Binge drinking among adults

US estimate 15.2% (95% interval 15.0–15.5), age-adjusted 16.6% (16.3–16.9). Published in the 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 releases.

Population: All Adults
Case definition period: Past 30 days
Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted)

15.6%median county, 2025middle half 14.0%–17.1%

2,956counties with a 2025 estimaterange 8.8%–25.6%

Binge drinking among adults: CDC's PLACES 2025 release estimates 15.2% nationally (95% confidence interval 15.0–15.5%), or 16.6% age-adjusted, from 2023 BRFSS responses.

Across the 2,956 counties with a 2025 estimate, the median county is 15.6% and the middle half of counties fall between 14.0% and 17.1%; the full range runs from 8.8% to 25.6%. Population-weighted state figures computed by this site (no interval) range from 12.4% (Utah) to 23.4% (District of Columbia).

CDC advises that areas may be compared on individual measures but that the estimates should not be used to rank overall health; the county lists below are ordered by point estimate and every row carries its 95% confidence interval.

CDC's definition

A multi-level regression and post-stratification approach was applied to BRFSS and ACS data to compute a detailed probability among adults who report having ≥5 drinks (men) or ≥4 drinks (women) on ≥1 occasion during the previous 30 days. The probability was then applied to the detailed population estimates at the appropriate geographic level to generate the prevalence. The 95% confidence interval was derived using Monte Carlo simulation.

CDC's notes: The measure does not convey the frequency or intensity of binge drinking or the specific amount of alcohol consumed, all of which affect the risks of alcohol-related harms.

Quoted from CDC's PLACES measure definitions (cdc.gov/places/measure-definitions). BRFSS is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the telephone survey the model is trained on.

National distribution across counties

8.8%17.2%25.6%

Crude county point estimates in the 2025 release, 24 equal bins. Deciles: 10th 12.8%, 25th 14.0%, median 15.6%, 75th 17.1%, 90th 18.6%. Counties without a 2025 estimate (Kentucky, Pennsylvania and the states without the social-needs module) are excluded here.

By state

Crude prevalence is the estimated share of all adults. Age-adjusted prevalence is standardised to the 2000 US standard population so that areas with different age structures can be compared. CDC: "Age-adjusted estimates are only available at the county and place-level."

State	State figure, crude (site aggregate)	Lowest county	Highest county	Counties
District of Columbia	23.4%	23.4%	23.4%	1
North Dakota	21.3%	15.7%	24.3%	53
Iowa	20.5%	17.2%	23.9%	99
Montana	20.3%	14.0%	23.7%	56
Nebraska	19.7%	16.1%	23.0%	93
Colorado	19.0%	13.1%	25.6%	64
Wisconsin	19.0%	15.4%	21.6%	72
South Dakota	18.8%	14.9%	21.9%	66
Pennsylvania (2024 release)	18.3%	15.3%	21.0%	67*
Illinois	17.8%	13.8%	20.4%	102
Minnesota	17.8%	15.6%	22.0%	87
Alaska	17.6%	14.9%	20.3%	30
Hawaii	17.4%	14.7%	18.5%	5
Massachusetts	17.0%	14.0%	20.1%	14
Texas	17.0%	11.4%	19.3%	253
Louisiana	16.9%	11.6%	19.7%	64
Rhode Island	16.8%	16.4%	18.2%	5
Indiana	16.6%	14.2%	18.1%	92
Ohio	16.6%	14.0%	20.1%	88
Vermont	16.6%	14.5%	18.1%	14
Washington	16.6%	13.2%	18.0%	39
Kansas	16.3%	13.0%	20.1%	105
Missouri	16.3%	12.0%	19.1%	115
New York	16.3%	13.5%	21.0%	62
Michigan	15.9%	12.7%	18.2%	83
New Hampshire	15.7%	14.3%	16.6%	10
Nevada	15.7%	12.6%	18.5%	17
South Carolina	15.7%	11.4%	21.4%	46
Idaho	15.5%	11.7%	18.0%	44
Maine	15.5%	13.0%	17.4%	16
New Jersey	15.5%	13.3%	17.6%	21
Connecticut	15.4%	14.5%	16.4%	9
Oregon	15.4%	11.8%	17.5%	36
Wyoming	15.4%	12.9%	18.9%	23
Arizona	15.3%	10.9%	17.0%	15
California	15.3%	12.9%	18.4%	58
North Carolina	14.7%	10.2%	17.8%	100
Arkansas	14.6%	10.4%	16.9%	75
Florida	14.6%	9.9%	17.4%	67
Tennessee	14.6%	10.8%	17.5%	95
Georgia	14.5%	9.5%	20.6%	159
Virginia	14.5%	10.3%	18.3%	133
Delaware	14.2%	12.8%	15.2%	3
Kentucky (2024 release)	14.2%	10.8%	16.9%	120*
Alabama	14.1%	8.8%	16.3%	67
Maryland	14.1%	12.2%	17.5%	24
West Virginia	14.1%	11.7%	18.2%	55
Oklahoma	14.0%	11.9%	16.5%	77
New Mexico	13.7%	9.9%	16.7%	33
Mississippi	13.6%	9.1%	17.7%	82
Utah	12.4%	9.1%	15.5%	29

