381 (state: $54,602 — 11th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Kill Devil Hills
North Dakota: Mercer County
> Adults who drink excessively: 27.0% (state: 23.7% — 4th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 57.1% (state: 42.3% — 2nd highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.8% (state: 13.6% — 8th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.7% (state: 30.0% — 24th lowest)
> Median household income: $82,181 (state: $64,894 — 18th highest)
> Largest place in county: Beulah
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Ohio: Perry County
> Adults who drink excessively: 21.8% (state: 18.5% — 23rd lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 23.8% (state: 32.2% — 14th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 22.3% (state: 17.8% — 21st highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 12.2% (state: 28.3% — 15th lowest)
> Median household income: $50,150 (state: $56,602 — 17th lowest)
> Largest place in county: New Lexington
Oklahoma: Alfalfa County
> Adults who drink excessively: 16.9% (state: 14.9% — 5th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 44.4% (state: 26.5% — 17th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 18.8% (state: 20.9% — 8th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.8% (state: 25.5% — 8th lowest)
> Median household income: $61,852 (state: $52,919 — 8th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Cherokee
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Oregon: Columbia County
> Adults who drink excessively: 23.8% (state: 19.5% — 24th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 25.0% (state: 31.5% — 18th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 17.7% (state: 18.2% — 18th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.5% (state: 33.7% — 16th highest)
> Median household income: $62,257 (state: $62,818 — 20th highest)
> Largest place in county: St. Helens
Pennsylvania: Butler County
> Adults who drink excessively: 23.7% (state: 20.2% — 18th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 23.7% (state: 26.2% — 16th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.5% (state: 17.6% — 23rd highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 36.0% (state: 31.4% — 23rd highest)
> Median household income: $70,668 (state: $61,744 — 24th highest)
> Largest place in county: Butler
Rhode Island: Newport County
> Adults who drink excessively: 25.4% (state: 19.7% — 23rd highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 21.4% (state: 41.6% — 3rd highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 12.1% (state: 16.5% — 25th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 48.1% (state: 34.2% — 13th highest)
> Median household income: $79,454 (state: $67,167 — 16th highest)
> Largest place in county: Newport
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South Carolina: Beaufort County
> Adults who drink excessively: 25.2% (state: 17.8% — 18th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 28.2% (state: 31.8% — 15th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.4% (state: 17.8% — 20th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 41.2% (state: 28.1% — 14th lowest)
> Median household income: $68,377 (state: $53,199 — 9th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Hilton Head Island
South Dakota: Stanley County
> Adults who drink excessively: 27.0% (state: 24.3% — 3rd highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: N/A (state: 35.5% — 6th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 10.9% (state: 13.4% — 5th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 32.1% (state: 28.8% — 17th lowest)
> Median household income: $71,382 (state: $58,275 — 20th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Fort Pierre
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Tennessee: Knox County
> Adults who drink excessively: 19.5% (state: 17.1% — 12th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 25.0% (state: 24.6% — 9th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 19.2% (state: 21.2% — 7th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 37.6% (state: 27.3% — 11th lowest)
> Median household income: $57,470 (state: $53,320 — 10th lowest)
> Largest place in county: Knoxville
Texas: Borden County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.9% (state: 19.0% — 25th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: N/A (state: 25.7% — 13th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.9% (state: 18.7% — 13th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 39.5% (state: 29.9% — 23rd lowest)
> Median household income: $72,188 (state: $61,874 — 22nd highest)
> Largest place in county: N/A
Utah: Summit County
> Adults who drink excessively: 16.6% (state: 11.1% — the lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 23.8% (state: 21.0% — 6th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 10.9% (state: 14.8% — 13th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 55.0% (state: 34.0% — 14th highest)
> Median household income: $102,958 (state: $71,621 — 12th highest)
> Largest place in county: Park City
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Vermont: Washington County
> Adults who drink excessively: 24.3% (state: 20.5% — 16th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 19.0% (state: 34.3% — 8th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 12.4% (state: 12.8% — the lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 41.8% (state: 38.0% — 7th highest)
> Median household income: $62,791 (state: $61,973 — 21st highest)
> Largest place in county: Barre
Virginia: Hanover County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.6% (state: 17.7% — 17th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 33.3% (state: 29.8% — 24th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.0% (state: 16.6% — 25th highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 39.8% (state: 38.8% — 6th highest)
> Median household income: $89,390 (state: $74,222 — 9th highest)
> Largest place in county: Mechanicsville
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Washington: Jefferson County
> Adults who drink excessively: 22.1% (state: 17.1% — 11th lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.6% (state: 32.5% — 12th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 14.5% (state: 15.0% — 14th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 44.3% (state: 36.0% — 11th highest)
> Median household income: $55,127 (state: $73,775 — 10th highest)
> Largest place in county: Port Townsend
West Virginia: Marshall County
> Adults who drink excessively: 17.3% (state: 14.4% — 2nd lowest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 23.5% (state: 25.2% — 11th lowest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 22.0% (state: 23.6% — the highest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.0% (state: 20.6% — the lowest)
> Median household income: $48,557 (state: $46,711 — 2nd lowest)
> Largest place in county: Moundsville
Wisconsin: Outagamie County
> Adults who drink excessively: 31.0% (state: 27.1% — the highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 32.0% (state: 35.7% — 5th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 13.7% (state: 14.8% — 12th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 29.7% (state: 30.1% — 25th lowest)
> Median household income: $65,572 (state: $61,747 — 23rd highest)
> Largest place in county: Appleton
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Wyoming: Teton County
> Adults who drink excessively: 23.8% (state: 20.1% — 19th highest)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 27.3% (state: 32.8% — 10th highest)
> Adults in fair or poor health: 11.4% (state: 15.3% — 17th lowest)
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 57.0% (state: 27.4% — 12th lowest)
> Median household income: $84,678 (state: $64,049 — 19th highest)
> Largest place in county: Jackson
Methodology
To identify the drunkest county in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed excessive drinking rates from the 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program.
We ranked every county and county equivalent in each state by the share of residents 18 and older who drank excessively in the last 30 days — defined as the share of adult men who have more than five alcoholic drinks in single occasion or more than two drinks per day on average and the share of women who have more than four alcoholic drinks in single occasion or more than one drink per day on average. Excessive alcohol consumption data is for 2018, the most recent year for which data are available.
We also considered the share of driving deaths involving alcohol between 2015 and 2019 as well as the share of adults who report being fair or poor health in 2018. Each of these measures is also from County Health Rankings.
Additional data on annual median household income and the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey and are five-year averages.
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