# Health behaviors, person by person: report

Chapter 7.2 of ZIP Code Destiny, by Vishal Singh (NYU Stern). Generated from the chapter's data files; the reading version is at https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person. Table n of this report is figure n of the chapter.

## Identification

- Title: Health behaviors, person by person
- Label: The rich person's vice
- Chapter: 7.2 (Part VII, Health and care; An American life)
- Question: Do the neighborhood gradients in smoking and drinking hold for individuals once income, race and age are measured person by person?
- Dek: Among adults, the share who binged on alcohol in the past month was 13.3% in the lowest of five household income bands and 20.4% in the highest, while smoking, obesity and physical inactivity were each less common in the highest band.
- Grain: individuals
- Status: published
- Published: 2026-10-09
- Updated: not revised
- Data sources:
  - BRFSS. CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System public-use files, 2014-2024, adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia; binge drinking asked from 2015; years: 2014-2024; weights: BRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based estimates)
- Canonical URL: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person
- Report: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person/report
- Markdown: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person/report.md
- BibTeX key: singh2026healthbehaviorspersonbyperson

```bibtex
@misc{singh2026healthbehaviorspersonbyperson,
  author = {Singh, Vishal},
  title = {Health behaviors, person by person},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person},
  note = {In ZIP Code Destiny. Published 9 October 2026.}
}
```

## Principal estimates

The facts the dek and the opening prose cite, in order of appearance.

| Estimand | Population | Period | Value | Interval | n | Weights | Source | Fact id |
| --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- | ---: | --- | --- | --- |
| design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 13.3% | 95% CI 13.0% to 13.5% | 450,791 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | binge_poor |
| design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 20.4% | 95% CI 20.3% to 20.6% | 1,254,573 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | binge_rich |
| design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 8.5% | 95% CI 8.4% to 8.6% | 1,392,590 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | smoke_rich |
| design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 28.4% | 95% CI 28.3% to 28.6% | 1,365,694 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | obese_rich |
| design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: no leisure-time physical activity in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 13.6% | 95% CI 13.5% to 13.7% | 1,411,844 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | inactive_rich |
| design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | White non-Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 8.6 | 95% CI 8.3 to 8.9 | 1,319,140 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | race_gap_white |
| design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 10.3 | 95% CI 9.3 to 11.2 | 119,344 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | race_gap_hisp |
| design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Black non-Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 0.5 | 95% CI −0.3 to 1.2 | 120,974 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS | race_gap_black |
| definition: the smallest number of respondents behind any published cell | the smallest number of respondents behind any published cell | 2014-2024 | 30 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS | cell_floor |

## Findings

The share of adults who binged on alcohol in the past month was 13.3% (95% CI 13.0% to 13.5%) in the lowest of five household income bands and 20.4% (95% CI 20.3% to 20.6%) in the highest. Current smoking, obesity and physical inactivity were each lower in the highest band, at 8.5%, 28.4% and 13.6%. The estimates come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey that CDC runs with state health departments, pooled over survey years from 2014 to 2024.[1] The rise in binge drinking is an average over groups that differ. The difference between the highest band and the lowest is 8.6 points among non-Hispanic White adults, 10.3 among Hispanic adults and 0.5 (95% CI −0.3 to 1.2) among non-Hispanic Black adults.

 (Note: The BRFSS files also hold interviews in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They are outside every estimate in this chapter, which describes adults in the states and the District of Columbia.)

Chapter 7.1, Health behaviors and the supply of care (https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-and-the-supply-of-care) follows the same behaviors across census tracts with modeled estimates, and a tract value cannot show whether the adults who drink in a tract are the ones with high incomes (ecological inference). A survey that asks each adult about drinking and household income can. The cost is place, because BRFSS locates a respondent by state and, for some respondents, by metro status, and nowhere finer. Every estimate below is a share of respondents weighted with the survey's survey weights, and every 95% interval uses the survey's strata and sampling units. No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents, and no respondent-level row is published.

### Binge drinking rises with household income while smoking, obesity and inactivity fall

A binge is 5 or more drinks on one occasion for a man, or 4 or more for a woman, at least once in the past 30 days.[2] The question is in the survey from 2015, so binge estimates cover 10 years and the other measures cover 11.

The pooled file holds 4,790,742 interviews with adults in the states and the District of Columbia. The binge drinking estimates by income band rest on 3,336,677 of them, because the question was not asked in 2014 and some adults gave no income.

Across the 5 income bands the share of adults who binged rises at every step, from 13.3% (95% CI 13.0% to 13.5%) in the lowest band to 20.4% (95% CI 20.3% to 20.6%) in the highest, a difference of 7.2 (95% CI 6.9 to 7.5) points (Table 1).

The other three behaviors fall at every step. Current smokers, adults who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lives and now smoke every day or some days,[1] are 25.7% (95% CI 25.4% to 25.9%) of adults in the lowest band and 8.5% (95% CI 8.4% to 8.6%) in the highest, a difference of 17.2 (95% CI 16.9 to 17.4) points.

Obesity, a body mass index of 30 or more from self-reported height and weight, goes from 36.0% to 28.4%, a difference of 7.6 (95% CI 7.2 to 7.9) points. The share who did no leisure-time physical activity in the past month goes from 38.2% to 13.6%, a difference of 24.6 (95% CI 24.3 to 24.9) points.

The lowest band is household income under $20,000 a year and the highest is $75,000 or more. BRFSS recorded income in eight categories through 2020 and in eleven from 2021, which split the top category, so the five bands merge the categories that did not change and keep the highest band whole across the break. The bands are in nominal dollars, and the highest band held 30.2% of the respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024.

Part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the question, when the lowest band went from 15.8% of respondents who gave an income in 2020 to 11.8% in 2021, a larger one-year drop than in any earlier year. A further 19.4% (95% CI 19.3% to 19.5%) of adults did not know their household income or declined to give it, and they are not in any band.

Table 1. Binge drinking rose from 13.3% to 20.4% of adults across the five income bands while smoking, obesity and inactivity fell

For 2021 to 2024 the highest band can be divided into four, and the second view of Table 1 shows them. Across those four bands binge drinking rises from 18.2% (95% CI 17.8% to 18.6%) to 22.1% (95% CI 21.5% to 22.6%) and smoking falls from 9.7% to 4.3%. Obesity falls most between the two highest bands, from 30.1% to 23.2%.

A rise in drinking with income appears in surveys from other settings. A review of studies of socioeconomic status and alcohol concluded that people of higher status drink similar or greater amounts, while people of lower status bear more of the consequences.[3] In a national survey of 2001 and 2002, the prevalence of alcohol abuse by the DSM-IV definition rose with income while alcohol dependence fell with it. The abuse result came from the hazardous use criterion, mostly driving after drinking.[4] BRFSS measures the quantity drunk on one occasion and does not measure consequences, so it cannot say who bears the harm.

### The rise holds within age, education and state, not among non-Hispanic Black adults

Adults in different income bands differ in age, schooling and race, so a rise across pooled bands could come from who is in the bands. Table 2 repeats the comparison inside groups. In each of four age groups the rate is higher in the highest band than in the lowest, by 10.2 (95% CI 9.4 to 11.0) points at ages 18 to 29 and by 2.6 (95% CI 2.3 to 2.9) points at 65 and older. In the oldest group the rate goes from 4.4% to 6.9%. Within each education level the rate also rises with income, by 12.7 (95% CI 11.1 to 14.2) points among adults who did not finish high school and 3.5 (95% CI 2.9 to 4.1) among college graduates.

