Why Does Wisconsin Love The Packers, Cheese, and Badgers? They’re Drunk! (No, Really)
Not only has Wisconsin been identified as the drunkest state in America (their mother's must be so proud), but 12 of the 20 drunkest cities in America hail from America's Dairyland. (Don't worry Mankato, I noticed you finished in the top-ten.)
The study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute looked at binge and excessive drinking, alcohol related deaths, and the concentration of bars to determine where the problem children live. It appears the answer is 'east of the St. Croix.'
Top-20 Drunkest Cities In America
- Appleton, Wisconsin
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Fargo, North Dakota
- La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
- Ames, Iowa
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Mankato, Minnesota
- Wausau, Wisconsin
- Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Missoula, Montana
- Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Racine, Wisconsin
- Janesville, Wisconsin
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Iowa City, Iowa
- Corvallis, Oregon
WTF Wisconsin? I don't know if I should be proud of you or horrified? While nationally 18% of Americans drink unhealthy amounts of alcohol -- nearly one-quarter of cheeseheads are said to be at that level or above. In Appleton, the study class that 1/3 of the population drinks way more than is recommended.
They also looked at the driest cities in America, which turned up across the south in what could be described as the 'Bible Belt,' across Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, and West Virginia. (Wait, doesn't great whiskey come from Tennessee & Kentucky?)