United States

17.69%% of Adults Binge DrinkingAverage Shown

17.26%Smoking RateAverage Shown

13.42%Poor Mental HealthAverage Shown

Percentage of Adults Binge Drinking 2017

6.2%25.4%

1	Appleton, WI	25.4%
1	Madison, WI	25.4%
3	Green Bay, WI	25%
3	Arlington Heights, IL	25%
5	Kenosha, WI	24.4%
6	Lee's Summit, MO	23.7%
6	Waukesha, WI	23.7%
6	Mount Pleasant, SC	23.7%
9	Plymouth, MN	23.6%
9	Palatine, IL	23.6%
11	Lincoln, NE	23.5%
12	Parma, OH	23.4%
12	Missoula, MT	23.4%
14	Duluth, MN	23.2%
14	Fargo, ND	23.2%
16	Newport Beach, CA	23%
16	Racine, WI	23%
16	Bloomington, MN	23%
16	Billings, MT	23%
16	Schaumburg, IL	23%
21	Livermore, CA	22.7%
22	Evanston, IL	22.6%
23	Denver, CO	22.5%
23	Carlsbad, CA	22.5%
23	League City, TX	22.5%
26	Mission Viejo, CA	22.4%
26	Livonia, MI	22.4%
28	Sparks, NV	22.3%
29	Waterloo, IA	22.2%
30	Reno, NV	21.9%
30	Independence, MO	21.9%
32	Washington, DC	21.8%
32	Newton, MA	21.8%
32	Folsom, CA	21.8%
35	Huntington Beach, CA	21.7%
36	Redondo Beach, CA	21.5%
36	Pleasanton, CA	21.5%
38	Sterling Heights, MI	21.4%
38	Milwaukee, WI	21.4%
40	Austin, TX	21.3%
41	Arvada, CO	21.2%
41	Lake Forest, CA	21.2%
41	O'Fallon, MO	21.2%
44	Cedar Rapids, IA	21.1%
45	Minneapolis, MN	21%
46	Charleston, SC	20.9%
47	Somerville, MA	20.8%
48	Citrus Heights, CA	20.7%
49	Loveland, CO	20.6%
49	Pittsburgh, PA	20.6%
49	Santa Monica, CA	20.6%
49	Davenport, IA	20.6%
53	Omaha, NE	20.5%
53	Rochester Hills, MI	20.5%
53	Santa Clarita, CA	20.5%
53	Naperville, IL	20.5%
53	Vacaville, CA	20.5%
53	Costa Mesa, CA	20.5%
53	Temecula, CA	20.5%
60	Iowa City, IA	20.4%
60	Largo, FL	20.4%
62	Brooklyn Park, MN	20.3%
62	San Francisco, CA	20.3%
62	Manteca, CA	20.3%
62	Lakewood, CO	20.3%
62	Orange, CA	20.3%
67	New Orleans, LA	20.2%
67	Lawrence, KS	20.2%
67	Chicago, IL	20.2%
70	Oceanside, CA	20.1%
70	Scranton, PA	20.1%
70	Warren, MI	20.1%
70	Bend, OR	20.1%
70	Clearwater, FL	20.1%
70	Boston, MA	20.1%
76	Murrieta, CA	20%
76	Erie, PA	20%
76	Tracy, CA	20%
76	Cambridge, MA	20%
76	Honolulu, HI	20%
76	Bloomington, IL	20%
76	Portland, OR	20%
76	Olathe, KS	20%
76	Columbia, MO	20%
76	San Marcos, CA	20%
86	Elgin, IL	19.9%
86	Menifee, CA	19.9%
86	Overland Park, KS	19.9%
86	Frisco, TX	19.9%
86	Henderson, NV	19.9%
86	St. Petersburg, FL	19.9%
92	Napa, CA	19.8%
92	Springfield, IL	19.8%
92	Fort Collins, CO	19.8%
92	Berkeley, CA	19.8%
92	Redding, CA	19.8%
92	Roseville, CA	19.8%
92	Burbank, CA	19.8%