Table 2. The rise in binge drinking with income holds within age groups and education levels and differs by race and ethnicity

The education lines cross. In the lowest band, college graduates binge more often than adults who did not finish high school (15.2% against 11.7%), and in the highest band less often (18.7% against 24.4%). At a given income, then, schooling does not move binge drinking in one direction, and a single measure of socioeconomic status that combined income and schooling would hide the crossing.

The race and ethnicity tab shows a rise that is not shared by every group. Among White non-Hispanic adults the rate goes from 13.0% to 21.7%, a difference of 8.6 (95% CI 8.3 to 8.9) points, and among Hispanic adults the difference is 10.3 (95% CI 9.3 to 11.2) points. Among multiracial non-Hispanic adults it is 5.5 (95% CI 3.7 to 7.3) points.

Among Black non-Hispanic adults the rate is 13.3% in the lowest band and 13.8% in the highest, a difference of 0.5 (95% CI −0.3 to 1.2) points whose interval includes zero. Among adults of another race, non-Hispanic, the difference is 1.0 (95% CI 0.0 to 2.1) points.

The pooled difference of 7.2 points therefore averages groups in which the rise is large with groups in which it is absent or small, so the pattern behind this chapter's label belongs to White, Hispanic and multiracial adults. The survey cannot say why the groups differ. The review cited above lists race and ethnicity among the factors that moderate the link between socioeconomic status and alcohol use.[3]

The rise is also not the product of a few states. Comparing the highest band with the lowest within each state, the difference in binge drinking is above zero in 51 of the 51 jurisdictions, the states and the District of Columbia, and its interval is above zero in 51 (Table 3). It runs from 2.7 (95% CI 1.6 to 3.7) points in Utah to 13.1 (95% CI 10.7 to 15.5) points in the District of Columbia.

The smoking difference is below zero, with an interval below zero, in 51 as well, from 9.1 (95% CI 8.2 to 9.9) points lower in California to 29.9 (95% CI 27.2 to 32.6) points lower in Alaska. In the tract regressions of Chapter 7.1, Health behaviors and the supply of care (https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-and-the-supply-of-care), Maryland is the one state with a negative estimate for binge drinking, and its interval includes zero. Among Maryland's respondents the difference is 5.7 (95% CI 4.4 to 6.9) points.

Table 3. Binge drinking is higher in the highest income band than in the lowest in all 51 jurisdictions, and smoking is lower in all 51

The difference is positive in each of the 10 survey years from 2015 to 2024, with an interval above zero in 10 of them. The yearly differences run from 6.7 (95% CI 5.8 to 7.7) points in 2024 to 8.3 (95% CI 7.3 to 9.2) points in 2022, and those two intervals overlap. The difference is also similar on either side of the 2021 change in the income question, at 7.3 (95% CI 6.9 to 7.6) points for 2015 to 2020 and 7.5 (95% CI 7.0 to 8.0) points for 2021 to 2024.

### Men binge drink more than women in every income band, by about the same number of points

Men's binge drinking rate rises from 18.3% in the lowest band to 24.3% in the highest, and women's rises from 9.7% to 15.8% (Table 4).

The difference between men and women is between 8.5 (95% CI 8.2 to 8.8) and 9.2 (95% CI 8.7 to 9.6) points in every band, so the lines stay about the same distance apart. As both rates rise by a similar number of points, the ratio of men's rate to women's falls from 1.9 (95% CI 1.8 to 2.0) in the lowest band to 1.5 (95% CI 1.5 to 1.6) in the highest, and stays above one.

Table 4. Men binge drink more than women in every income band, by 8.5 to 9.2 points

Obesity shows a different pattern by sex. Women are more often obese than men in the lowest band, by 8.6 (95% CI 8.0 to 9.2) points (39.7% against 31.1%). They are less often obese in the highest band, by 5.6 (95% CI 5.2 to 5.9) points (25.3% against 30.9%), as women's rate falls across the bands and men's does not. Smoking falls with income for both sexes and the difference narrows, from 6.7 (95% CI 6.2 to 7.2) points in the lowest band to 2.9 (95% CI 2.7 to 3.1) in the highest.

### The slope with income differs by behavior and, for obesity, by sex

Table 5 sets the rate in the highest band against the rate in the lowest for six measures, separately for women and men. Binge drinking is the only measure that is higher in the highest band, and it is higher by 6.0 (95% CI 5.6 to 6.5) points for men and 6.2 (95% CI 5.8 to 6.5) for women, a difference between the sexes of 0.1 (95% CI −0.4 to 0.7) points whose interval includes zero.

For obesity the difference is −14.4 (95% CI −14.8 to −13.9) points for women and −0.2 (95% CI −0.7 to 0.3) for men, and the men's interval includes zero. The women's difference is 14.2 (95% CI 13.5 to 14.8) points steeper than the men's.

Smoking is steeper for men, with a difference of −19.7 (95% CI −20.1 to −19.3) points against −15.9 (95% CI −16.2 to −15.6) for women, which is 3.8 (95% CI 3.2 to 4.3) points steeper. For fair or poor health the two differences are close, at −29.7 for men and −30.6 for women.

Table 5. The obesity difference between the highest and the lowest income band is −14.4 points for women and −0.2 for men

Reviews of the literature report an inverse association between socioeconomic status and obesity in high-income countries,[5][6] and the earlier of the two found it most clearly among women.[5] The survey shows the same sex difference for income in the United States over 2014 to 2024. The obesity rate of men is nearly the same in the lowest and highest bands, and the rate of women is not.

### Smoking separates by education and, between the sexes, by race and ethnicity

The smoking rate is highest among adults with the least schooling and the lowest income, and the table of rates by schooling and income shows a row in which the rate falls least with income (Table 6). Among adults who did not finish high school the rate is 28.0% in the lowest band and 23.2% in the highest, a difference of 4.8 (95% CI 3.4 to 6.2) points, and it does not fall at every step.

Among college graduates it goes from 13.6% to 4.4%, a difference of 9.1 (95% CI 8.7 to 9.6) points. Across all incomes the rate is 24.7% among adults who did not finish high school and 5.8% among college graduates.

Table 6. Smoking is 28.0% among adults who did not finish high school in the lowest income band and 4.4% among college graduates in the highest

Men smoke more than women, 16.5% of men against 12.8% of women, but the difference depends on race and ethnicity (Table 7). It is 1.7 (95% CI 1.6 to 1.9) points among White non-Hispanic adults and 8.1 (95% CI 7.7 to 8.5) among Hispanic adults, with Black non-Hispanic adults at 7.0 (95% CI 6.5 to 7.4), adults of another race, non-Hispanic, at 5.9 (95% CI 5.4 to 6.4) and multiracial non-Hispanic adults at 3.3 (95% CI 2.2 to 4.4).

Across the five groups, men's rates run from 13.5% (95% CI 13.1% to 14.0%) to 21.9% (95% CI 21.2% to 22.7%) and women's from 7.6% (95% CI 7.4% to 7.9%) to 18.6% (95% CI 17.9% to 19.4%), with multiracial non-Hispanic adults highest for both sexes. Women's rates differ more across groups than men's, so the size of the difference follows the women's rates.

