New York and California are the two most iconic states in America — and both have massive, distinct drinking cultures. California is the undisputed king of wine country and craft beer innovation, while New York anchors the Northeast with a booming brewery scene and some of the nation’s oldest wine regions. But how do they actually compare when you put the numbers side by side?
Here are some quick stats to frame the comparison:
1. Californians consume 2.88 gallons of ethanol per capita annually — 15% above the national average.
(Source: NIAAA Surveillance Report #121)
According to the most recent NIAAA data covering 2022, the national per capita ethanol consumption stood at 2.50 gallons. California came in well above that mark at 2.88 gallons per person aged 14 and older. That places the state in the top tier — more than 10% above the national level. In total volume, California consumed 93.9 million gallons of ethanol from alcoholic beverages in 2022, far and away the most of any state, driven by both its large population and above-average drinking rates.
2. New Yorkers consume 2.24 gallons of ethanol per capita — well below the national average.
(Source: NIAAA Surveillance Report #121)
New York’s per capita consumption of 2.24 gallons in 2022 puts it more than 10% below the 2.50-gallon national average. That’s a striking gap: a New Yorker drinks roughly 22% less ethanol per year than a Californian. The Northeast region as a whole saw a 0.8% decrease in consumption from 2021 to 2022, while the West (California’s region) actually ticked up 0.4%. Part of the difference may reflect cross-border purchasing — New Yorkers near New Jersey or Connecticut may buy alcohol out of state — but the trend is clear.
3. 18.2% of California adults binge drink at least once per month, affecting an estimated 3.84 million people.
(Source: California Department of Public Health, BRFSS Snapshot)
The California Department of Public Health found that binge drinking — defined as five or more drinks for men or four or more for women on a single occasion — affects roughly one in five adults in the state. Men were nearly twice as likely to binge drink as women (20.3% vs. 11.0%). An additional 7.1% of California adults reported heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for women, 15 or more for men), representing 1.75 million people.
4. 17.8% of New York adults report excessive alcohol use in the form of binge or heavy drinking.
(Source: CDC, Addressing Excessive Alcohol Use: State Fact Sheets)
New York’s excessive drinking rate is just a hair below California’s 18.2%. The CDC estimates that binge drinking adults in New York consume a median of 5.3 drinks during a binge episode and binge a median 1.8 times per month. Among the heaviest quartile, that frequency jumps to 4.1 times per month. White, non-Hispanic adults reported the highest rates in the state, with 19% binge drinking and 7.7% drinking heavily.
5. California leads the nation with 946 craft breweries and an $8.3 billion economic impact.
(Source: Brewers Association)
No state comes close to California’s craft beer footprint. As of 2024, the state’s 946 craft breweries produced 3.74 million barrels of craft beer annually, ranking first in the country. The economic impact of $8.27 billion also ranks first nationally. However, when you adjust for population, the picture shifts: California ranks just 31st in breweries per capita (3.3 per 100,000 adults 21+) and 26th in per capita economic impact at $285. Californians consume about 4 gallons of craft beer per adult 21+, placing the state 14th nationally.
6. New York ranks second nationally with 545 craft breweries and a $3.97 billion economic impact.
(Source: Brewers Association)
New York’s craft beer industry has grown rapidly, and the state now sits at number two in total brewery count. Those 545 breweries produced 1.60 million barrels of craft beer in 2024, ranking third in total output. The per capita story is similar to California’s: at 3.7 breweries per 100,000 adults 21+, New York ranks 30th — just one spot above California. New Yorkers consume 3.3 gallons of craft beer per adult, with a per capita economic impact of $266.
7. An average of 19,335 Californians died each year from excessive alcohol use during 2020–2021.
(Source: California Department of Public Health and CDC)
That staggering annual average translates to 492,097 years of potential life lost per year — meaning each death shortened a life by an average of more than 25 years. About 70% of those deaths were among males, and 62% were from chronic causes like cancer, heart disease, and liver disease. The remaining 38% were acute causes, including injuries, violence, and motor vehicle crashes. California saw the highest raw number of alcohol-attributable deaths of any state in the country.
8. New York had the lowest age-adjusted alcohol-attributable death rate among states with reliable estimates at 20.8 per 100,000.
(Source: CDC MMWR)
While the raw numbers are obviously lower in New York (8,093 annual deaths from excessive alcohol) due to its smaller population, the per capita story is notable. New York’s age-adjusted rate of 20.8 per 100,000 was the lowest of any state analyzed by the CDC, compared with the worst-performing state, New Mexico, at 53.1 per 100,000. An estimated 179,605 years of potential life were lost annually in New York due to excessive drinking during 2020–2021. Even during the pandemic, when alcohol-related deaths surged nationally by 29%, New York saw one of the smallest increases at 25% from 2019 levels.
