Mapped: Beer Consumption in the U.S.
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Mapped: Beer Consumption in the U.S.

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BEER CONSUMPTION

Open the large interactive version here

 This visualization maps the consumption of beer by gallon across the U.S.

Open the large interactive version here

 This visualization maps the consumption of beer by gallon across the U.S.

Mapped: Beer Consumption in the U.S.

Beer consumption spans almost the entire world, and is a staple in much of the United States.

When stacked up next to other alcoholic beverages, beer is America’s preferred drink of choice, closely followed by wine and spirits. In fact, it is the fifth most-consumed drink overall in the country, behind coffee, water, soft drinks and tea.

At the end of 2021, beer in the U.S. was a $94.1 billion industry. Alongside massive multinational conglomerations, it is also driven by over 9,000 breweries of different types.

This visualization, created by Victor Dépré of Hypntic Data, maps the consumption of beer by gallons per capita across the U.S. using data from Top Agency and The Beer Institute.

What is Beer?

Beer is produced from the fermentation of combined water, malt, and yeast. It was first produced 12,000 years ago with the emergence of grain agriculture.

Today, beer is made from several different malted grains: wheat, corn, rice, oats, and most commonly, barley. Hops, a type of flower, are added for flavor, balancing out the malt’s sweetness with a bitter taste while also preserving the beer’s freshness and giving a good amount of foam.

American Beer Consumption By State

So which states drank the most beer, and what was their preferred brand?

The annual consumption stats come from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac report, while the preferred beer of choice was compiled by Data Agency’s 2021 Beer Rankings report, which is based on a combination of surveys combined with Google search analysis from all over the country.

Beer Consumption By State (2020)Annual Gallons Per CapitaPreferred Beer
Alabama29.1Budweiser
Alaska26.1
Arizona27.0Dos Equis
Arkansas23.9Budweiser
California24.5Budweiser
Colorado28.1Denver Beer Co
Connecticut19.8Bud Light
Delaware27.9Dogfish Head
District of Columbia18.2
Florida25.4Stella
Georgia23.0Terrapin
Hawaii26.7
Idaho25.0Budweiser
Illinois25.9Goose Island
Indiana23.6Miller Light
Iowa31.0Budweiser
Kansas27.8Coors Light
Kentucky23.1Budweiser
Louisiana28.4Abita
Maine32.5Budweiser
Maryland19.7Budweiser
Massachusetts21.1Budweiser
Michigan23.6Budweiser
Minnesota27.1Budweiser
Mississippi31.6Lazy Magnolia
Missouri26.9Budweiser
Montana41.1Budweiser
Nebraska31.6Nebraska Black Betty
Nevada29.0Coors Light
New Hampshire41.5Budweiser
New Jersey20.0Miller Light
New Mexico27.7La Cumbre
New York20.2Budweiser
North Carolina25.8Bud Light
North Dakota37.5Fargo
Ohio25.5Heineken
Oklahoma26.8Budweiser
Oregon27.7Budweiser
Pennsylvania24.9Bud Light
Rhode Island20.1Narragansett
South Carolina32.5Budweiser
South Dakota37.3Budweiser
Tennessee24.2Budweiser
Texas31.9Lone Star
Utah20.0Budweiser
Vermont34.0Bud Light
Virginia24.2Budweiser
Washington23.7Bud Light
West Virginia27.8Budweiser
Wisconsin33.7Spotted Cow
Wyoming29.8Snake River

New Hampshire took the top spot in 2020, outdrinking other states with 41.5 gallons of beer consumed annually per capita. In contrast, the lowest consuming state was Maryland which only consumed 19.7 gallons per capita, about half as much.

The most popular beer?

Despite the growing trend of craft breweries in some states, the most popular beer across the country was Budweiser of Anheuser-Busch, which took the top spot in 23 states.

Which State Has The Most Breweries?

Each state also has varying numbers of breweries operating within, and there are many different types.

Larger breweries, including those run by some of the world’s largest companies, are also called macrobreweries. They are usually defined as having an annual production greater than 6 million barrels of beer, compared to craft breweries and other types of microbreweries which have a lower annual production.

Craft breweries are also usually independently owned, and through both positioning and general perception, have come to be associated with specialties and originality, adding unique and interesting ingredients to traditional brews.

