This Is the State That Drinks the Most Alcohol, According to Data

Here's how much booze is being consumed where you live.

Whether it's raising a glass during a celebration or simply unwinding after a long day, alcohol is a part of everyday life for millions of Americans. Unfortunately, even though having a few drinks now and then might feel harmless, science has shown us that there are definitely consequences to overindulging: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for about 95,000 deaths a year in the United States. But data shows there can be a big difference between each state and how much alcohol is typically consumed.

A study released by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that a total of 7.8 billion gallons of alcohol were consumed by Americans in 2018. This brought the national per capita consumption to 2.35 gallons per person—or about 501 drinks each year—with an overall breakdown of 570 million gallons of hard liquor, 900 million gallons of wine, and 6.3 billion gallons of beer.

Data from the study show that while per capita alcohol consumption is still below the peak that was reached during the early '80s, levels have been slowly rising for nearly two decades. And while it might seem like diseases such as alcoholism could be responsible for the increase, CDC data finds that nine out of 10 adults of the 37 million who binge drink each week—which is defined as consuming four or more drinks on an occasion for a woman or five or more for a man—do not have an alcohol use disorder.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's 2018 study, there's a good chance how much you drink could be affected by whether you live in Maine or Montana. Read on to see how much alcohol your home state drinks each year per person, and which one takes down the most drinks overall.

RELATED: This Is the Most Dangerous State in America.

50
Utah

cityscape photo of Salt Lake City, Utah at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.35 gallons

49
West Virginia

cityscape photo of Charleston, West Virginia
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.74 gallons

48
Arkansas

The skyline of Little Rock, Arkansas at dawn
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.78 gallons

47
Oklahoma

The skyline of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.85 gallons

46
Georgia

Atlanta Georgia at sunset
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.9 gallons

45
Kansas

cityscape photo of Wichita, Kansas at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.92 gallons

44
Kentucky

louisville kentucky skyline
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.95 gallons

43
Alabama

The skyline of Mobile, Alabama at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.99 gallons

42
Ohio

city skyline of Cincinnati, Ohio at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.03 gallons

41
Maryland

the Baltimore skyline and Inner Harbor Promenade in Baltimore, Maryland
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.08 gallons

40
Virginia

The skyline of Richmond, Virginia at sunset.
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.13 gallons

39
Tennessee

nashville tennessee
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.14 gallons

38
Indiana

cityscape photo of Indianapolis, Indiana at night
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.15 gallons

37
Nebraska

omaha nebraska
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.16 gallons

36
South Carolina

downtown area of Charleston, South Carolina in the afternoon
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.16 gallons

35
Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi, USA cityscape at dusk.
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.17 gallons

34
North Carolina

The skyline of Charlotte, North Carolina with fall foliage in the foreground
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.17 gallons

33
New York

cityscape photo of buildings and the skyline in New York City, New York
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.21 gallons

RELATED: This Is the Greediest State in America.

32
Washington

Seattle, Washington
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.22 gallons

31
Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.25 gallons

30
Texas

city skyline of Austin, Texas at sunset
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.26 gallons

RELATED: This Is the Most Corrupt State in America.

29
New Mexico

cityscape photo of Santa Fe, New Mexico at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.26 gallons

28
Pennsylvania

philadelphia pennsylvania
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.34 gallons

27
Michigan

The skyline of Detroit, Michigan as seen from Lake Michigan
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.36 gallons

26
New Jersey

New Jersey, Jersey City skyline
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.36 gallons

RELATED: This Is the Most Dangerous City in America.

25
South Dakota

mount rushmore, presidents, rock, south dakota
RED87PUTRA / Shutterstock

Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.37 gallons

24
Illinois

Illinois
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.39 gallons

23
Iowa

cityscape photo of buildings, a street, and statue from behind in downtown Des Moines, Iowa at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.39 gallons

22
Connecticut

hartford connecticut skyline
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.4 gallons

21
California

The skyline of Los Angeles, California at sunset.
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.49 gallons

RELATED: This Is the Most Hated Fast Food Chain in America.

20
Missouri

city skyline and Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.51 gallons

19
Louisiana

cityscape photos of bars and restaurants on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana at twilight
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.55 gallons

18
Massachusetts

Massachusetts
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.55 gallons

17
Florida

cityscape photo of a roundabout and buildings in Tampa, Florida at sunset
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.61 gallons

RELATED: This Is the Most Selfish State in America.

16
Rhode Island

The skyline of Providence, Rhode Island from the water at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.63 gallons

15
Hawaii

Hawaii
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.66 gallons

14
Oregon

The skyline of Portland, Oregon at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.74 gallons

13
Wyoming

moulton barn at the grand teton national park in wyoming
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.78 gallons

12
Minnesota

Minnesota
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.79 gallons

Maine

townhouses and building behind a lake in Portland, Maine
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.85 gallons

10
Alaska

Anchorage Skyline with a winter reflection
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.85 gallons

9
Colorado

skyline of denver colorado
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.88 gallons

RELATED: This Is the Most Hateful State in America.

8
Wisconsin

The skyline of Milwaukee, Wisconsin at sunset
iStock

Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.93 gallons

7
Idaho

cityscape photo of downtown Bosie, Idaho
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.94 gallons

6
Vermont

An aerial view of Montpelier, Vermont
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.06 gallons

5
Montana

photo take by a drone of the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Montana
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.1 gallons

4
North Dakota

cityscape photo Fargo, North Dakota in the afternoon
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.16 gallons

3
Nevada

cityscape photo of the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada at dusk
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.42 gallons

2
Delaware

cityscape photo of Wilmington, Delaware
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.52 gallons

1
New Hampshire

townscape photo of Portsmouth, New Hampshire at sunset
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Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 4.67 gallons

Zachary Mack
Zach is a freelance writer specializing in beer, wine, food, spirits, and travel. He is based in Manhattan. Read more
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