Is State College the drunkest city in Pennsylvania? Here’s how it breaks down
State College is the drunkest city in Pennsylvania, according to financial news and commentary site 24/7 Wall St.
The list used several factors to determine which city in each U.S. state has the heaviest drinkers — percentage of binge drinkers, number of alcohol-related driving fatalities and median household income.
In State College, 23.3% of adults reported binge or heavy drinking compared to the state percentage of 20.5%, the 10th highest, according to 24/7 Wall St. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines binge drinking as five or more drinks on one occasion for men and four or more drinks on one occasion for women. It defines heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks per week for men and eight or more per week for women.
Additionally, 22.7% of driving deaths were alcohol related in the State College metro area. Pennsylvania has a higher percentage of alcohol-related traffic fatalities at 28.3%, which is the 16th lowest of all states ranked.
The median household income for the State College metropolitan area is $55,895, which is slightly lower than the state median annual income at $59,195.
Of all states, Wisconsin has the highest percentage of adults who binge drink at 26.2%. Madison, Wisconsin — home of another Big Ten university — had 28.7% of adults report binge or heavy drinking.
State College Borough Communications Manager Douglas Shontz said the borough couldn’t comment directly on the ranking list since the methodology used to formulate the sample is “unclear.”
However, “the Borough continues to work with Penn State to address this serious issue,” he said. “Alcohol continues to be a concern in college communities across the country.”
Using county-level data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the percentage of men and women over 18 who reported engaging in heavy or binge drinking in 2016 in metropolitan areas and states.
They looked at alcohol-related driving fatalities between 2013-2017, using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In order to qualify as a FARS incident, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle on a public trafficway and result in a motorist or non-motorist death within 30 days of the incident.
Median household income was taken from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey.
However, here’s one caveat: In July, 24/7 Wall St. ranked State College the 10th most healthy city in America, based on its low premature death, adult obesity, uninsured and teen birth rates. The study said area adults are less likely to smoke or be obese than a typical American adult, and are more likely to exercise regularly and be covered by health insurance.
This story was originally published September 23, 2019 at 11:36 AM.