Study: Minnesota is super drunk, but not as drunk as neighboring states

That's according to a new study from 24/7 Wall St. that found seven of the 10 drunkest states in the U.S. are located in the Midwest. That includes Minnesota, the 6th drunkest state in the union. Our blotto regional brethren? North Dakota (most drunken), Wisconsin (2nd), Illinois (5th), Iowa (7th), Nebraska (9th), and Michigan (10th).

Interestingly, super-drunk Minnesota ranks as the third healthiest and one of the wealthiest states, the study found, a financial trend that's reflected throughout the drunkest states. In fact, the most-hammered states tend to have higher levels of income, while the driest states, mostly located in the Deep South, have some of the lowest. 

Don't let that deliciously enabling tidbit encourage you, however. George Koob, director of the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, acknowledges the correlation to 24/7 Wall St., but reminds us that excessive drinking is still very bad for you. Richer states might be able to drink more because of the high cost of alcohol, theorizes Koob, who's apparently never heard of Hamm's. 

But back to Minnesota! Mankato is the drunkest metro area in our state. It's the 10th drunkest place in the whole country according to a previous study, one that also revealed seven of the 10 drunkest U.S. cities belong to -- you guessed it -- Wisconsin. 

To arrive at these finding, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps -- a joint venture from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin -- plus info from the U.S. Census Bureau and CDC. 

Crack an early weekend beer and drink in the state-by-state rankings: 

50. Tennessee
Adults who drink excessively: 11.2 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 28 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 19.9 percent
Drunkest metro location: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin

49. West Virginia
Adults who drink excessively: 11.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 23.7 percent
Drunkest metro location: Morgantown

48. Utah
Adults who drink excessively: 12.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 19.7 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 12.9 percent
Drunkest metro location: Salt Lake City

47. Alabama
Adults who drink excessively: 13 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 29.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 21.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Auburn-Opelika

46. Mississippi
Adults who drink excessively: 13.3 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 23.3 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 22.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula

45. New Mexico
Adults who drink excessively: 13.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.1 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 20.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Santa Fe

44. Oklahoma
Adults who drink excessively: 13.9 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 29.9 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 20.9 percent
Drunkest metro location: Lawton

43. North Carolina
Adults who drink excessively: 14.9 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.3percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 18.5percent
Drunkest metro location: Jacksonville

42. Arkansas
Adults who drink excessively: 15.3 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 28.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 22.7 percent
Drunkest metro location: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers

41. Idaho
Adults who drink excessively: 15.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.1 percent
Drunkest metro location: Coeur d’Alene

40. Maryland
Adults who drink excessively: 15.5 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 13.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: California-Lexington Park

39. Nevada
Adults who drink excessively: 15.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 17.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Reno

38. Arizona
Adults who drink excessively: 16 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 27.6 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 18.5 percent
Drunkest metro location: Flagstaff

37. Kentucky
Adults who drink excessively: 16.3 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 28.5 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 20.9 percent
Drunkest metro location: Louisville/Jefferson County

36. South Carolina
Adults who drink excessively: 16.6 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 37.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 17 percent
Drunkest metro location: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort

35. Delaware
Adults who drink excessively: 16.6 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 37.9 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 16.7 percent
Drunkest metro location: Dover

34. Indiana
Adults who drink excessively: 16.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 23.6 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 18 percent
Drunkest metro location: Bloomington

33. Georgia
Adults who drink excessively: 16.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 23.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 17.5 percent
Drunkest metro location: Athens-Clarke County

32. Kansas
Adults who drink excessively: 16.9 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 27.3 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 15.1 percent
Drunkest metro location: Lawrence

31. Texas
Adults who drink excessively: 17.3 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 29.9 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 19.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: Austin-Round Rock

30. Virginia
Adults who drink excessively: 17.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 30.5 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.6 percent
Drunkest metro location: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford

29. Florida
Adults who drink excessively: 17.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 28.2 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 17.1 percent
Drunkest metro location: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin

28. Wyoming
Adults who drink excessively: 17.5 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 35.3 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.4 percent
Drunkest metro location: Casper

27. New Jersey
Adults who drink excessively: 17.6 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 24.3 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 15.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Ocean City

26. Missouri
Adults who drink excessively: 17.7 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 31.7 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 16.6 percent
Drunkest metro location: Columbia

25. South Dakota
Adults who drink excessively: 17.7 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 35.2 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 12.8 percent
Drunkest metro location: Sioux Falls

24. Washington
Adults who drink excessively: 17.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 35 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

23. Rhode Island
Adults who drink excessively: 17.9 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 40.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 15.8 percent
Drunkest metro location: Providence-Warwick

22. California
Adults who drink excessively: 18 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 29 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 17.8 percent
Drunkest metro location: Chico

21. Pennsylvania
Adults who drink excessively: 18.1 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 15.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: State College

20. New York
Adults who drink excessively: 18.2 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 23 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 16.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Watertown-Fort Drum

19. New Hampshire
Adults who drink excessively: 18.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 31.2 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 11.5 percent
Drunkest metro location: Manchester-Nashua

18. Connecticut
Adults who drink excessively: 18.6 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 33.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk

17. Louisiana
Adults who drink excessively: 18.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.6 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 21 percent
Drunkest metro location: Houma-Thibodaux

16. Oregon
Adults who drink excessively: 18.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 32.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 18.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

15. Colorado
Adults who drink excessively: 19.1 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 34.7 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 13.7 percent
Drunkest metro location: Fort Collins

14. Ohio
Adults who drink excessively: 19.2 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 34.3 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 15.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: Columbus

13. Massachusetts
Adults who drink excessively: 19.5 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 27.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Barnstable Town

12. Vermont
Adults who drink excessively: 19.6 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 33.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 11.4 percent
Drunkest metro location: Burlington-South Burlington

11. Maine
Adults who drink excessively: 19.6 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 39.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.9 percent
Drunkest metro location: Portland-South Portland

10. Michigan
Adults who drink excessively: 20 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 29.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 16.8 percent
Drunkest metro location: Lansing-East Lansing

9. Nebraska
Adults who drink excessively: 20.4 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 35.6 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 13.4 percent
Drunkest metro location: Lincoln

8. Hawaii
Adults who drink excessively: 20.5 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 38 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 13.1 percent
Drunkest metro location: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina

7. Iowa
Adults who drink excessively: 21 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 25.4 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 12.3 percent
Drunkest metro location: Iowa City

6. Minnesota
Adults who drink excessively: 21.1 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 30.9 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 11.9 percent
Drunkest metro location: Mankato-North Mankato

5. Illinois
Adults who drink excessively: 21.2 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 34.2 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 15.6 percent
Drunkest metro location: Bloomington

4. Montana
Adults who drink excessively: 21.8 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 46.3 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.2 percent
Drunkest metro location: Missoula

3. Alaska
Adults who drink excessively: 22.1 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 33.8 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 13.7 percent
Drunkest metro location: Fairbanks

2. Wisconsin
Adults who drink excessively: 24.5 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 36.9 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 14.0 percent
Drunkest metro location: Green Bay

1. North Dakota
Adults who drink excessively: 24.7 percent
Driving deaths related to alcohol: 46.7 percent
Adults in fair or poor health: 13.4 percent
Drunkest metro location: Fargo