White women smoke at 14.5% and Hispanic women at 7.6%, against 16.3% and 15.8% for men. Men's rate is above women's in all 25 cells of race and ethnicity by income band, with an interval above zero in 25.

Table 7. Men smoke more than women by 1.7 points among non-Hispanic White adults and 8.1 among Hispanic adults

Cross-national work describes the difference between the sexes in smoking as a stage in the spread of cigarettes, which reach men before women.[7][8] The pattern across groups here fits that account, but one survey period cannot show a diffusion over time.

### Evidence on whether income changes drinking and smoking

> Causal evidence: Lottery winnings, smoking and drinking (Natural experiment: size of lottery winnings among winners)
>
> The comparisons above cannot say whether more income changes what a person drinks or smokes. Apouey and Clark studied this with a British household panel in which respondents reported winnings from the national lottery, football pools and other gambling. Winners differ from non-winners in who plays, so they compared larger winners with smaller ones, on the argument that the amount won is largely outside the player's control.[9] Larger winnings were associated with more smoking and with more frequent social drinking, meaning going out for a drink at a pub or club. The paper reports a positive effect of winnings on mental health and no significant effect on self-assessed general health.[9]
>
> The study covers gambling windfalls among British adults in the 1990s and 2000s. Its drinking outcome is how often a person goes out for a drink, not binge drinking, and it does not estimate what a lasting difference in household income of the size between the BRFSS bands would do in the United States. The BRFSS comparisons in this chapter are descriptive.

### What these data cannot show

Every measure in this chapter is reported by the respondent in a telephone interview, so the estimates describe what adults say. Respondents may under-report their drinking and their weight, and the data cannot show whether that differs by income, sex or race. The 2024 survey year is provisional. The intervals reflect the survey's sampling design and weights. They do not cover the adults who could not be reached or declined to take part, or the 19.4% of adults who gave no household income and are left out of every band.

The data are a repeated cross-section, not a panel. A person in the highest band and a person in the lowest are different people, so the gradients say how behavior differs across incomes and not how it changes when one person's income changes. The bands are household income in nominal dollars, not adjusted for household size or for prices. The highest band holds 46.1% of respondents who gave an income in 2024 against 30.2% in 2014, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question, so pooling the years mixes survey years with different bands. The binge drinking difference between the highest band and the lowest is similar before and after that change. Income, age, schooling and race are related. The age, education and race and ethnicity panels compare within one of them at a time and only for binge drinking, and the other figures are not age-adjusted.

The groups are those BRFSS defines. The Hispanic group may be of any race, and the other-race group combines populations whose drinking and smoking differ. Binge drinking is a measure of quantity on one occasion, and a person who binges once in a month is counted with a person who binges every week. BRFSS locates respondents by state and, for some respondents, by metro status, which is missing for a large share of respondents and is not used here, so the results say nothing about neighborhoods. The person-level results here and the tract-level results of Chapter 7.1, Health behaviors and the supply of care (https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-and-the-supply-of-care) come from different measures, survey responses in one and modeled estimates in the other, so neither confirms the other. Whether the drinking measured here relates to the alcohol-related deaths mapped in Chapter 8.2, Overdose, alcohol and suicide (https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/overdose-alcohol-and-suicide) is outside what BRFSS can show.

## Tables

### Table 1. Binge drinking rose from 13.3% to 20.4% of adults across the five income bands while smoking, obesity and inactivity fell

Percent of adults in the states and DC with each behavior, by household income band, BRFSS 2015 to 2024 for binge drinking and 2014 to 2024 for the other three, with 95% confidence intervals

| Behavior | Income band | Percent of adults | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Binge drinking | Under $20K | 13.3 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 450,791 |
| Binge drinking | $20K to $35K | 14.6 | 14.4 | 14.8 | 614,141 |
| Binge drinking | $35K to $50K | 16.2 | 15.9 | 16.4 | 464,109 |
| Binge drinking | $50K to $75K | 17.6 | 17.4 | 17.9 | 553,063 |
| Binge drinking | $75K or more | 20.4 | 20.3 | 20.6 | 1,254,573 |
| Binge drinking | Under $20K | 12.5 | 12.0 | 12.9 | 121,580 |
| Binge drinking | $20K to $35K | 13.8 | 13.4 | 14.1 | 222,223 |
| Binge drinking | $35K to $50K | 14.8 | 14.4 | 15.2 | 176,553 |
| Binge drinking | $50K to $75K | 16.3 | 16.0 | 16.6 | 221,026 |
| Binge drinking | $75K to $100K | 18.2 | 17.8 | 18.6 | 184,694 |
| Binge drinking | $100K to $150K | 19.7 | 19.4 | 20.1 | 193,860 |
| Binge drinking | $150K to $200K | 21.3 | 20.7 | 21.8 | 87,864 |
| Binge drinking | $200K or more | 22.1 | 21.5 | 22.6 | 93,005 |
| Current smoking | Under $20K | 25.7 | 25.4 | 25.9 | 531,816 |
| Current smoking | $20K to $35K | 20.1 | 19.9 | 20.3 | 707,394 |
| Current smoking | $35K to $50K | 16.5 | 16.2 | 16.7 | 529,537 |
| Current smoking | $50K to $75K | 13.6 | 13.4 | 13.8 | 624,088 |
| Current smoking | $75K or more | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 1,392,590 |
| Current smoking | Under $20K | 23.4 | 22.9 | 23.9 | 126,031 |
| Current smoking | $20K to $35K | 18.1 | 17.8 | 18.5 | 229,441 |
| Current smoking | $35K to $50K | 14.6 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 181,626 |
| Current smoking | $50K to $75K | 12.1 | 11.8 | 12.4 | 226,612 |
| Current smoking | $75K to $100K | 9.7 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 189,175 |
| Current smoking | $100K to $150K | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 198,439 |
| Current smoking | $150K to $200K | 6.1 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 89,948 |
| Current smoking | $200K or more | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 95,390 |
| Obesity | Under $20K | 36.0 | 35.7 | 36.3 | 512,939 |
| Obesity | $20K to $35K | 34.5 | 34.2 | 34.7 | 687,969 |
| Obesity | $35K to $50K | 33.4 | 33.1 | 33.7 | 516,714 |
| Obesity | $50K to $75K | 33.0 | 32.7 | 33.2 | 609,779 |
| Obesity | $75K or more | 28.4 | 28.3 | 28.6 | 1,365,694 |
| Obesity | Under $20K | 37.9 | 37.3 | 38.5 | 121,701 |
| Obesity | $20K to $35K | 36.8 | 36.4 | 37.3 | 223,523 |
| Obesity | $35K to $50K | 35.7 | 35.2 | 36.2 | 177,690 |
| Obesity | $50K to $75K | 35.4 | 35.0 | 35.8 | 222,115 |
| Obesity | $75K to $100K | 34.0 | 33.5 | 34.5 | 185,249 |
| Obesity | $100K to $150K | 33.4 | 32.9 | 33.8 | 194,989 |
| Obesity | $150K to $200K | 30.1 | 29.5 | 30.8 | 88,636 |
| Obesity | $200K or more | 23.2 | 22.7 | 23.8 | 94,433 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | Under $20K | 38.2 | 37.9 | 38.5 | 537,736 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $20K to $35K | 32.2 | 32.0 | 32.5 | 718,497 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $35K to $50K | 26.1 | 25.8 | 26.3 | 536,832 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $50K to $75K | 21.1 | 20.8 | 21.3 | 632,292 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $75K or more | 13.6 | 13.5 | 13.7 | 1,411,844 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | Under $20K | 39.4 | 38.8 | 40.0 | 131,164 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $20K to $35K | 33.4 | 33.0 | 33.8 | 238,962 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $35K to $50K | 27.2 | 26.7 | 27.6 | 188,133 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $50K to $75K | 21.3 | 21.0 | 21.7 | 233,764 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $75K to $100K | 17.5 | 17.1 | 17.9 | 194,948 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $100K to $150K | 13.5 | 13.2 | 13.9 | 204,250 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $150K to $200K | 10.9 | 10.5 | 11.4 | 92,704 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | $200K or more | 8.1 | 7.7 | 8.5 | 98,299 |

Views: Five income bands, 2014 to 2024 (view = five); Eight income bands, 2021 to 2024 (view = eight).