99	Joliet, IL	19.7%
99	Westland, MI	19.7%
99	Vista, CA	19.7%
99	Santa Barbara, CA	19.7%
99	Cranston, RI	19.7%
99	Philadelphia, PA	19.7%
105	Roswell, GA	19.6%
105	Troy, MI	19.6%
105	Santa Rosa, CA	19.6%
105	Midland, TX	19.6%
105	Wyoming, MI	19.6%
110	Turlock, CA	19.5%
111	San Diego, CA	19.4%
111	Westminster, CO	19.4%
111	Portland, ME	19.4%
111	Kenner, LA	19.4%
111	Gresham, OR	19.4%
116	Thousand Oaks, CA	19.3%
116	Warwick, RI	19.3%
116	Bellingham, WA	19.3%
116	Fishers, IN	19.3%
116	Cicero, IL	19.3%
121	Farmington Hills, MI	19.2%
121	Kansas City, MO	19.2%
121	Whittier, CA	19.2%
121	El Cajon, CA	19.2%
121	Concord, CA	19.2%
121	Lewisville, TX	19.2%
121	Bolingbrook, IL	19.2%
121	St. Paul, MN	19.2%
121	Simi Valley, CA	19.2%
130	Alameda, CA	19.1%
130	Chico, CA	19.1%
130	Denton, TX	19.1%
130	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	19.1%
130	Sioux City, IA	19.1%
130	Lakewood, CA	19.1%
130	Bethlehem, PA	19.1%
130	Scottsdale, AZ	19.1%
130	Virginia Beach, VA	19.1%
139	Gilbert, AZ	19%
139	Baytown, TX	19%
139	Dearborn, MI	19%
139	Des Moines, IA	19%
139	Modesto, CA	19%
139	Escondido, CA	19%
139	Anchorage, AK	19%
139	Round Rock, TX	19%
147	Carmel, IN	18.9%
147	San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA	18.9%
147	Rio Rancho, NM	18.9%
147	Corona, CA	18.9%
147	Rockford, IL	18.9%
147	Melbourne, FL	18.9%
147	Corpus Christi, TX	18.9%
147	McKinney, TX	18.9%
155	Rochester, MN	18.8%
155	Medford, OR	18.8%
155	Abilene, TX	18.8%
155	Redlands, CA	18.8%
155	Columbus, OH	18.8%
155	Allen, TX	18.8%
161	Pasadena, TX	18.7%
161	Asheville, NC	18.7%
161	San Angelo, TX	18.7%
161	Buffalo, NY	18.7%
161	Champaign, IL	18.7%
161	Centennial, CO	18.7%
161	San Ramon, CA	18.7%
161	Tustin, CA	18.7%
161	Sandy Springs, GA	18.7%
161	Johns Creek, GA	18.7%
171	Fall River, MA	18.6%
171	Cape Coral, FL	18.6%
171	Louisville, KY	18.6%
171	Glendale, CA	18.6%
171	Redwood City, CA	18.6%
171	Lafayette, LA	18.6%
171	Worcester, MA	18.6%
171	Wilmington, NC	18.6%
179	Peoria, AZ	18.5%
179	Lexington, KY	18.5%
179	Upland, CA	18.5%
179	Aurora, IL	18.5%
179	Palm Bay, FL	18.5%
184	Fullerton, CA	18.4%
184	Apple Valley, CA	18.4%
184	St. Louis, MO	18.4%
184	Cary, NC	18.4%
184	Kalamazoo, MI	18.4%
184	San Antonio, TX	18.4%
184	Visalia, CA	18.4%
184	Peoria, IL	18.4%
184	Grand Rapids, MI	18.4%
193	Sioux Falls, SD	18.3%
193	Chino, CA	18.3%
193	Anaheim, CA	18.3%
193	Nashua, NH	18.3%
