--- --- # Here's Where Americans Binge-Drink the Most by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Apr 24, 2015 3:45 PM UTC by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Apr 24, 2015 3:45 PM UTC Heavy drinking and binge drinking are [on the rise](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/23/binge-drinking-study/26244805/) in the U.S., but the average amount Americans drink varies greatly by region, according to a new study. Ten years of research, published in the _American Journal of Public Health_, breaks down the data by county, observing adults 21 and over who binge-drink — imbibing at least five drinks in one sitting for a man; four for a woman — and those who drink heavily, defined as more than two drinks a day for a man; and more than one for a woman. Binge-drinking is highest in Menominee County, Wisc., the least populated in the state. Heavy drinking is highest in Esmeralda County, Nev, likewise the least populous in that state. Madison County, Idaho has the lowest levels of binge-drinking, and Hancock County, Tenn.—one of the state’s ‘dry counties’ where the sale of alcohol is prohibited—has the lowest levels of heavy drinking. Members of affluent communities are the most likely to have at least one drink per month, the study found, while members of poor communities are most likely to binge or drink heavily. \[[_USA Today_](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/23/binge-drinking-study/26244805/)\] Here's Where Americans Binge-Drink the Most ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3834575/americans-binge-drinking/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3834575/americans-binge-drinking/"},"headline":"Here's Where Americans Binge-Drink the Most","datePublished":"2015-04-24T15:45:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T06:39:29.333Z","description":"A new study breaks down the numbers by county","url":"https://time.com/3834575/americans-binge-drinking/","keywords":["Addiction","Alcohol"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Begley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/addiction/","name":"Addiction"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3834575/americans-binge-drinking/","name":"Here's Where Americans Binge-Drink the Most"}}]}] ```