Note: Respondents who did not know their household income or declined to give it are left out of the bands, 19.4% of adults. The five bands group the income categories that BRFSS used in every year. The categories are in nominal dollars, so the highest band holds 30.2% of respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question.

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Note: Every measure is self-reported by telephone. Estimates describe the people who answered, and BRFSS geography stops at the state, so they say nothing about tracts.

Source: BRFSS 2014-2024 public-use files (binge drinking from 2015), weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/behaviors_by_income.json

### Table 2. The rise in binge drinking with income holds within age groups and education levels and differs by race and ethnicity

Percent of adults who binged in the past month by household income band within age group, education level, and race and ethnicity, BRFSS 2015 to 2024

#### Table 2.1. By age group

In each age group binge drinking is higher in the highest income band than in the lowest, by 10.2 points at ages 18 to 29 and 65 and older

Percent of adults who binged in the past month by household income band, four age groups, BRFSS 2015 to 2024

| Age group | Income band | Percent of adults | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 18 to 29 | Under $20K | 22.3 | 21.7 | 23.0 | 53,527 |
| 18 to 29 | $20K to $35K | 24.7 | 24.1 | 25.2 | 75,758 |
| 18 to 29 | $35K to $50K | 26.6 | 26.0 | 27.3 | 55,347 |
| 18 to 29 | $50K to $75K | 28.5 | 27.9 | 29.2 | 58,025 |
| 18 to 29 | $75K or more | 32.5 | 32.0 | 33.0 | 98,374 |
| 30 to 44 | Under $20K | 15.7 | 15.2 | 16.2 | 68,510 |
| 30 to 44 | $20K to $35K | 18.4 | 17.9 | 18.9 | 93,637 |
| 30 to 44 | $35K to $50K | 21.0 | 20.5 | 21.6 | 74,973 |
| 30 to 44 | $50K to $75K | 23.2 | 22.7 | 23.7 | 102,182 |
| 30 to 44 | $75K or more | 25.9 | 25.6 | 26.2 | 294,181 |
| 45 to 64 | Under $20K | 11.3 | 11.0 | 11.7 | 162,187 |
| 45 to 64 | $20K to $35K | 12.6 | 12.2 | 13.0 | 170,206 |
| 45 to 64 | $35K to $50K | 14.1 | 13.6 | 14.5 | 134,364 |
| 45 to 64 | $50K to $75K | 14.5 | 14.1 | 14.9 | 186,248 |
| 45 to 64 | $75K or more | 16.9 | 16.7 | 17.1 | 540,009 |
| 65 and older | Under $20K | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 163,483 |
| 65 and older | $20K to $35K | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 270,018 |
| 65 and older | $35K to $50K | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 195,888 |
| 65 and older | $50K to $75K | 6.0 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 202,563 |
| 65 and older | $75K or more | 6.9 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 311,719 |

#### Table 2.2. By education

Within each education level binge drinking is higher in the highest income band, by 12.7 points for adults who did not finish high school and 3.5 for college graduates

Percent of adults who binged in the past month by household income band, four education levels, BRFSS 2015 to 2024

| Education level | Income band | Percent of adults | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Did not finish high school | Under $20K | 11.7 | 11.3 | 12.2 | 89,482 |
| Did not finish high school | $20K to $35K | 14.7 | 14.1 | 15.3 | 59,975 |
| Did not finish high school | $35K to $50K | 17.3 | 16.3 | 18.4 | 20,704 |
| Did not finish high school | $50K to $75K | 20.0 | 18.7 | 21.5 | 12,176 |
| Did not finish high school | $75K or more | 24.4 | 23.0 | 26.0 | 13,268 |
| High school graduate | Under $20K | 12.7 | 12.3 | 13.1 | 176,340 |
| High school graduate | $20K to $35K | 14.3 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 231,398 |
| High school graduate | $35K to $50K | 16.6 | 16.2 | 17.0 | 141,970 |
| High school graduate | $50K to $75K | 18.6 | 18.1 | 19.0 | 126,631 |
| High school graduate | $75K or more | 23.3 | 22.9 | 23.8 | 162,563 |
| Some college | Under $20K | 15.4 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 123,117 |
| Some college | $20K to $35K | 14.8 | 14.4 | 15.2 | 195,972 |
| Some college | $35K to $50K | 15.9 | 15.5 | 16.3 | 153,035 |
| Some college | $50K to $75K | 17.5 | 17.1 | 17.8 | 172,120 |
| Some college | $75K or more | 21.7 | 21.3 | 22.0 | 278,348 |
| College graduate | Under $20K | 15.2 | 14.6 | 15.8 | 60,504 |
| College graduate | $20K to $35K | 15.3 | 14.8 | 15.7 | 125,543 |
| College graduate | $35K to $50K | 15.4 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 147,709 |
| College graduate | $50K to $75K | 16.6 | 16.3 | 16.9 | 241,590 |
| College graduate | $75K or more | 18.7 | 18.5 | 18.8 | 799,249 |

#### Table 2.3. By race and ethnicity

Binge drinking is higher in the highest income band by 8.6 points among non-Hispanic White adults and 10.3 among Hispanic adults, and by 0.5 among non-Hispanic Black adults

Percent of adults who binged in the past month by household income band, five race and ethnicity groups as BRFSS defines them, BRFSS 2015 to 2024