193	Chula Vista, CA	18.3%
193	Hayward, CA	18.3%
199	Richardson, TX	18.2%
199	Pasadena, CA	18.2%
199	Carrollton, TX	18.2%
199	Baton Rouge, LA	18.2%
199	Clifton, NJ	18.2%
199	New Rochelle, NY	18.2%
199	Lansing, MI	18.2%
199	Surprise, AZ	18.2%
199	Downey, CA	18.2%
199	Alexandria, VA	18.2%
199	Plantation, FL	18.2%
199	Decatur, IL	18.2%
211	Riverside, CA	18.1%
211	Davie, FL	18.1%
211	Clovis, CA	18.1%
211	Schenectady, NY	18.1%
211	Toledo, OH	18.1%
216	Thornton, CO	18%
216	Fairfield, CA	18%
216	St. Joseph, MO	18%
216	San Mateo, CA	18%
216	Lafayette, IN	18%
216	Quincy, MA	18%
216	Plano, TX	18%
216	Las Vegas, NV	18%
216	Elk Grove, CA	18%
216	Amarillo, TX	18%
216	New Bedford, MA	18%
216	Pearland, TX	18%
228	Miami Beach, FL	17.9%
228	Torrance, CA	17.9%
228	Chandler, AZ	17.9%
228	Odessa, TX	17.9%
228	Richmond, VA	17.9%
228	Manchester, NH	17.9%
228	Coral Springs, FL	17.9%
228	Palm Coast, FL	17.9%
228	Irvine, CA	17.9%
228	Antioch, CA	17.9%
238	Hemet, CA	17.8%
238	New York, NY	17.8%
238	Rapid City, SD	17.8%
238	Lancaster, CA	17.8%
238	Norwalk, CT	17.8%
238	Burlington, VT	17.8%
238	Houston, TX	17.8%
238	Oakland, CA	17.8%
246	San Leandro, CA	17.7%
246	Brockton, MA	17.7%
246	Ann Arbor, MI	17.7%
246	Indio, CA	17.7%
246	Boca Raton, FL	17.7%
246	Lowell, MA	17.7%
246	Port St. Lucie, FL	17.7%
253	Lubbock, TX	17.6%
253	Fremont, CA	17.6%
253	Pawtucket, RI	17.6%
253	Danbury, CT	17.6%
253	Yuma, AZ	17.6%
258	Buena Park, CA	17.5%
258	Stamford, CT	17.5%
258	Hesperia, CA	17.5%
258	Concord, NC	17.5%
258	Long Beach, CA	17.5%
258	Chino Hills, CA	17.5%
258	Fort Lauderdale, FL	17.5%
258	Cincinnati, OH	17.5%
266	Cheyenne, WY	17.4%
266	Seattle, WA	17.4%
266	Evansville, IN	17.4%
266	Longmont, CO	17.4%
266	Palmdale, CA	17.4%
266	Pembroke Pines, FL	17.4%
266	Syracuse, NY	17.4%
266	Mesa, AZ	17.4%
266	Springfield, MO	17.4%
266	Boulder, CO	17.4%
276	Los Angeles, CA	17.3%
276	Eugene, OR	17.3%
276	North Charleston, SC	17.3%
276	Newport News, VA	17.3%
276	Norwalk, CA	17.3%
276	Albany, NY	17.3%
282	Yonkers, NY	17.2%
282	Tempe, AZ	17.2%
282	Wichita Falls, TX	17.2%
282	Meridian, ID	17.2%
282	Mesquite, TX	17.2%
282	Lynn, MA	17.2%
282	Chesapeake, VA	17.2%
282	Bellflower, CA	17.2%
282	Spokane Valley, WA	17.2%
282	Norfolk, VA	17.2%
282	Killeen, TX	17.2%
282	Everett, WA	17.2%
294	Sacramento, CA	17.1%
294	Fontana, CA	17.1%
294	Moreno Valley, CA	17.1%
294	North Las Vegas, NV	17.1%