State	State figure, age-adjusted (site aggregate)	Counties
District of Columbia	22.5%	1
Montana	22.5%	56
Iowa	22.3%	99
North Dakota	22.3%	53
Nebraska	21.1%	93
Wisconsin	20.9%	72
South Dakota	20.5%	66
Pennsylvania (2024 release)	20.2%	67*
Hawaii	19.7%	5
Colorado	19.6%	64
Minnesota	19.3%	87
Illinois	19.1%	102
Vermont	18.8%	14
Rhode Island	18.4%	5
Massachusetts	18.3%	14
Louisiana	18.2%	64
Ohio	18.2%	88
Alaska	18.0%	30
Maine	18.0%	16
Missouri	17.8%	115
Indiana	17.7%	92
New Hampshire	17.7%	10
New York	17.7%	62
Washington	17.6%	39
Michigan	17.5%	83
Kansas	17.4%	105
South Carolina	17.3%	46
Texas	17.3%	253
New Jersey	16.9%	21
Nevada	16.9%	17
Oregon	16.9%	36
Wyoming	16.9%	23
Arizona	16.7%	15
Connecticut	16.7%	9
Florida	16.7%	67
Idaho	16.7%	44
California	16.2%	58
Delaware	16.1%	3
West Virginia	16.1%	55
Arkansas	15.8%	75
North Carolina	15.8%	100
Tennessee	15.7%	95
Virginia	15.5%	133
Alabama	15.4%	67
Kentucky (2024 release)	15.3%	120*
Maryland	15.3%	24
Georgia	15.2%	159
New Mexico	15.0%	33
Oklahoma	14.9%	77
Mississippi	14.7%	82
Utah	12.2%	29

State figures are population-weighted county estimates computed by this site (PLACES publishes no state row) and carry no interval; they are listed by point estimate, which is not a ranking of states' health. Lowest and highest county columns are crude point estimates. * This measure was not published for the state in the 2025 release; its figure, county count and county range come from the release in brackets, the most recent that has them.

Highest county estimates

County	Crude	95% interval
Denver County, CO	25.6%	22.7–28.5
Williams County, ND	24.3%	20.7–28.2
Grand Forks County, ND	24.1%	20.8–27.6
Story County, IA	23.9%	20.4–27.5
Gallatin County, MT	23.7%	20.6–26.9
Lyon County, IA	23.5%	21.4–26.3
District of Columbia, DC	23.4%	20.2–26.9
Missoula County, MT	23.4%	20.5–26.4
Johnson County, IA	23.0%	19.9–26.2
Wayne County, NE	23.0%	19.6–26.8
McKenzie County, ND	22.9%	19.2–26.7
Ward County, ND	22.2%	19.2–26.1
Sherburne County, MN	22.0%	18.6–25.6
Cass County, ND	22.0%	19.4–24.7
Stark County, ND	22.0%	18.7–25.6
Brookings County, SD	21.9%	19.0–25.1
Warren County, IA	21.8%	18.5–25.5
Richland County, MT	21.8%	18.4–25.3
Johnson County, NE	21.8%	18.4–25.5
Dallas County, IA	21.7%	18.4–25.3

County	Age-adj.	95% interval
Lyon County, IA	26.3%	24.0–29.5
Denver County, CO	24.4%	21.7–27.3
Gage County, NE	24.3%	20.8–28.0
Garfield County, NE	24.3%	20.5–28.6
Butler County, IA	24.2%	20.3–28.4
Pembina County, ND	24.2%	20.2–28.6
Buchanan County, IA	24.1%	20.2–28.4
Missoula County, MT	24.1%	21.1–27.2
Chickasaw County, IA	24.0%	20.4–27.9
Saunders County, NE	24.0%	20.4–27.8
Barnes County, ND	23.9%	20.1–27.9
Jackson County, IA	23.8%	19.9–27.8
Cavalier County, ND	23.8%	20.8–26.9
Butler County, NE	23.8%	20.1–27.7
Boone County, IA	23.7%	19.6–27.7
Plymouth County, IA	23.7%	19.7–28.0
Madison County, MT	23.7%	19.9–27.9
Richland County, MT	23.7%	20.1–27.5
Williams County, ND	23.7%	20.1–27.5
Antelope County, NE	23.7%	20.1–28.0

