The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lifestyle restrictions have changed alcohol consumption habits, including shifting consumer preferences to wine and spirits. But beer is still a favorite alcoholic beverage in the U.S.
The average American adult consumed nearly 26 gallons of beer in 2020, which was about 3.2 gallons less than in 2010 but about the same as in 2016. Beer consumption tends to vary considerably across the country.
To determine the states where people drink the most and least amounts of beer, 24/7 Tempo reviewed annual beer shipment data per capita provided by Beer Marketer’s Insights, a brewing industry trade publisher. We used shipments as a proxy for consumption.
In 2020, beer consumption per capita was the eighth highest in Wisconsin. The average resident drank 32.3 gallons, about 2.8 gallons less than in 2016.
The five-year decline of 8.0% in beer consumption per capita in the state was the 13th largest decrease in the U.S.
The 10-year change in Wisconsin of 12.9% was the 15th largest decrease in the country, down from 37.1 gallons in 2010.
There were 6,400 brewing facilities around the U.S. in 2019, producing the equivalent of more than 2.8 billion 24-container cases of 12-ounce cans or bottles, according to a report by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Most of the beer people drink does not come from where they might think it does — there are at least 10 “imported” beers that are actually brewed in the U.S.
| State | Beer shipment per adult 21+ in 2020 (gallons) | 5-yr change | Rank | 10-yr change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 18.5 | -11.1% | 4th largest decrease | -22.9 | 3rd largest decrease |
| Connecticut | 19.8 | -7.0% | 18th largest decrease | -12.8 | 18th largest decrease |
| Utah | 19.9 | 7.0% | the largest increase | 2.6 | the largest increase |
| New Jersey | 20.0 | -6.5% | 19th largest decrease | -13.0 | 14th largest decrease |
| Rhode Island | 20.1 | -14.5% | the largest decrease | -26.6 | the largest decrease |
| New York | 20.2 | -10.6% | 6th largest decrease | -13.3 | 13th largest decrease |
| Massachusetts | 21.5 | -10.8% | 5th largest decrease | -18.6 | 6th largest decrease |
| Georgia | 23.0 | -8.4% | 10th largest decrease | -12.9 | 17th largest decrease |
| Kentucky | 23.1 | -5.3% | 18th smallest decrease | -6.5 | 9thsmallest decrease |
| West Virginia | 23.3 | -4.5% | 16th smallest decrease | -11.1 | 23rd smallest decrease |
| Indiana | 23.6 | -0.8% | 2nd smallest decrease | -12.9 | 16th largest decrease |
| Michigan | 23.6 | -8.2% | 12th largest decrease | -14.2 | 12th largest decrease |
| Arkansas | 23.9 | -1.6% | 5th smallest decrease | -10.5 | 22nd smallest decrease |
| Virginia | 24.2 | -4.0% | 11th smallest decrease | -12.3 | 23rd largest decrease |
| Tennessee | 24.2 | -5.5% | 19th smallest decrease | -9.4 | 18th smallest decrease |
| California | 24.7 | -3.1% | 8th smallest decrease | -7.5 | 13th smallest decrease |
| Pennsylvania | 24.9 | -7.8% | 14th largest decrease | -15.6 | 10th largest decrease |
| Idaho | 25.0 | -6.4% | 20th largest decrease | -15.3 | 11th largest decrease |
| Ohio | 25.5 | -9.9% | 7th largest decrease | -18.5 | 7th largest decrease |
| Florida | 25.6 | -4.8% | 17th smallest decrease | -9.5 | 21st smallest decrease |
| North Carolina | 25.8 | 0.4% | the smallest increase | -6.5 | 10th smallest decrease |
| Alaska | 26.0 | -4.4% | 14th smallest decrease | -8.8 | 15th smallest decrease |
| Illinois | 26.1 | -7.8% | 15th largest decrease | -12.7 | 19th largest decrease |
| Missouri | 26.6 | -7.3% | 16th largest decrease | -16.9 | 9th largest decrease |
| Hawaii | 26.7 | -12.5% | 3rd largest decrease | -11.9 | 24th largest decrease |
| Oklahoma | 26.8 | 3.9% | 2nd largest increase | -6.6 | 11th smallest decrease |
| Arizona | 27.0 | -0.4% | the smallest decrease | -12.6 | 20th largest decrease |
| Minnesota | 27.1 | -5.9% | 21st smallest decrease | -6.2 | 7th smallest decrease |
| Kansas | 27.4 | 3.4% | 3rd largest increase | -5.2 | 5th smallest decrease |
| Delaware | 27.4 | -9.9% | 8th largest decrease | -20.6 | 4th largest decrease |
| New Mexico | 27.7 | -4.5% | 15th smallest decrease | -17.6 | 8th largest decrease |
| Oregon | 27.7 | -9.5% | 9th largest decrease | -11.5 | 24th smallest decrease |
| Washington | 27.8 | -1.1% | 3rd smallest decrease | -9.4 | 19th smallest decrease |
| Louisiana | 28.1 | -7.3% | 17th largest decrease | -19.3 | 5th largest decrease |
| Colorado | 28.4 | -1.7% | 6th smallest decrease | -6.9 | 12th smallest decrease |
| Alabama | 28.7 | -4.3% | 12nd smallest decrease | -5.9 | 6th smallest decrease |
| Nevada | 28.8 | -14.3% | 2nd largest decrease | -23.2 | 2nd largest decrease |
| Wyoming | 30.0 | 1.7% | 2nd smallest increase | -11.8 | 25th largest decrease |
| Iowa | 30.9 | -5.5% | 20th smallest decrease | -12.5 | 21st largest decrease |
| Nebraska | 31.3 | -8.2% | 11th largest decrease | -12.3 | 22nd largest decrease |
| Mississippi | 31.5 | -2.2% | 7th smallest decrease | -9.0 | 17th smallest decrease |
| Texas | 32.0 | -1.5% | 4th smallest decrease | -8.0 | 14th smallest decrease |
| Wisconsin | 32.3 | -8.0% | 13th largest decrease | -12.9 | 15th largest decrease |
| South Carolina | 32.5 | 2.8% | 4th largest increase | -3.3 | 2nd smallest decrease |
| Maine | 32.5 | -3.8% | 9th smallest decrease | 0.3 | the smallest increase |
| Vermont | 33.9 | 1.8% | 3rd smallest increase | -3.7 | 4th smallest decrease |
| North Dakota | 37.2 | -4.4% | 13th smallest decrease | -9.5 | 20th smallest decrease |
| South Dakota | 37.3 | -3.9% | 10th smallest decrease | -3.4 | 3rd smallest decrease |
| Montana | 41.0 | 2.2% | 4th smallest increase | -1.2 | the smallest decrease |
| New Hampshire | 41.4 | 0.0% | no change | -6.3 | 8th smallest decrease |
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