Each year, alcohol misuse is directly linked to diseases and accidents that kill an estimated 95,000 Americans. Excessive drinking also costs the economy hundreds of billions of dollars annually, mostly in lost productivity.
Excessive drinking — along with tobacco use, not enough exercise, and poor nutrition — is one of four main risk factors for preventable disease identified by the CDC. In addition to short-term consequences, such as impaired judgement and motor skills, excessive alcohol consumption is associated with liver disease, certain cancers, increased risk of a heart attack or stroke, and poor mental health. Here is a look at 23 ways a drinking habit can harm you.
Still, each day, millions of American adults enjoy alcohol responsibly. Moderate drinking — defined as two standard drinks per day for men and one standard drink for women — carries relatively little risk, and may even have some health benefits.
Using data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 24/7 Tempo identified the county or county equivalent with the lowest excessive drinking rate in each state.
Excessive drinking can be either binge drinking or heavy drinking. CHR defines binge drinking as consumption of more than four drinks for women and more than five drinks for men in a single occasion. Heavy drinking is defined as more than one drink a day on average for women and more than two drinks a day for men.
Though each of the counties on this list has the lowest excessive drinking rate in its respective state, the share of adults who report excessive drinking in these areas varies considerably — from as low as 6.5% to over 23%. Nationwide, the excessive drinking rate is 19.2%
It is important to note that alcohol affects everyone differently, and as a general rule, drinking less is better than drinking more. Additionally, the vast majority of Americans who drink excessively — about 90% of them — do not have a severe alcohol use disorder, a chronic disease commonly referred to as alcoholism.
Click here to see the least drunk county in every state
Click here to see our detailed methodology
Source: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. / Wikimedia Commons
Alabama: Greene County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 10.4% (Alabama: 14.9%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 31.8% (Alabama: 26.9%)
> Median household income: $24,145 (Alabama: $50,536)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 34.5% (Alabama: 21.4%)
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Alaska: Aleutians East Borough
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 14.9% (Alaska: 17.6%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: N/A (Alaska: 37.9%)
> Median household income: $69,250 (Alaska: $77,640)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 20.9% (Alaska: 15.6%)
Source: CampPhoto / Getty Images
Arizona: Apache County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.2% (Arizona: 18.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 33.5% (Arizona: 24.7%)
> Median household income: $32,508 (Arizona: $58,945)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 31.2% (Arizona: 18.6%)
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
Arkansas: Phillips County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 12.4% (Arkansas: 17.3%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 15.8% (Arkansas: 26.2%)
> Median household income: $29,320 (Arkansas: $47,597)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 33.3% (Arkansas: 23.3%)
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Source: SpVVK / iStock
California: Santa Clara County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 16.9% (California: 18.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 26.2% (California: 28.7%)
> Median household income: $124,055 (California: $75,235)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 14.3% (California: 17.6%)
Colorado: Costilla County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.9% (Colorado: 21.3%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 12.5% (Colorado: 33.7%)
> Median household income: $30,965 (Colorado: $72,331)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 27.4% (Colorado: 13.8%)
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
Connecticut: Windham County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 18.7% (Connecticut: 20.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 25.0% (Connecticut: 31.5%)
> Median household income: $66,550 (Connecticut: $78,444)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.5% (Connecticut: 13.0%)
Source: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. / Wikimedia Commons
Delaware: New Castle County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 19.2% (Delaware: 19.8%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 25.4% (Delaware: 26.0%)
> Median household income: $73,892 (Delaware: $68,287)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 16.6% (Delaware: 16.3%)
Source: Ebyabe / Wikimedia Commons
Florida: Taylor County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 16.2% (Florida: 19.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 32.4% (Florida: 22.3%)
> Median household income: $40,306 (Florida: $55,660)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 27.8% (Florida: 19.5%)
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Source: Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons
Georgia: Dougherty County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 12.4% (Georgia: 16.8%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 5.7% (Georgia: 20.3%)
> Median household income: $39,584 (Georgia: $58,700)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 26.6% (Georgia: 18.4%)
Source: segawa7 / Getty Images
Hawaii: Honolulu County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 21.5% (Hawaii: 23.0%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 24.5% (Hawaii: 31.2%)
> Median household income: $85,857 (Hawaii: $81,275)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.0% (Hawaii: 15.4%)
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Idaho: Madison County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 14.1% (Idaho: 17.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 0.0% reported (Idaho: 31.4%)
> Median household income: $39,160 (Idaho: $55,785)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 19.7% (Idaho: 15.1%)
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
Illinois: Alexander County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 17.5% (Illinois: 21.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 20.0% (Illinois: 31.1%)
> Median household income: $36,806 (Illinois: $65,886)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 26.0% (Illinois: 15.9%)
Source: sarahvain / Flickr
Indiana: Grant County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.4% (Indiana: 18.6%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 22.9% (Indiana: 18.8%)
> Median household income: $44,356 (Indiana: $56,303)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.4% (Indiana: 18.2%)
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Iowa: Wapello County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 20.6% (Iowa: 25.8%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 19.0% (Iowa: 26.8%)