Lowest county estimates

County	Crude	95% interval
Greene County, AL	8.8%	7.0–10.8
Utah County, UT	9.1%	7.8–10.6
Sharkey County, MS	9.1%	7.8–10.4
Humphreys County, MS	9.3%	7.4–11.5
Piute County, UT	9.4%	7.5–11.6
Randolph County, GA	9.5%	7.6–11.6
San Juan County, UT	9.6%	7.7–11.8
Quitman County, GA	9.6%	7.8–11.7
Lowndes County, AL	9.6%	7.6–11.6
Jefferson County, MS	9.7%	7.7–11.9
Perry County, AL	9.7%	7.8–12.0
Wilcox County, AL	9.8%	7.8–12.0
Washington County, UT	9.9%	8.2–11.8
Harding County, NM	9.9%	7.9–12.2
Washington County, MS	9.9%	8.0–12.2
Holmes County, MS	9.9%	7.8–12.1
Sumter County, FL	9.9%	8.1–11.8
Wayne County, UT	10.0%	7.8–12.7
Daggett County, UT	10.0%	8.1–12.3
Quitman County, MS	10.0%	8.1–12.2

County	Age-adj.	95% interval
Utah County, UT	8.2%	7.0–9.4
San Juan County, UT	10.3%	8.3–12.6
Davis County, UT	10.5%	8.8–12.4
Humphreys County, MS	10.6%	8.4–13.1
Holmes County, MS	10.6%	8.4–12.9
Tunica County, MS	10.7%	8.6–13.1
Claiborne County, MS	10.7%	8.5–13.1
Greene County, AL	10.7%	8.6–13.2
Cache County, UT	10.8%	9.0–12.9
Sharkey County, MS	10.9%	9.4–12.5
Coahoma County, MS	10.9%	8.7–13.4
Box Elder County, UT	11.0%	9.0–13.3
Jefferson County, MS	11.0%	8.7–13.5
Washington County, MS	11.1%	8.9–13.6
Quitman County, MS	11.1%	8.9–13.4
Perry County, AL	11.1%	9.0–13.8
Lowndes County, AL	11.2%	8.8–13.5
Washington County, UT	11.3%	9.4–13.4
Weber County, UT	11.5%	9.7–13.5
Noxubee County, MS	11.5%	9.2–14.1

Twenty counties at each end by point estimate. Small counties have wide intervals; many of these intervals overlap one another, so the order within each list is not a meaningful ranking. CDC: "the data should not be used for ranking the overall health of any county, place, census tract, or ZCTA."

National estimate by release

Release	Crude	Age-adjusted	BRFSS year
2022 release	15.5% 15.3–15.8	16.7%	2020
2023 release	15.5% 15.2–15.7	16.7%	2021
2024 release	16.6% 16.3–16.8	18.0%	2022
2025 release	15.2% 15.0–15.5	16.6%	2023

CDC's US row from each release's county file, for reference. Survey questions and modelling details change between releases; see the release pages.

Questions and answers

How does PLACES define "binge drinking among adults"?

A multi-level regression and post-stratification approach was applied to BRFSS and ACS data to compute a detailed probability among adults who report having ≥5 drinks (men) or ≥4 drinks (women) on ≥1 occasion during the previous 30 days. The probability was then applied to the detailed population estimates at the appropriate geographic level to generate the prevalence. The 95% confidence interval was derived using Monte Carlo simulation. Population: All Adults. Time period of case definition: Past 30 days.

What is the national estimate for binge Drinking?

15.2% (95% confidence interval 15.0–15.5%) crude and 16.6% age-adjusted in the 2025 release.

Which counties have the highest and lowest estimates?

The highest county point estimate is 25.6% (Denver County, CO) and the lowest 8.8% (Greene County, AL). Because the intervals for neighbouring positions usually overlap, the lists are a reference for point estimates, not a ranking.

Is a higher figure better or worse?

This site does not grade measures. CDC groups them as health outcomes, prevention, health risk behaviors, disability, health status and health-related social needs; for prevention measures such as checkups and screening a higher share reports the service, for the others a higher share reports the condition or circumstance.

Where does this data come from?

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release (data updated 4 Dec 2025); the definition text is CDC's own from its measure definitions pages.

Provenance

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release (data updated 4 Dec 2025), with the 2022, 2023, 2024 releases for reference; US government work, public domain. Dataset on data.cdc.gov. Boundaries and ZIP-to-county relationships: US Census Bureau. Percentages are shown to one decimal as CDC publishes them; state figures are population-weighted means computed by this site. Definition text is CDC's own, from the PLACES measure definitions pages (public domain), with its burden narrative and references omitted. Processing errors are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections. Generated 30 Sep 2026.