Study: Drunkest city in each US state revealed
A new study shows that binge-drinking in America remains a problem – especially in some U.S. cities.
The company 24/7 Tempo recently compiled a list of the drunkest cities in each state by reviewing the percentage of men and women over 18 years of age who reported heavy or binge-drinking in each state’s metropolitan areas and then singled out the city or metro area with the highest rate.
The study found that the national average for adult excessive drinking is 19.8%, and 34 metro areas imbibe above that rate.
Which cities were found to be the drunkest? Here’s a look at what the company found.
Man spills beer as he tries to empty his stein in one sitting. (Credit: Philipp Guelland/Getty Images)
The drunkest cities in America revealed
24/7 Tempo found that the drunkest metro areas in America were in the Plains states, Midwest, and Far West.
An anomaly on the list was Ocean City, New Jersey. The town has prohibited alcohol sales and drinking in public since it was founded by Methodist ministers in 1879, according to 24/7 Tempo. Despite this, it has apparently not stopped residents and visitors from quaffing plenty of alcohol.
Alabama, Drunkest metro area: Daphne-Fairhope-Foley
Alaska, Drunkest metro area: Anchorage
Arizona, Drunkest metro area: Lake Havasu City-Kingman
Arkansas, Drunkest metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
California, Drunkest metro area: Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Colorado, Drunkest metro area: Fort Collins
Connecticut, Drunkest metro area: Norwich-New London
Delaware, Drunkest metro area: Dover
Florida, Drunkest metro area: Homosassa Springs
Georgia, Drunkest metro area: Gainesville
Hawaii, Drunkest metro area: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina
Idaho, Drunkest metro area: Lewiston
Illinois, Drunkest metro area: Kankakee
Indiana, Drunkest metro area: Bloomington
Iowa, Drunkest metro area: Dubuque
Kansas, Drunkest metro area: Lawrence
Kentucky, Drunkest metro area: Louisville/Jefferson County
Louisiana, Drunkest metro area: Houma-Thibodaux
Maine, Drunkest metro area: Portland-South Portland
Maryland, Drunkest metro area: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Massachusetts, Drunkest metro area: Barnstable Town
Michigan, Drunkest metro area: Bay City
Minnesota, Drunkest metro area: Duluth
Mississippi, Drunkest metro area: Gulfport-Biloxi
Missouri, Drunkest metro area: Cape Girardeau
Montana, Drunkest metro area: Missoula
Nebraska, Drunkest metro area: Lincoln
Nevada, Drunkest metro area: Reno
New Hampshire, Drunkest metro area: Manchester-Nashua
New Jersey, Drunkest metro area: Ocean City
New Mexico, Drunkest metro area: Albuquerque
New York, Drunkest metro area: Glens Falls
North Carolina, Drunkest metro area: Wilmington
North Dakota, Drunkest metro area: Bismarck
Ohio, Drunkest metro area: Columbus
Oklahoma, Drunkest metro area: Enid
Oregon, Drunkest metro area: Bend
Pennsylvania, Drunkest metro area: Pittsburgh
Rhode Island, Drunkest metro area: Providence-Warwick
South Carolina, Drunkest metro area: Charleston-North Charleston
South Dakota, Drunkest metro area: Rapid City
Tennessee, Drunkest metro area: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin
Texas, Drunkest metro area: Sherman-Denison
Utah, Drunkest metro area: Salt Lake City
Vermont, Drunkest metro area: Burlington-South Burlington
Virginia, Drunkest metro area: Staunton
Washington, Drunkest metro area: Bellingham
West Virginia, Drunkest metro area: Wheeling
Wisconsin, Drunkest metro area: Wausau-Weston
Wyoming, Drunkest metro area: Casper
The drunkest states in the US
Not surprisingly, the country’s drunkest metro areas track closely with the drunkest states in America.
An earlier study found that Wyoming was the drunkest state in the U.S., followed by Iowa, Montana, Alaska and South Dakota.
In contrast, the study revealed that Utah was the least drunk state, followed by West Virginia, Oklahoma, Maryland and Illinois.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six American adults indulges in excessive drinking on a single occasion. The agency defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks on one occasion for men or four or more drinks for women.
Studies have shown that excessive drinking can be a factor in chronic conditions such as liver disease, cancer, heart disease, and hypertension. It is also responsible for more than 140,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.