Breweries By State (2020)# of Breweries
Alabama70
Alaska68
Arizona170
Arkansas73
California1,466
Colorado565
Connecticut163
Delaware49
District of Columbia17
Florida505
Georgia191
Hawaii46
Idaho116
Illinois406
Indiana283
Iowa151
Kansas83
Kentucky119
Louisiana67
Maine201
Maryland177
Massachusetts304
Michigan611
Minnesota291
Mississippi26
Missouri215
Montana130
Nebraska74
Nevada73
New Hampshire133
New Jersey188
New Mexico154
New York680
North Carolina514
North Dakota31
Ohio497
Oklahoma91
Oregon431
Pennsylvania642
Rhode Island50
South Carolina135
South Dakota59
Tennessee196
Texas532
Utah54
Vermont106
Virginia425
Washington633
West Virginia37
Wisconsin364
Wyoming52

California has the highest number of breweries in the country, more than double any other state, at 1,466.

On the flip side, Mississippi has the fewest breweries, with the most recent Beer Institute’s 2021 almanac only listing 26 in the entire state.

Beer Sales During the Pandemic

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, commonplace items saw massive spikes in sales across the world.

As lockdowns were implemented and people were forced to stay at home, household items like toilet paper, soap, and pastas began to disappear from store shelves at alarmingly fast rates. Beer was no exception, and sales have continued to increase, going up by 8.9% in the U.S. since 2020.

This is a worrisome fact to many researchers, as it could be a strong indicator that alcohol was used as a coping mechanism against anxiety and isolation felt during the pandemic. This rise could be a result of increased consumption, but may also indicate increased stockpiling.

Regardless of why beer sales increased, it will be interesting to see which way the trend swings with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the attempted return to normalcy in the months to come.

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Ranked: The Highest-Paying Industries in the U.S. (2025)

The average salary across all U.S. industries is around $64,000. See which industries pay the most and least.

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This infographic ranks the highest-paying industries in the United States, based on average annual salaries.

Ranked: The Highest-Paying Industries in the U.S.

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

The U.S. is one of the highest-paying countries globally, but the average earnings differ significantly between industries.

This infographic ranks average annual salaries across major U.S. industries using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as of March 2025. The data covers private industries, and annual salary figures are estimated by multiplying average weekly earnings by 52.

Which Industries Pay the Most?

The average annual salary across all U.S. industries (ex. government employees) is around $64,000. In the utilities sector, the highest-paying industry, the average employee makes nearly $114,000 annually.

Here’s a look at the highest and lowest-paying industries in America:

IndustryAverage annual earnings
Utilities$113,823
Information$99,602
Mining and logging$92,065
Financial activities$92,021
Professional and business services$82,639
Construction$80,191
Wholesale trade$77,749
Manufacturing$73,498
Transportation and warehousing$62,118
Private education and health services$59,701
Retail trade$38,757
Leisure and hospitality$30,167
Other services$53,728

The BLS updates earnings data on a monthly basis. The above figures are based on data from the March 2025 release.

The utilities sector includes occupations related to electric power generation, including wind turbine technicians and solar photovoltaic installers—the two fastest-growing jobs of the next decade.

The information industry, which includes all types of software and computer-related jobs, ranks second with nearly $100,000 in average annual earnings. It’s also among the most profitable industries for companies in America.

Mining/logging and financial activities have nearly equivalent average pay of just over $92,000 per year. Other well-paying industries include professional services, construction, wholesale trade, and manufacturing—each paying more than the $64,000 average across all industries.

On the other end of the wage spectrum, the leisure and hospitality sector has the lowest average salary of around $30,000 per year. The retail trade industry, the second-biggest by number of employees, is also among the lowest-paying with around $39,000 in average annual salary.

Which Industries Are Adding the Most Jobs?

Over the 12 months ended April 2025, the private education and health services industry added 894,000 jobs, with about 70% of these additions being in the healthcare segment.

The leisure and hospitality sector followed with 225,000 new jobs, followed by transportation and warehousing (151,000) and construction (143,000).

Employment in the public sector also increased by 322,000 employees, although the Federal government shed 6,000 jobs.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed this infographic, check out The Biggest Industries of 2040, on the Voronoi app.

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