| Race and ethnicity | Income band | Percent of adults | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| White, non-Hispanic | Under $20K | 13.0 | 12.8 | 13.3 | 275,676 |
| White, non-Hispanic | $20K to $35K | 13.7 | 13.5 | 13.9 | 433,459 |
| White, non-Hispanic | $35K to $50K | 15.8 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 356,207 |
| White, non-Hispanic | $50K to $75K | 17.8 | 17.5 | 18.0 | 446,702 |
| White, non-Hispanic | $75K or more | 21.7 | 21.5 | 21.8 | 1,043,464 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | Under $20K | 13.3 | 12.8 | 13.8 | 61,641 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | $20K to $35K | 13.5 | 13.0 | 14.1 | 58,764 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | $35K to $50K | 14.9 | 14.1 | 15.6 | 36,009 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | $50K to $75K | 13.9 | 13.2 | 14.7 | 35,243 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | $75K or more | 13.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 59,333 |
| Other race, non-Hispanic | Under $20K | 11.7 | 10.9 | 12.6 | 28,856 |
| Other race, non-Hispanic | $20K to $35K | 12.1 | 11.3 | 13.0 | 30,152 |
| Other race, non-Hispanic | $35K to $50K | 12.1 | 11.2 | 13.1 | 20,159 |
| Other race, non-Hispanic | $50K to $75K | 13.0 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 22,237 |
| Other race, non-Hispanic | $75K or more | 12.7 | 12.2 | 13.3 | 57,224 |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic | Under $20K | 15.6 | 14.3 | 17.1 | 12,949 |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic | $20K to $35K | 17.2 | 16.0 | 18.5 | 14,072 |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic | $35K to $50K | 20.1 | 18.5 | 21.7 | 9,793 |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic | $50K to $75K | 19.0 | 17.6 | 20.4 | 10,918 |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic | $75K or more | 21.2 | 20.1 | 22.3 | 22,847 |
| Hispanic | Under $20K | 13.9 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 63,202 |
| Hispanic | $20K to $35K | 18.0 | 17.4 | 18.6 | 67,969 |
| Hispanic | $35K to $50K | 20.0 | 19.2 | 20.9 | 35,225 |
| Hispanic | $50K to $75K | 22.3 | 21.3 | 23.2 | 30,905 |
| Hispanic | $75K or more | 24.1 | 23.4 | 24.9 | 56,142 |

Note: Respondents who did not know their household income or declined to give it are left out of the bands, 19.4% of adults. The five bands group the income categories that BRFSS used in every year. The categories are in nominal dollars, so the highest band holds 30.2% of respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question.

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Note: Age groups, education levels and race and ethnicity groups are the BRFSS calculated categories. The four education levels are no high school diploma, a high school diploma, some college or technical school, and a college or technical school degree. Race and ethnicity has five groups; the Hispanic group may be of any race.

Source: BRFSS 2015-2024 public-use files, weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/binge_within_groups.json

### Table 3. Binge drinking is higher in the highest income band than in the lowest in all 51 jurisdictions, and smoking is lower in all 51

Rate in the highest household income band minus the rate in the lowest, percentage points of adults, by state and the District of Columbia, BRFSS 2015 to 2024 for binge drinking and 2014 to 2024 for smoking

| Measure | State | Difference (points) | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents in the two bands |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Binge drinking | Alabama | 5.1 | 3.8 | 6.5 | 22,132 |
| Binge drinking | Alaska | 4.7 | 2.3 | 7.1 | 18,795 |
| Binge drinking | Arizona | 5.2 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 37,600 |
| Binge drinking | Arkansas | 4.3 | 2.5 | 6.1 | 17,920 |
| Binge drinking | California | 6.0 | 4.9 | 7.0 | 45,940 |
| Binge drinking | Colorado | 6.7 | 5.5 | 7.9 | 44,591 |
| Binge drinking | Connecticut | 6.2 | 4.9 | 7.5 | 43,306 |
| Binge drinking | Delaware | 7.0 | 5.2 | 8.8 | 15,780 |
| Binge drinking | District of Columbia | 13.1 | 10.7 | 15.5 | 18,026 |
| Binge drinking | Florida | 7.5 | 6.1 | 8.9 | 52,789 |
| Binge drinking | Georgia | 5.2 | 3.8 | 6.6 | 27,715 |
| Binge drinking | Hawaii | 3.6 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 34,030 |
| Binge drinking | Idaho | 6.4 | 4.7 | 8.0 | 19,584 |
| Binge drinking | Illinois | 6.7 | 5.2 | 8.1 | 25,131 |
| Binge drinking | Indiana | 8.5 | 7.3 | 9.7 | 36,284 |
| Binge drinking | Iowa | 11.2 | 9.9 | 12.6 | 33,575 |
| Binge drinking | Kansas | 6.5 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 51,800 |
| Binge drinking | Kentucky | 10.2 | 8.7 | 11.8 | 22,343 |
| Binge drinking | Louisiana | 10.6 | 9.1 | 12.0 | 19,904 |
| Binge drinking | Maine | 6.3 | 4.9 | 7.8 | 39,103 |
| Binge drinking | Maryland | 5.7 | 4.4 | 6.9 | 68,318 |
| Binge drinking | Massachusetts | 8.4 | 7.0 | 9.7 | 36,575 |
| Binge drinking | Michigan | 8.1 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 38,454 |
| Binge drinking | Minnesota | 8.4 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 67,343 |
| Binge drinking | Mississippi | 7.7 | 6.2 | 9.2 | 18,082 |
| Binge drinking | Missouri | 9.6 | 8.1 | 11.0 | 29,469 |
| Binge drinking | Montana | 6.1 | 4.6 | 7.7 | 23,613 |
| Binge drinking | Nebraska | 10.6 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 53,614 |
| Binge drinking | Nevada | 7.9 | 5.6 | 10.1 | 11,971 |
| Binge drinking | New Hampshire | 9.6 | 7.8 | 11.4 | 25,428 |
| Binge drinking | New Jersey | 6.4 | 4.8 | 8.0 | 34,305 |
| Binge drinking | New Mexico | 4.6 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 22,177 |
| Binge drinking | New York | 7.5 | 6.7 | 8.4 | 95,165 |
| Binge drinking | North Carolina | 7.0 | 5.6 | 8.3 | 18,903 |
| Binge drinking | North Dakota | 7.6 | 5.6 | 9.6 | 22,318 |
| Binge drinking | Ohio | 7.5 | 6.3 | 8.8 | 47,777 |
| Binge drinking | Oklahoma | 6.7 | 5.4 | 8.0 | 21,765 |
| Binge drinking | Oregon | 5.8 | 4.4 | 7.1 | 22,172 |
| Binge drinking | Pennsylvania | 8.2 | 6.7 | 9.7 | 21,333 |
| Binge drinking | Rhode Island | 7.1 | 5.4 | 8.9 | 23,732 |
| Binge drinking | South Carolina | 9.4 | 8.2 | 10.7 | 34,360 |
| Binge drinking | South Dakota | 5.2 | 2.6 | 7.8 | 23,776 |
| Binge drinking | Tennessee | 8.1 | 6.6 | 9.7 | 18,485 |
| Binge drinking | Texas | 7.4 | 5.9 | 8.8 | 47,898 |
| Binge drinking | Utah | 2.7 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 46,474 |
| Binge drinking | Vermont | 6.1 | 4.3 | 7.9 | 27,137 |
| Binge drinking | Virginia | 5.4 | 4.1 | 6.6 | 38,022 |
| Binge drinking | Washington | 5.9 | 4.9 | 6.8 | 74,985 |
| Binge drinking | West Virginia | 7.9 | 6.7 | 9.2 | 21,040 |
| Binge drinking | Wisconsin | 7.7 | 5.9 | 9.5 | 27,748 |
| Binge drinking | Wyoming | 4.7 | 2.5 | 6.8 | 16,577 |
| Current smoking | Alabama | −23.1 | −24.6 | −21.7 | 25,862 |
| Current smoking | Alaska | −29.9 | −32.6 | −27.2 | 21,314 |
| Current smoking | Arizona | −15.4 | −16.7 | −14.1 | 43,911 |
| Current smoking | Arkansas | −26.5 | −28.3 | −24.6 | 20,251 |
| Current smoking | California | −9.1 | −9.9 | −8.2 | 51,083 |
| Current smoking | Colorado | −18.7 | −19.8 | −17.5 | 50,721 |
| Current smoking | Connecticut | −17.0 | −18.3 | −15.6 | 47,952 |
| Current smoking | Delaware | −17.8 | −19.8 | −15.9 | 17,868 |
| Current smoking | District of Columbia | −22.7 | −24.9 | −20.5 | 20,541 |
| Current smoking | Florida | −14.9 | −16.2 | −13.6 | 58,131 |
| Current smoking | Georgia | −18.5 | −19.9 | −17.1 | 31,002 |
| Current smoking | Hawaii | −14.3 | −15.6 | −13.0 | 37,541 |
| Current smoking | Idaho | −18.5 | −20.1 | −16.9 | 21,900 |
| Current smoking | Illinois | −15.3 | −16.8 | −13.8 | 27,952 |
| Current smoking | Indiana | −23.1 | −24.3 | −21.8 | 41,592 |
| Current smoking | Iowa | −20.5 | −21.9 | −19.2 | 37,013 |
| Current smoking | Kansas | −24.1 | −25.3 | −23.0 | 57,589 |
| Current smoking | Kentucky | −27.5 | −29.2 | −25.8 | 26,966 |
| Current smoking | Louisiana | −19.1 | −20.7 | −17.6 | 23,376 |
| Current smoking | Maine | −26.8 | −28.2 | −25.4 | 43,531 |
| Current smoking | Maryland | −17.2 | −18.6 | −15.8 | 76,105 |
| Current smoking | Massachusetts | −16.3 | −17.7 | −14.9 | 43,965 |
| Current smoking | Michigan | −25.2 | −26.4 | −23.9 | 42,477 |
| Current smoking | Minnesota | −18.9 | −19.9 | −17.9 | 75,694 |
| Current smoking | Mississippi | −19.1 | −20.7 | −17.5 | 20,273 |
| Current smoking | Missouri | −26.1 | −27.6 | −24.6 | 32,584 |
| Current smoking | Montana | −26.3 | −27.9 | −24.8 | 26,674 |
| Current smoking | Nebraska | −18.7 | −19.8 | −17.6 | 62,552 |
| Current smoking | Nevada | −15.7 | −18.1 | −13.4 | 13,704 |
| Current smoking | New Hampshire | −26.5 | −28.6 | −24.4 | 28,302 |
| Current smoking | New Jersey | −12.0 | −13.6 | −10.3 | 41,041 |
| Current smoking | New Mexico | −15.7 | −17.0 | −14.3 | 26,116 |
| Current smoking | New York | −12.1 | −12.9 | −11.2 | 101,119 |
| Current smoking | North Carolina | −19.5 | −21.1 | −17.9 | 22,204 |
| Current smoking | North Dakota | −17.1 | −19.0 | −15.2 | 25,970 |
| Current smoking | Ohio | −26.6 | −27.9 | −25.3 | 52,993 |
| Current smoking | Oklahoma | −23.9 | −25.3 | −22.4 | 25,772 |
| Current smoking | Oregon | −21.3 | −22.8 | −19.9 | 24,599 |
| Current smoking | Pennsylvania | −20.2 | −21.8 | −18.6 | 26,060 |
| Current smoking | Rhode Island | −16.0 | −17.7 | −14.4 | 27,026 |
| Current smoking | South Carolina | −20.6 | −21.9 | −19.3 | 39,654 |
| Current smoking | South Dakota | −20.9 | −23.4 | −18.4 | 26,826 |
| Current smoking | Tennessee | −25.2 | −26.9 | −23.5 | 20,741 |
| Current smoking | Texas | −11.2 | −12.5 | −10.0 | 55,625 |
| Current smoking | Utah | −13.3 | −14.4 | −12.2 | 53,042 |
| Current smoking | Vermont | −22.9 | −24.6 | −21.3 | 30,207 |
| Current smoking | Virginia | −19.2 | −20.5 | −17.9 | 42,791 |
| Current smoking | Washington | −19.2 | −20.3 | −18.1 | 80,378 |
| Current smoking | West Virginia | −28.5 | −29.9 | −27.1 | 23,595 |
| Current smoking | Wisconsin | −20.2 | −21.9 | −18.5 | 31,091 |
| Current smoking | Wyoming | −19.9 | −22.1 | −17.8 | 19,130 |