294	Auburn, WA	17.1%
294	Hollywood, FL	17.1%
294	Longview, TX	17.1%
294	Jacksonville, FL	17.1%
294	Ontario, CA	17.1%
303	Indianapolis, IN	17%
303	Vancouver, WA	17%
303	Deerfield Beach, FL	17%
303	Jacksonville, NC	17%
303	Lake Charles, LA	17%
303	Grand Prairie, TX	17%
303	Raleigh, NC	17%
310	Bakersfield, CA	16.9%
310	West Covina, CA	16.9%
310	Tampa, FL	16.9%
310	Fort Wayne, IN	16.9%
310	Springfield, MA	16.9%
310	South Bend, IN	16.9%
310	Santa Ana, CA	16.9%
310	Topeka, KS	16.9%
310	Cleveland, OH	16.9%
310	Kansas City, KS	16.9%
320	Deltona, FL	16.8%
320	Santa Fe, NM	16.8%
320	Allentown, PA	16.8%
320	Akron, OH	16.8%
320	Mountain View, CA	16.8%
320	Victorville, CA	16.8%
320	Atlanta, GA	16.8%
327	Kennewick, WA	16.7%
327	Baltimore, MD	16.7%
327	Waukegan, IL	16.7%
327	Shreveport, LA	16.7%
327	Garland, TX	16.7%
332	Stockton, CA	16.6%
332	Sugar Land, TX	16.6%
332	Pomona, CA	16.6%
332	Fort Worth, TX	16.6%
332	Suffolk, VA	16.6%
332	Pompano Beach, FL	16.6%
332	Arlington, TX	16.6%
332	Sunrise, FL	16.6%
332	Rialto, CA	16.6%
332	South Gate, CA	16.6%
332	Santa Maria, CA	16.6%
332	Irving, TX	16.6%
344	Bellevue, WA	16.5%
344	Hammond, IN	16.5%
344	Charlotte, NC	16.5%
344	Missouri City, TX	16.5%
344	Perris, CA	16.5%
344	Baldwin Park, CA	16.5%
344	El Paso, TX	16.5%
344	Tyler, TX	16.5%
344	Boise City, ID	16.5%
344	Roanoke, VA	16.5%
344	Dallas, TX	16.5%
355	Broken Arrow, OK	16.4%
355	Beaumont, TX	16.4%
355	Hawthorne, CA	16.4%
355	Edmond, OK	16.4%
355	Union City, CA	16.4%
355	Tacoma, WA	16.4%
361	Hampton, VA	16.3%
361	Phoenix, AZ	16.3%
361	Union City, NJ	16.3%
361	Spokane, WA	16.3%
361	Glendale, AZ	16.3%
366	Salinas, CA	16.2%
366	Garden Grove, CA	16.2%
366	Vallejo, CA	16.2%
366	Columbia, SC	16.2%
366	Lakeland, FL	16.2%
366	Salem, OR	16.2%
366	Southfield, MI	16.2%
366	Federal Way, WA	16.2%
366	Avondale, AZ	16.2%
366	Hillsboro, OR	16.2%
376	Tallahassee, FL	16.1%
376	Richmond, CA	16.1%
376	Carson, CA	16.1%
376	Fayetteville, AR	16.1%
376	Renton, WA	16.1%
381	Waco, TX	16%
381	Albuquerque, NM	16%
381	Waterbury, CT	16%
381	Greeley, CO	16%
385	College Station, TX	15.9%
385	Inglewood, CA	15.9%
385	Miramar, FL	15.9%
385	Providence, RI	15.9%
385	Merced, CA	15.9%
385	Mission, TX	15.9%
385	Lynchburg, VA	15.9%
392	Las Cruces, NM	15.8%
392	Aurora, CO	15.8%
392	High Point, NC	15.8%
392	Bloomington, IN	15.8%
392	Greensboro, NC	15.8%
392	Mount Vernon, NY	15.8%
392	Beaverton, OR	15.8%
