This article looks at the 10 drunkest counties in every state in the US. You can read about the economic contribution of the alcohol industry in the United States and the costs associated with excessive drinking by heading over to the 50 Drunkest Counties in Every State in the US.
10. Routt County, Colorado
Excessive Drinking Rate: 24%
Nearly one in four adults in Colorado’s Routt County indulge in excessive drinking, making it the drunkest county in the state.
9. Monroe County, Florida
Excessive Drinking Rate: 25%
Monroe County in Florida is the southernmost county in the United States having a population of nearly 83,000 residents as per the 2020 Census. It has an excessive drinking rate of 25%. According to reports, 17 people lost their lives due to drunk driving in the county last year.
8. Washington County, Vermont
Excessive Drinking Rate: 25%
Washington County is the drunkest county in the state of Vermont with an excessive drinking rate of 25%. It is followed by both Lamoille and Orange with rates of 24%, each.
7. Marshall County, South Dakota
Excessive Drinking Rate: 25%
Around 21% of the adults in South Dakota indulge in excessive drinking. In Marshall County, the rates are much higher at 25%, making it the drunkest county in the state.
6. Meeker County, Minnesota
Excessive Drinking Rate: 25%
Lake, Le Sueur, Meeker, and Winona counties all have a 25% excessive drinking rate among adults. However, Meeker has a higher prevalence of deaths.
5. Mercer County, North Dakota
Excessive Drinking Rate: 25%
Mercer County is the drunkest county in North Dakota, with one-fourth of its population reportedly involved in excessive drinking (25%). This is two percentage points higher than the state average of 23%. Only two counties in North Dakota have an excessive drinking rate of under 20%.
4. Saunders County, Nebraska
Excessive Drinking Rate: 27%
Saunders County in Nebraska has a population of over 22,200 people. Of all the adults in the state, an estimated 27% indulge in heavy drinking, making it the drunkest county in Nebraska.
3. Dubuque County, Iowa
Excessive Drinking Rate: 27%
Around 27% of the adults in Iowa’s Dubuque County drink heavily. This is two percentage points higher than the state average of 25%. Dubuque beat Buchanan County, which also had a 27% excessive drinking rate, due to a higher share of driving deaths with alcohol involvement.
2. Sheridan County, Montana
Excessive Drinking Rate: 28%
Sheridan County is the drunkest county in Montana, with a high prevalence of excessive drinking, recorded at 28% in 2023. Montana’s state average is 24%. Drunk driving is one of the greatest threats to public safety in the county, where 67% of all deaths in road accidents last year were influenced by alcohol overdose.
1. Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
Excessive Drinking Rate: 29%
Ozaukee is the drunkest county in Wisconsin, with a high excessive drinking rate of 29%. According to reports, 35 people lost their lives in road accidents last year in the county; of them, 11 deaths were linked to drunk driving. Wisconsin’s state average was estimated at 26%. No county in the state included in its report by the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps had a heavy drinking rate of less than 25%.
To learn about other drunkest counties in each state, you can check out our detailed report 50 Drunkest Counties in Every State in the US.
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