Views: Binge drinking (measure = Binge drinking); Current smoking (measure = Current smoking).

Note: Respondents who did not know their household income or declined to give it are left out of the bands, 19.4% of adults. The five bands group the income categories that BRFSS used in every year. The categories are in nominal dollars, so the highest band holds 30.2% of respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question.

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Source: BRFSS 2014-2024 public-use files (binge drinking from 2015), weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/gradient_by_state.json

### Table 4. Men binge drink more than women in every income band, by 8.5 to 9.2 points

Percent of adults who binged in the past month by sex and household income band, BRFSS 2015 to 2024, with 95% confidence intervals

| Measure | Sex | Income band | Percent of adults | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents |
| --- | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Binge drinking | Men | Under $20K | 18.3 | 17.9 | 18.7 | 170,518 |
| Binge drinking | Men | $20K to $35K | 19.6 | 19.3 | 20.0 | 253,196 |
| Binge drinking | Men | $35K to $50K | 20.5 | 20.2 | 20.9 | 211,271 |
| Binge drinking | Men | $50K to $75K | 22.1 | 21.7 | 22.4 | 265,095 |
| Binge drinking | Men | $75K or more | 24.3 | 24.1 | 24.5 | 657,924 |
| Binge drinking | Women | Under $20K | 9.7 | 9.4 | 9.9 | 280,085 |
| Binge drinking | Women | $20K to $35K | 10.5 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 360,747 |
| Binge drinking | Women | $35K to $50K | 11.9 | 11.6 | 12.2 | 252,750 |
| Binge drinking | Women | $50K to $75K | 13.0 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 287,884 |
| Binge drinking | Women | $75K or more | 15.8 | 15.6 | 16.0 | 596,461 |
| Obesity | Men | Under $20K | 31.1 | 30.7 | 31.6 | 198,642 |
| Obesity | Men | $20K to $35K | 31.3 | 31.0 | 31.7 | 291,809 |
| Obesity | Men | $35K to $50K | 32.0 | 31.6 | 32.4 | 242,454 |
| Obesity | Men | $50K to $75K | 32.8 | 32.5 | 33.2 | 300,974 |
| Obesity | Men | $75K or more | 30.9 | 30.7 | 31.1 | 733,927 |
| Obesity | Women | Under $20K | 39.7 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 314,114 |
| Obesity | Women | $20K to $35K | 37.3 | 37.0 | 37.7 | 395,965 |
| Obesity | Women | $35K to $50K | 34.9 | 34.5 | 35.3 | 274,183 |
| Obesity | Women | $50K to $75K | 33.2 | 32.8 | 33.5 | 308,724 |
| Obesity | Women | $75K or more | 25.3 | 25.1 | 25.6 | 631,594 |
| Current smoking | Men | Under $20K | 29.5 | 29.1 | 29.9 | 200,372 |
| Current smoking | Men | $20K to $35K | 23.1 | 22.8 | 23.4 | 291,391 |
| Current smoking | Men | $35K to $50K | 18.9 | 18.6 | 19.3 | 240,761 |
| Current smoking | Men | $50K to $75K | 15.7 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 298,532 |
| Current smoking | Men | $75K or more | 9.8 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 728,129 |
| Current smoking | Women | Under $20K | 22.8 | 22.5 | 23.1 | 331,241 |
| Current smoking | Women | $20K to $35K | 17.5 | 17.2 | 17.7 | 415,794 |
| Current smoking | Women | $35K to $50K | 14.0 | 13.7 | 14.3 | 288,686 |
| Current smoking | Women | $50K to $75K | 11.4 | 11.2 | 11.7 | 325,465 |
| Current smoking | Women | $75K or more | 6.9 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 664,260 |

Views: Binge drinking (measure = Binge drinking); Obesity (measure = Obesity); Current smoking (measure = Current smoking).

