The Drunkest Cities in America

by Seth Fiegerman MainStreet.com

The Drunkest City: Hilo, Hawaii

Like Kapaa, Hilo may not be a household name in the mainland U.S., but the residents in these two cities may be able to drink the rest of the country under the table, for better or worse.

• Heavy Drinkers: 9% of the population
• Binge Drinkers: 21.7% of the population
• TOTAL 30.7%

2nd Drunkest City: Kapaa, Hawaii

Many of the cities in the top of this list are located in colder parts of the country, where the best way to spend a Saturday night may be indoors with a drink, but Hawaii is the clear exception, claiming the top two spots on the list of drunkest cities. Indeed, for all the sunshine, residents in Hawaii have their fair share of trouble. The state has a higher than average number of residents with drug problems, and moreover, Hawaii has been forced to take desperate steps to fix its budget, including cutting money for education and reducing its school week to just four days.

For the city of Kapaa in particular, it’s all too telling that a simple search for the phrase “Kapaa alcohol” on Google doesn’t turn up a list of fun bars to hang out at but rather a long list of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.

• Heavy Drinkers: 11.1% of the population
• Binge Drinkers: 19.4% of the population
• TOTAL 30.5%

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