392	Lynwood, CA	15.8%
400	Hoover, AL	15.7%
400	Elizabeth, NJ	15.7%
400	McAllen, TX	15.7%
400	Kent, WA	15.7%
400	Jersey City, NJ	15.7%
400	Oxnard, CA	15.7%
406	Edinburg, TX	15.6%
406	Santa Clara, CA	15.6%
406	Orlando, FL	15.6%
406	Colorado Springs, CO	15.6%
406	Rochester, NY	15.6%
411	Pueblo, CO	15.5%
411	Compton, CA	15.5%
413	Canton, OH	15.4%
413	Portsmouth, VA	15.4%
413	Wichita, KS	15.4%
413	Westminster, CA	15.4%
413	Lawrence, MA	15.4%
418	New Haven, CT	15.3%
418	Bryan, TX	15.3%
418	Sunnyvale, CA	15.3%
418	San Bernardino, CA	15.3%
418	Gulfport, MS	15.3%
418	Chattanooga, TN	15.3%
418	Dayton, OH	15.3%
418	Sandy, UT	15.3%
418	Tucson, AZ	15.3%
427	Boynton Beach, FL	15.2%
427	Rock Hill, SC	15.2%
427	Gainesville, FL	15.2%
427	Little Rock, AR	15.2%
427	San Jose, CA	15.2%
427	Fresno, CA	15.2%
433	Reading, PA	15.1%
433	Springdale, AR	15.1%
433	Durham, NC	15.1%
436	Laredo, TX	15%
436	Brownsville, TX	15%
436	Miami, FL	15%
439	Gastonia, NC	14.9%
439	Trenton, NJ	14.9%
439	Greenville, NC	14.9%
442	West Palm Beach, FL	14.8%
442	Wilmington, DE	14.8%
442	Jonesboro, AR	14.8%
442	Bridgeport, CT	14.8%
446	Pharr, TX	14.7%
447	Muncie, IN	14.6%
447	West Jordan, UT	14.6%
449	Murfreesboro, TN	14.5%
449	Hialeah, FL	14.5%
449	El Monte, CA	14.5%
449	Nashville, TN	14.5%
449	Yakima, WA	14.5%
449	Tulsa, OK	14.5%
455	Flint, MI	14.3%
455	Winston-Salem, NC	14.3%
457	Oklahoma City, OK	14.2%
457	Columbus, GA	14.2%
459	Norman, OK	14.1%
459	Clarksville, TN	14.1%
459	Fayetteville, NC	14.1%
459	Daly City, CA	14.1%
459	Warner Robins, GA	14.1%
459	Nampa, ID	14.1%
459	Fort Smith, AR	14.1%
466	Knoxville, TN	14%
466	Newark, NJ	14%
468	Paterson, NJ	13.9%
468	New Britain, CT	13.9%
468	Passaic, NJ	13.9%
468	Mobile, AL	13.9%
472	Youngstown, OH	13.8%
472	Alhambra, CA	13.8%
472	Savannah, GA	13.8%
475	Augusta, GA	13.7%
476	Athens, GA	13.6%
477	Miami Gardens, FL	13.5%
477	Salt Lake City, UT	13.5%
477	Lauderhill, FL	13.5%
477	Detroit, MI	13.5%
481	Huntsville, AL	13.4%
482	Camden, NJ	13.2%
483	Milpitas, CA	13.1%
483	Tuscaloosa, AL	13.1%
485	Montgomery, AL	13%
485	Lawton, OK	13%
487	Charleston, WV	12.9%
488	West Valley City, UT	12.8%
489	Gary, IN	12.7%
490	Jackson, MS	11.9%
491	Hartford, CT	11.8%
492	Memphis, TN	11.7%
493	Macon, GA	11.6%
494	Albany, GA	11.5%
494	Birmingham, AL	11.5%
496	Ogden, UT	10.7%
497	Layton, UT	10.6%
498	St. George, UT	10.4%
499	Orem, UT	6.8%
500	Provo, UT	6.2%