9. In 2023, 1,355 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in California.
(Source: NHTSA)
California’s alcohol-impaired driving fatalities represented a 4.5% decrease from 2022, part of a national trend that saw drunk driving deaths fall about 8% year-over-year. Still, 1,355 deaths is a grim toll — roughly 3.7 people killed every day by impaired drivers in the state. The figure has risen nearly 55% from 2014 levels, reflecting a broader long-term upward trend in alcohol-involved crashes that accelerated during the pandemic years.
10. New York’s alcohol-impaired driving fatality rate of 1.5 per 100,000 residents is among the lowest in the nation.
(Source: NHTSA)
Only New Jersey (1.4 per 100,000) and Utah (1.5) matched or beat New York’s rate. In 2022, New York State Police reported 335 alcohol-related traffic deaths out of more than 7,000 alcohol-related crashes statewide. New York is one of 13 states that authorize sobriety checkpoints, a countermeasure that research shows reduces alcohol-related crashes by about 20%. California also uses sobriety checkpoints, yet its higher per capita consumption and sprawling geography contribute to a substantially higher fatality count.
11. California produces nearly 81% of all wine made in the United States — roughly 600 million gallons annually.
(Source: USAFacts / Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau)
In 2022, California’s vineyards produced 599.6 million gallons of wine, accounting for 79.7% of the national total of 752 million gallons. California’s dominance in wine production is a key factor in the state’s higher per capita ethanol consumption — wine is more available, more culturally embedded, and more affordable in wine country. The state’s share has actually been declining, down from 86.3% in 2012, as production in other states has grown.
12. New York is the nation’s third-largest wine-producing state at approximately 32 million gallons per year.
(Source: USAFacts / Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau)
New York accounted for 4.3% of total US wine production in 2022, trailing only California and Washington. The state’s wine industry is centered around the Finger Lakes region, known for cool-climate Rieslings and other white varieties that are stylistically distinct from California’s bold Cabernets and Chardonnays. The number of licensed wineries in New York has surged 72% since 2011, growing from 285 to approximately 490. Despite producing a fraction of California’s volume, New York has carved out a reputation for quality over quantity.
13. New York taxes spirits at $6.44 per gallon — nearly double California’s $3.30 rate.
(Source: Tax Foundation)
The two states take notably different approaches to alcohol taxation. For spirits, New York’s $6.44-per-gallon excise tax dwarfs California’s $3.30 (which itself is a combination of a $2.00 base tax and a $1.30 surtax). But the pattern reverses for beer: New York charges just $0.14 per gallon versus California’s $0.20. For wine, New York is again higher at $0.30 per gallon versus California’s $0.20. New York City adds additional local taxes on top — an extra $0.12 per gallon on beer and $1.00 per gallon on spirits — making it one of the most heavily taxed alcohol markets in the country.
14. Excessive alcohol use cost California an estimated $35 billion and New York $16.3 billion in a single year.
(Source: CDC)
These figures, based on 2010 data (the most recent available from the CDC), include costs related to lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, criminal justice involvement, and motor vehicle crashes. California’s $35 billion price tag was the highest of any state. Adjusted for inflation, New York’s $16.3 billion figure is equivalent to roughly $24.5 billion in 2025 dollars, or about $3.42 per drink consumed. The CDC notes that government bore about 40% of these costs, meaning taxpayers pick up a substantial share of the tab.
15. No-alcohol beer volumes in the United States surged 23% in 2024, far outpacing the broader beer market.
(Source: IWSR)
While traditional beer volumes in the US fell 3% in 2024, no-alcohol beer went in the opposite direction with 23% growth — a trend consistent with its 175% volume gain over the 2019–2024 period. The US no-alcohol market is forecast to grow at an 18% volume CAGR through 2028, approaching $5 billion in value. Both New York and California are major markets for this trend, driven by younger consumers and the mainstreaming of “sober curious” culture. With the exception of the much smaller stout category, no-alcohol is the only beer segment in the US showing growth.
Conclusion: California Drinks More, but New York Bears the Burden More Efficiently
The numbers paint a consistent picture. California outpaces New York in virtually every raw consumption metric — per capita ethanol, total volume, wine production, and craft beer output. But New York manages to keep the harm side of the equation remarkably low: it has the nation’s lowest age-adjusted alcohol-attributable death rate and one of the lowest drunk driving fatality rates per capita.
Both states are craft beer powerhouses, ranking first and second nationally in total brewery count, though neither cracks the top 25 when adjusted for population. California’s role as the country’s wine engine is unmatched, producing 20 times the volume of New York’s wine industry. And while both states face billions of dollars in economic costs from excessive drinking, the gap in per capita harm suggests that factors beyond consumption alone — including healthcare access, enforcement strategies, and urban density — play a significant role in outcomes.
The non-alcoholic trend sweeping both coasts may begin to shift these numbers. With no-alcohol beer growing at a pace that dwarfs the declining traditional market, the next decade of data could look meaningfully different.