> Median household income: $46,246 (Iowa: $60,523)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.2% (Iowa: 13.5%)
Source: J. Stephen Conn / Flickr
Kansas: Seward County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 14.9% (Kansas: 18.2%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 38.1% (Kansas: 19.9%)
> Median household income: $49,291 (Kansas: $59,597)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 27.8% (Kansas: 16.3%)
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Source: Al / Flickr
Kentucky: Perry County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 11.9% (Kentucky: 17.2%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 37.5% (Kentucky: 25.5%)
> Median household income: $33,640 (Kentucky: $50,589)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 29.6% (Kentucky: 21.8%)
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Louisiana: East Carroll Parish
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 14.1% (Louisiana: 19.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 0.0% reported (Louisiana: 32.3%)
> Median household income: $22,346 (Louisiana: $49,469)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 40.5% (Louisiana: 21.4%)
Source: apelletr / Getty Images
Maine: Aroostook County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 16.4% (Maine: 22.0%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 29.5% (Maine: 35.4%)
> Median household income: $41,123 (Maine: $57,918)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.7% (Maine: 17.1%)
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Maryland: Prince George’s County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 12.8% (Maryland: 15.4%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 32.0% (Maryland: 28.8%)
> Median household income: $84,920 (Maryland: $84,805)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.0% (Maryland: 15.2%)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Massachusetts: Worcester County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 22.1% (Massachusetts: 23.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 35.6% (Massachusetts: 30.2%)
> Median household income: $74,679 (Massachusetts: $81,215)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 14.7% (Massachusetts: 13.5%)
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Source: J. Stephen Conn / Flickr
Michigan: Lake County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 18.5% (Michigan: 20.9%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 30.0% (Michigan: 29.3%)
> Median household income: $37,320 (Michigan: $57,144)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 25.7% (Michigan: 18.3%)
Minnesota: Nobles County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 19.4% (Minnesota: 23.2%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 36.4% (Minnesota: 29.7%)
> Median household income: $55,304 (Minnesota: $71,306)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.9% (Minnesota: 12.9%)
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
Mississippi: Holmes County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 9.5% (Mississippi: 14.8%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 38.9% (Mississippi: 19.6%)
> Median household income: $21,504 (Mississippi: $45,081)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 37.0% (Mississippi: 22.1%)
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Source: Brian Stansberry / Wikimedia Commons
Missouri: Pemiscot County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.1% (Missouri: 20.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 21.4% (Missouri: 27.1%)
> Median household income: $33,859 (Missouri: $55,461)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 30.5% (Missouri: 19.5%)
Source: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD / Wikimedia Commons
Montana: Big Horn County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 19.3% (Montana: 21.9%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 70.8% (Montana: 44.8%)
> Median household income: $49,859 (Montana: $54,970)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 25.5% (Montana: 14.1%)
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Source: Ammodramus / Wikimedia Commons
Nebraska: Dakota County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 18.2% (Nebraska: 23.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 20.0% (Nebraska: 32.7%)
> Median household income: $59,231 (Nebraska: $61,439)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 20.8% (Nebraska: 13.8%)
Source: LPETTET / Getty Images
Nevada: Clark County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 17.4% (Nevada: 17.9%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 28.3% (Nevada: 29.1%)
> Median household income: $59,340 (Nevada: $60,365)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 21.6% (Nevada: 19.1%)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
New Hampshire: Hillsborough County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 19.1% (New Hampshire: 20.2%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 34.4% (New Hampshire: 31.5%)
> Median household income: $81,460 (New Hampshire: $76,768)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 12.2% (New Hampshire: 12.8%)
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
New Jersey: Middlesex County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.9% (New Jersey: 16.0%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 24.9% (New Jersey: 21.9%)
> Median household income: $89,533 (New Jersey: $82,545)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.1% (New Jersey: 15.5%)
New Mexico: McKinley County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 14.4% (New Mexico: 16.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 33.1% (New Mexico: 29.8%)
> Median household income: $33,834 (New Mexico: $49,754)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 31.3% (New Mexico: 20.3%)
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Source: Bim / iStock via Getty Images
New York: Queens County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 16.1% (New York: 19.2%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 16.7% (New York: 20.6%)
> Median household income: $68,666 (New York: $68,486)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 18.6% (New York: 16.3%)
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Source: Indy beetle / Wikimedia Commons
North Carolina: Hertford County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 13.9% (North Carolina: 17.6%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 44.4% (North Carolina: 27.6%)
> Median household income: $41,028 (North Carolina: $54,602)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 26.9% (North Carolina: 18.0%)
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/afiler/
North Dakota: Sioux County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 18.5% (North Dakota: 23.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 45.5% (North Dakota: 42.3%)
> Median household income: $38,939 (North Dakota: $64,894)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 33.9% (North Dakota: 13.6%)
