Not Surprised: New Report Shows Montana’s Drunkest Counties

BUTTE, MT - What's there to like about Montana? Maybe its sweeping vistas, rugged independence, and tight-knit communities.

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But behind the mountains and meadows, there’s another cultural hallmark that’s equally Montana: the drink in your hand.

Whether it’s a cold one at a high school reunion in a bar that hasn’t changed in 40 years, a celebratory whiskey at branding time, or just a Coors cracked open after work, drinking is woven into the social fabric of this state like denim and dust.

And yet, some parts of Montana take it to another level.

It’s not just anecdotal anymore: new data has revealed the counties in Montana that drink the most.

These rankings aren’t just based on bar tabs and beer sales, either. They come from national health statistics, including the percentage of adults who binge drink or heavily drink on a regular basis.

It's serious data with serious implications—from public health to car crashes—but it also paints a vivid picture of which counties are raising the most glasses…and maybe stumbling home a little more often than others.

Some names on the list will surprise you. Others, not so much.

Whether it's a college town where beer flows like spring runoff, or a rural county where the nearest bar is also the local social hub, these places have earned their spots through sheer volume—and not just in ounces.

So which counties are Montana’s true champions of cheer?

Here are the Top 10 Drunkest Counties in Big Sky Country…