Table of Contents↑

Interactive Map
Introduction
The Wisconsin Anomaly
Culture vs. Coping
The Utah Exception
Source

Last updated March 2, 2026

Mapping America's Heavy Drinking Culture

Alcohol consumption is a widely accepted social norm across the United States, but the rate at which populations engage in high-risk drinking is not evenly distributed.

Public health organizations, including the CDC, measure severe alcohol consumption through the rate of "binge drinking"—clinically defined as consuming four or more drinks for women, or five or more drinks for men, on a single occasion. While occasional drinking is common nationwide, mapping the prevalence of chronic binge drinking reveals a hyper-concentrated regional phenomenon.

To identify the country's heaviest-drinking environments, the latest health metrics from the CDC's 500 Cities project were analyzed, tracking alcohol abuse, smoking rates, and mental health across the nation's largest municipalities. The data proves that extreme alcohol consumption is driven heavily by climate, historical industry, and highly localized cultural norms.

All Metrics

The Wisconsin Anomaly & The Frostbelt

When looking at the cities with the highest rates of adult binge drinking, one state dominates the data to an unprecedented degree.

National Rank	City	Adults Binge Drinking (%)
1 (Tie)	Appleton, WI	25.4%
1 (Tie)	Madison, WI	25.4%
3 (Tie)	Green Bay, WI	25.0%
3 (Tie)	Arlington Heights, IL	25.0%
5	Kenosha, WI	24.4%
6 (Tie)	Lee's Summit, MO	23.7%
6 (Tie)	Waukesha, WI	23.7%
6 (Tie)	Mount Pleasant, SC	23.7%
9 (Tie)	Plymouth, MN	23.6%
9 (Tie)	Palatine, IL	23.6%

Wisconsin claims an astonishing five of the top ten numerical spots on the national leaderboard, led by Appleton (25.4%), Madison (25.4%), and Green Bay (25.0%).

Public health experts and sociologists attribute Wisconsin's staggering rates of alcohol consumption to deeply ingrained cultural factors. The state was heavily settled by European immigrants who brought rich brewing traditions with them, eventually turning the region into a global capital of beer production. Over generations, this normalized tavern culture as the primary hub of community socialization.

Furthermore, the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains (represented heavily by Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana) operate within the freezing northern "Frostbelt." In regions characterized by long, dark winters, outdoor recreation is severely limited for nearly half the year, forcing community socialization indoors to bars and breweries where alcohol is the primary commodity.

Culture vs. Coping: The Mental Health Disconnect

There is a common societal assumption that high rates of municipal substance abuse are directly tied to high rates of civic depression—frequently referred to as "deaths of despair." However, when cross-referencing binge drinking rates with CDC mental health data, a fascinating sociological divide emerges.

Midwest Northeast South West

The scatter plot above compares a city's Adult Binge Drinking Rate (X-Axis) against its Rate of Poor Mental Health (Y-Axis).

The data reveals two completely different public health realities, proving that excessive drinking in the Midwest is largely a cultural norm rather than a symptom of psychological distress.

The Rust Belt Reality: Cities like Flint, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio report the highest rates of poor mental health in the country (19.6% and 18.8%, respectively), alongside the highest rates of daily cigarette smoking. Yet, their binge drinking rates are remarkably low, sitting at roughly 14%.
The Upper Midwest Culture: Conversely, Green Bay, Wisconsin leads the nation in binge drinking (26.5%), but reports a relatively stable poor mental health rate of just 13.3%. Similarly, Madison, Wisconsin ranks 4th in binge drinking (25.9%) but has an incredibly low poor mental health rate of 10.8%.

This statistical disconnect highlights that in cities like Green Bay, Madison, and Fargo, heavy drinking is deeply woven into the fabric of everyday life—normalized at community events, collegiate gatherings, and local sports tailgates—rather than operating strictly as a coping mechanism for economic distress.

The Utah Exception

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the municipalities with the lowest rates of binge drinking in the United States are almost entirely concentrated in a single state.

Cities in Utah, including Provo (6.2%), Orem (6.8%), and St. George (10.4%), anchor the absolute bottom of the dataset. This geographical anomaly is directly tied to local demographics. These cities possess massive populations of residents adhering to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Because the LDS faith strictly prohibits the consumption of alcohol, entire metropolitan areas record binge drinking rates that are merely a fraction of the national average, proving how powerfully local religious and cultural frameworks can suppress high-risk health behaviors.