Note: Respondents who did not know their household income or declined to give it are left out of the bands, 19.4% of adults. The five bands group the income categories that BRFSS used in every year. The categories are in nominal dollars, so the highest band holds 30.2% of respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question.

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Source: BRFSS 2014-2024 public-use files (binge drinking from 2015), weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/sex_by_income.json

### Table 5. The obesity difference between the highest and the lowest income band is −14.4 points for women and −0.2 for men

Rate in the highest household income band minus the rate in the lowest, percentage points of adults, by measure and sex, BRFSS 2014 to 2024 (binge drinking 2015 to 2024)

| Measure | Sex | Difference (points) | Lower limit of the 95% interval | Upper limit of the 95% interval | Respondents in the two bands |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Binge drinking | Women | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 876,546 |
| Binge drinking | Men | 6.0 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 828,442 |
| Current smoking | Women | −15.9 | −16.2 | −15.6 | 995,501 |
| Current smoking | Men | −19.7 | −20.1 | −19.3 | 928,501 |
| Obesity | Women | −14.4 | −14.8 | −13.9 | 945,708 |
| Obesity | Men | −0.2 | −0.7 | 0.3 | 932,569 |
| Diabetes | Women | −11.8 | −12.1 | −11.5 | 1,006,571 |
| Diabetes | Men | −8.5 | −8.9 | −8.2 | 952,929 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | Women | −25.7 | −26.1 | −25.3 | 1,009,313 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | Men | −22.6 | −23.1 | −22.1 | 939,848 |
| Fair or poor health | Women | −30.6 | −31.0 | −30.3 | 1,023,026 |
| Fair or poor health | Men | −29.7 | −30.2 | −29.3 | 952,294 |

Note: Respondents who did not know their household income or declined to give it are left out of the bands, 19.4% of adults. The five bands group the income categories that BRFSS used in every year. The categories are in nominal dollars, so the highest band holds 30.2% of respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question.

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Note: Obesity is a body mass index of 30 or more from self-reported height and weight. Diabetes is a diagnosis reported by the respondent: prediabetes counts as no diabetes, and respondents with diabetes only during pregnancy are left out of the denominator. Fair or poor health is the respondent's rating of general health.

Source: BRFSS 2014-2024 public-use files (binge drinking from 2015), weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/gradient_by_behavior_and_sex.json

### Table 6. Smoking is 28.0% among adults who did not finish high school in the lowest income band and 4.4% among college graduates in the highest

Percent of adults who currently smoke by education level and household income band, BRFSS 2014 to 2024

| band | conf_high | conf_low | education | estimate | n |
| --- | ---: | ---: | --- | ---: | ---: |
| Under $20K | 28.48 | 27.47 | Did not finish high school | 27.97 | 107,166 |
| $20K to $35K | 25.20 | 23.98 | Did not finish high school | 24.59 | 69,781 |
| $35K to $50K | 24.96 | 22.91 | Did not finish high school | 23.92 | 23,739 |
| $50K to $75K | 27.78 | 25.07 | Did not finish high school | 26.40 | 13,858 |
| $75K or more | 24.51 | 21.90 | Did not finish high school | 23.18 | 15,060 |
| Under $20K | 27.62 | 26.84 | High school graduate | 27.23 | 208,946 |
| $20K to $35K | 21.99 | 21.34 | High school graduate | 21.66 | 268,241 |
| $35K to $50K | 19.63 | 18.85 | High school graduate | 19.24 | 162,535 |
| $50K to $75K | 18.15 | 17.37 | High school graduate | 17.76 | 143,885 |
| $75K or more | 14.85 | 14.19 | High school graduate | 14.52 | 181,529 |
| Under $20K | 24.80 | 23.91 | Some college | 24.35 | 144,056 |
| $20K to $35K | 19.46 | 18.81 | Some college | 19.13 | 224,209 |
| $35K to $50K | 16.75 | 16.04 | Some college | 16.39 | 174,273 |
| $50K to $75K | 14.54 | 13.92 | Some college | 14.23 | 193,584 |
| $75K or more | 11.09 | 10.66 | Some college | 10.87 | 309,247 |
| Under $20K | 14.06 | 13.15 | College graduate | 13.60 | 70,037 |
| $20K to $35K | 11.21 | 10.56 | College graduate | 10.88 | 143,684 |
| $35K to $50K | 8.70 | 8.18 | College graduate | 8.44 | 168,202 |
| $50K to $75K | 7.19 | 6.79 | College graduate | 6.99 | 272,154 |
| $75K or more | 4.54 | 4.37 | College graduate | 4.45 | 885,429 |

Note: Respondents who did not know their household income or declined to give it are left out of the bands, 19.4% of adults. The five bands group the income categories that BRFSS used in every year. The categories are in nominal dollars, so the highest band holds 30.2% of respondents who gave an income in 2014 and 46.1% in 2024, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question.

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Note: Current smoking is at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime and smoking every day or some days now. Education is the level the respondent completed; college includes technical school.

Source: BRFSS 2014-2024 public-use files, weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/smoking_by_education_and_income.json

### Table 7. Men smoke more than women by 1.7 points among non-Hispanic White adults and 8.1 among Hispanic adults

Percent of adults who currently smoke by sex within five race and ethnicity groups, BRFSS 2014 to 2024, with 95% confidence intervals

| group | hi_m | hi_w | lo_m | lo_w | men | n_m | n_w | women |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| White, non-Hispanic | 16.37 | 14.61 | 16.13 | 14.41 | 16.25 | 1,553,398 | 1,898,894 | 14.51 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 20.61 | 13.54 | 19.84 | 12.99 | 20.22 | 134,857 | 211,073 | 13.26 |
| Other race, non-Hispanic | 13.98 | 7.97 | 13.12 | 7.34 | 13.55 | 107,849 | 107,257 | 7.65 |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic | 22.67 | 19.37 | 21.15 | 17.88 | 21.90 | 44,344 | 48,941 | 18.62 |
| Hispanic | 16.11 | 7.88 | 15.42 | 7.41 | 15.76 | 161,479 | 185,066 | 7.64 |

Note: Intervals are 95% confidence intervals from the survey's stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based, Taylor linearization). No cell rests on fewer than 30 respondents. The survey is a repeated cross-section of adults in the states and the District of Columbia; Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are not included.

Note: Groups are those BRFSS defines: White, Black, another race and multiracial adults are non-Hispanic, and Hispanic adults may be of any race. The Hispanic and other-race groups each combine populations whose smoking differs.