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Ohio: Lawrence County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.3% (Ohio: 18.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 13.6% (Ohio: 32.2%)
> Median household income: $45,118 (Ohio: $56,602)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 22.7% (Ohio: 17.8%)
Source: Omnedon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Oklahoma: Adair County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 13.0% (Oklahoma: 14.9%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 30.0% (Oklahoma: 26.5%)
> Median household income: $34,695 (Oklahoma: $52,919)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 33.4% (Oklahoma: 20.9%)
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Source: paulacobleigh / iStock via Getty Images
Oregon: Marion County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 17.4% (Oregon: 19.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 40.1% (Oregon: 31.5%)
> Median household income: $59,625 (Oregon: $62,818)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 20.6% (Oregon: 18.2%)
Pennsylvania: Lancaster County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 17.4% (Pennsylvania: 20.2%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 24.7% (Pennsylvania: 26.2%)
> Median household income: $66,056 (Pennsylvania: $61,744)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 17.8% (Pennsylvania: 17.6%)
Source: cmh2315fl / Flickr
Rhode Island: Providence County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 18.6% (Rhode Island: 19.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 38.7% (Rhode Island: 41.6%)
> Median household income: $58,974 (Rhode Island: $67,167)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 19.5% (Rhode Island: 16.5%)
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South Carolina: Orangeburg County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 13.4% (South Carolina: 17.8%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 31.4% (South Carolina: 31.8%)
> Median household income: $37,955 (South Carolina: $53,199)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 23.8% (South Carolina: 17.8%)
Source: Courtesy of Jimmy Emerson, DVM via Flickr
South Dakota: Mellette County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 16.9% (South Dakota: 24.3%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 50.0% (South Dakota: 35.5%)
> Median household income: $30,650 (South Dakota: $58,275)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 29.8% (South Dakota: 13.4%)
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Source: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) / Wikimedia Commons
Tennessee: Haywood County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 12.9% (Tennessee: 17.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 18.8% (Tennessee: 24.6%)
> Median household income: $37,905 (Tennessee: $53,320)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 28.7% (Tennessee: 21.2%)
Source: Carol M. Highsmith / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Texas: Starr County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 13.8% (Texas: 19.0%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 56.3% (Texas: 25.7%)
> Median household income: $30,387 (Texas: $61,874)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 41.0% (Texas: 18.7%)
Source: kenlh / Getty Images
Utah: Utah County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 6.5% (Utah: 11.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 16.8% (Utah: 21.0%)
> Median household income: $74,665 (Utah: $71,621)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 13.2% (Utah: 14.8%)
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Source: Mfwills, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Vermont: Franklin County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 19.2% (Vermont: 20.5%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 53.1% (Vermont: 34.3%)
> Median household income: $65,485 (Vermont: $61,973)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 14.1% (Vermont: 12.8%)
Virginia: Emporia city
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 12.6% (Virginia: 17.7%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 50.0% (Virginia: 29.8%)
> Median household income: $27,063 (Virginia: $74,222)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 31.5% (Virginia: 16.6%)
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Washington: Adams County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 15.2% (Washington: 17.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 15.0% (Washington: 32.5%)
> Median household income: $48,294 (Washington: $73,775)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 28.7% (Washington: 15.0%)
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Source: Magnolia677 / Wikimedia Commons
West Virginia: McDowell County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 12.3% (West Virginia: 14.4%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 35.7% (West Virginia: 25.2%)
> Median household income: $27,682 (West Virginia: $46,711)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 36.5% (West Virginia: 23.6%)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Wisconsin: Milwaukee County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 23.5% (Wisconsin: 27.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 30.0% (Wisconsin: 35.7%)
> Median household income: $50,606 (Wisconsin: $61,747)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 19.7% (Wisconsin: 14.8%)
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Wyoming: Laramie County
> Adults binge or heavy drinking: 17.9% (Wyoming: 20.1%)
> Driving deaths involving alcohol: 34.3% (Wyoming: 32.8%)
> Median household income: $66,910 (Wyoming: $64,049)
> Adults reporting poor or fair health: 15.4% (Wyoming: 15.3%)
Methodology
To determine the least drunk county in every state, 24/7 Tempo reviewed rates of excessive drinking from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program’s 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report.
The rate of excessive drinking is defined as the share of adults who report either binge drinking or heavy drinking in the past 30 days. Binge drinking is defined as a woman consuming more than four drinks or a man consuming more than five drinks in a single occasion. Heavy drinking is defined as a woman consuming more than one drink per day on average or a man consuming more than two drinks per day on average.
While the CHR report is from 2021, excessive drinking rate figures published in the report are from 2018.
Of the 3,220 counties or county equivalents, 3,141 had boundaries that fell within one of the 50 states, while the rest were in the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico. Counties with a 2019 five-year population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau of less than 1,000 were excluded.
The remaining 3,105 places were ranked within their state based on the excessive drinking rate. Additional information on the share of driving deaths with alcohol involvement, and the share of adults who report fair or poor health are also from the 2021 CHR. Median household income data are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
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