Alcohol has been consumed by the masses pretty much since the dawn of time, which also means people have been making bad drunk decisions for equally as long. While there are benefits to alcohol, like most things it can be very harmful in excess. That’s why CountyHealthRankings surveyed residents of New York to find out where binge drinking is at its highest.
Here are the 13 counties with the most drunken results. Tie breakers were determined using bars per capita because bars have, you know, alcohol.
- Allegany
Stilfehler / Wikimedia In Allegany county, 22% of the people there are binge drinkers and there are 4.53 bars per capita. Notable cities: Belmont, Alfred, and Wellsville
- Rensselaer
Famartin / Wikipedia CC Rensselaer county residents also come in at 22% excess drinkers and 4.7 bars per 10,000 people. Notable cities: Troy, East Greenbush, and Poestenkill
- Cayuga
Doug Kerr / Flickr Yes, another county with a 22% self-reported excess drinking rate. Cayuga also has 5.01 bars per 10k people. Notable cities: Auburn, Moravia, and Weedsport
- Oswego
Doug Kerr / Wikimedia It’s possible that the person surveying people was drunk and just put 22% down for every county’s excess drinking rate, so Oswego is no different. There are also 6.08 bars per 10k residents. Notable cities: Oswego, Fulton, and Pulaski
- New York
Anthony Quintano / Wikipedia To no one’s surprise, New York county makes the list at number 8. Walk through Manhattan after 11pm on any weekend and you’ll wonder how it isn’t #1. 22% of people in New York county reported excessive binge drinking and there are 9.72 bars per 10,000 people.
- Warren
Novis-M / Wikipedia Coming in at a whopping 11.28 bars per 10,000 residents, it’s no wonder Warren county has a 22% excess drinking rate. Every few steps, there must be a bar tempting you. Notable cities: Queensbury, Glens Fall, Warrensburg
- Putnam
Daniel Case / Wikipedia Creative Commons Only 3.31 bars per 10,000 residents, which is average in New York, but Putnam county’s people apparently just drink at home: 23% excess drinking rate. Notable cities: Carmel, Brewster, Patterson
- Columbia
John S. Hirth / Wikipedia Creative Commons Columbia county has 4.63 bars per capita and a 23% excessive drinking rate. Nice work, guys. Notable cities: Hudson, Kinderhook, Claverack
- Clinton
Mwanner / Wikimedia With 4.76 bars per 10,000 people and 23% of them reporting binge drinking, you’ll find no shortage of alcohol in Clinton county. Notable cities: Plattsburgh, Champlain, and Dannemora
- St. Lawrence
John Marino / Wikimedia CC St. Lawrence isn’t so saintly with a 23% excess drinking rate. It also has 5.89 bars per capita. Notable cities: Canton, Massena, Ogdensburg
- Schuyler
Doug Kerr / Flickr Completely skipping over 24%, Schulyer residents come in at a whopping 25% excessive drinking rate. Yes, that is 1 in every 4 people sampled. There are also 5.43 bars per 10,000 residents, which is 35% higher than the US average. Yikes. Notable cities: Watkins Glen, Montour Falls, and Hector
- Ulster
Daniel Case / Wikipedia And ranking #1 in New York for drunkest county is the beloved Ulster county. With one-fourth of its residents being binge drinkers and 5.49 bars per capita, no one does alcohol in New York like Ulster. Congrats?Notable cities: Kingston, Rosendale, and New Paltz
There you have it… the drunkest places in the state of New York. Now you know where to avoid (or go out on the weekend).
Stilfehler / Wikimedia
In Allegany county, 22% of the people there are binge drinkers and there are 4.53 bars per capita. Notable cities: Belmont, Alfred, and Wellsville
Famartin / Wikipedia CC
Rensselaer county residents also come in at 22% excess drinkers and 4.7 bars per 10,000 people. Notable cities: Troy, East Greenbush, and Poestenkill
Doug Kerr / Flickr
Yes, another county with a 22% self-reported excess drinking rate. Cayuga also has 5.01 bars per 10k people. Notable cities: Auburn, Moravia, and Weedsport
Doug Kerr / Wikimedia
It’s possible that the person surveying people was drunk and just put 22% down for every county’s excess drinking rate, so Oswego is no different. There are also 6.08 bars per 10k residents. Notable cities: Oswego, Fulton, and Pulaski
Anthony Quintano / Wikipedia
To no one’s surprise, New York county makes the list at number 8. Walk through Manhattan after 11pm on any weekend and you’ll wonder how it isn’t #1. 22% of people in New York county reported excessive binge drinking and there are 9.72 bars per 10,000 people.
Novis-M / Wikipedia
Coming in at a whopping 11.28 bars per 10,000 residents, it’s no wonder Warren county has a 22% excess drinking rate. Every few steps, there must be a bar tempting you. Notable cities: Queensbury, Glens Fall, Warrensburg
Daniel Case / Wikipedia Creative Commons
Only 3.31 bars per 10,000 residents, which is average in New York, but Putnam county’s people apparently just drink at home: 23% excess drinking rate. Notable cities: Carmel, Brewster, Patterson
John S. Hirth / Wikipedia Creative Commons
Columbia county has 4.63 bars per capita and a 23% excessive drinking rate. Nice work, guys. Notable cities: Hudson, Kinderhook, Claverack
Mwanner / Wikimedia
With 4.76 bars per 10,000 people and 23% of them reporting binge drinking, you’ll find no shortage of alcohol in Clinton county. Notable cities: Plattsburgh, Champlain, and Dannemora
John Marino / Wikimedia CC
St. Lawrence isn’t so saintly with a 23% excess drinking rate. It also has 5.89 bars per capita. Notable cities: Canton, Massena, Ogdensburg
Completely skipping over 24%, Schulyer residents come in at a whopping 25% excessive drinking rate. Yes, that is 1 in every 4 people sampled. There are also 5.43 bars per 10,000 residents, which is 35% higher than the US average. Yikes. Notable cities: Watkins Glen, Montour Falls, and Hector
Daniel Case / Wikipedia
And ranking #1 in New York for drunkest county is the beloved Ulster county. With one-fourth of its residents being binge drinkers and 5.49 bars per capita, no one does alcohol in New York like Ulster. Congrats?Notable cities: Kingston, Rosendale, and New Paltz
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