Source: BRFSS 2014-2024 public-use files, weighted (BRFSS final weight) with design-based intervals

Data: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/smoking_gap_by_race.json

## All estimates

Every fact in facts.json (124), sorted by id.

| Fact id | Value | Unit | Estimand | Population | Period | Interval | n | Weights | Source | Note |
| --- | ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- | --- | --- |
| age_gap_old | 2.6 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia ages 65 and older: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 2.3 to 2.9 | 475,202 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| age_gap_young | 10.2 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia ages 18 to 29: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 9.4 to 11.0 | 151,901 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| age_old | 65 | count in a definition | definition: the youngest age in the oldest group | the youngest age in the oldest group | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| age_young_hi | 29 | count in a definition | definition: the oldest age in the youngest group | the oldest age in the youngest group | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| age_young_lo | 18 | count in a definition | definition: the youngest age in the survey and in the youngest group | the youngest age in the survey and in the youngest group | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| binge8_75 | 18.2% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the $75,000 to $99,999 band: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2021-2024 | 95% CI 17.8% to 18.6% | 184,694 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge8_top | 22.1% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the $200,000 or more band: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2021-2024 | 95% CI 21.5% to 22.6% | 93,005 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_black_poor | 13.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Black non-Hispanic adults in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 12.8% to 13.8% | 61,641 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_black_rich | 13.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Black non-Hispanic adults in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 13.2% to 14.3% | 59,333 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_coll_poor | 15.2% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 14.6% to 15.8% | 60,504 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_coll_rich | 18.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 18.5% to 18.8% | 799,249 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_gap | 7.2 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest and lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 6.9 to 7.5 | 1,705,364 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_men_poor | 18.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 17.9% to 18.7% | 170,518 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_men_rich | 24.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 24.1% to 24.5% | 657,924 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_nohs_poor | 11.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 11.3% to 12.2% | 89,482 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_nohs_rich | 24.4% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 23.0% to 26.0% | 13,268 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_old_poor | 4.4% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia ages 65 and older in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 4.2% to 4.6% | 163,483 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_old_rich | 6.9% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia ages 65 and older in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 6.7% to 7.1% | 311,719 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_poor | 13.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 13.0% to 13.5% | 450,791 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_rich | 20.4% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 20.3% to 20.6% | 1,254,573 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_sex_diff | 0.1 | percentage points, women's difference between the highest and the lowest income band minus men's | difference between the women's and the men's income-band differences; standard errors added in quadrature (disjoint groups of respondents) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI −0.4 to 0.7 | 1,704,988 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_white_poor | 13.0% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | White non-Hispanic adults in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 12.8% to 13.3% | 275,676 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_white_rich | 21.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | White non-Hispanic adults in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 21.5% to 21.8% | 1,043,464 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_women_poor | 9.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 9.4% to 9.9% | 280,085 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| binge_women_rich | 15.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 15.6% to 16.0% | 596,461 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| bmi_cut | 30 | count in a definition | definition: the body mass index at which an adult counts as obese | the body mass index at which an adult counts as obese | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| cell_floor | 30 | count in a definition | definition: the smallest number of respondents behind any published cell | the smallest number of respondents behind any published cell | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| cells_gap_n | 25 | cells | count of cells: five groups by five income bands | race and ethnicity by income band cells | BRFSS 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| cells_gap_pos | 25 | cells | count of cells where the 95% interval of the smoking difference between men and women is above zero | race and ethnicity by income band cells | BRFSS 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| cigs_life | 100 | count in a definition | definition: the lifetime cigarettes that make a smoker | the lifetime cigarettes that make a smoker | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| cut_low | $20,000 | dollars of annual household income | definition: income band edge | upper limit of the lowest income band | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| cut_top | $75,000 | dollars of annual household income | definition: income band edge | lower limit of the highest income band | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| days_past | 30 | count in a definition | definition: days in the period the binge drinking question covers | days in the period the binge drinking question covers | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| drinks_men | 5 | count in a definition | definition: drinks on one occasion that make a binge for men | drinks on one occasion that make a binge for men | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| drinks_women | 4 | count in a definition | definition: drinks on one occasion that make a binge for women | drinks on one occasion that make a binge for women | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (definition) | BRFSS |   |
| edu_gap_coll | 3.5 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 2.9 to 4.1 | 859,753 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| edu_gap_nohs | 12.7 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 11.1 to 14.2 | 102,750 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| gap_after | 7.5 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; before and after BRFSS changed its income question in 2021 | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest and lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | 2021-2024 | 95% CI 7.0 to 8.0 | 681,003 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| gap_before | 7.3 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; before and after BRFSS changed its income question in 2021 | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest and lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | 2015-2020 | 95% CI 6.9 to 7.6 | 1,024,361 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_binge_men | 6.0 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 5.6 to 6.5 | 828,442 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_binge_women | 6.2 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 5.8 to 6.5 | 876,546 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_fairpoor_men | −29.7 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men: fair or poor self-rated health | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI −30.2 to −29.3 | 952,294 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_fairpoor_women | −30.6 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women: fair or poor self-rated health | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI −31.0 to −30.3 | 1,023,026 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_obese_men | −0.2 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI −0.7 to 0.3 | 932,569 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_obese_women | −14.4 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI −14.8 to −13.9 | 945,708 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_smoke_men | −19.7 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI −20.1 to −19.3 | 928,501 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| grad_smoke_women | −15.9 | percentage points of adults, richest minus poorest of five income bands | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI −16.2 to −15.6 | 995,501 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| inactive_gap | 24.6 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest and lowest of five household income bands: no leisure-time physical activity in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 24.3 to 24.9 | 1,949,580 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| inactive_poor | 38.2% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: no leisure-time physical activity in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 37.9% to 38.5% | 537,736 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| inactive_rich | 13.6% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: no leisure-time physical activity in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 13.5% to 13.7% | 1,411,844 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| inc_missing | 19.4% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the share who did not know or refused to give a household income, or left it blank | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 19.3% to 19.5% | 4,790,742 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| low_share_20 | 15.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; share in the lowest of five bands (bands are in nominal dollars) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who reported a household income band | 2020 | 95% CI 15.4% to 16.1% | 316,015 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| low_share_21 | 11.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; share in the lowest of five bands (bands are in nominal dollars) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who reported a household income band | 2021 | 95% CI 11.6% to 12.1% | 338,675 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| n_adults | 4,790,742 | respondents | count of interviews in the public-use files | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| n_binge_bands | 3,336,677 | respondents | count of respondents behind the five binge drinking estimates by income band | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia with an income band and an answer to the binge drinking question | BRFSS 2015-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| n_binge_years | 10 | survey years | definition: the binge drinking question is in the files from 2015 | BRFSS public-use files | 2015-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| n_income_bands | 5 | income bands | definition: five bands common to all years | household income bands used in the chapter | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| n_jur | 51 | states and the District of Columbia | count of jurisdictions in the analysis | the 50 states and the District of Columbia | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS | Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are in the BRFSS files and outside the analysis. |
| n_years | 11 | survey years | definition: survey years 2014 to 2024 | BRFSS public-use files | 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| obese8_150 | 30.1% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the $150,000 to $199,999 band: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2021-2024 | 95% CI 29.5% to 30.8% | 88,636 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese8_top | 23.2% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the $200,000 or more band: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2021-2024 | 95% CI 22.7% to 23.8% | 94,433 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_gap | 7.6 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest and lowest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 7.2 to 7.9 | 1,878,633 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_men_poor | 31.1% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men in the lowest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 30.7% to 31.6% | 198,642 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_men_rich | 30.9% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men in the highest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 30.7% to 31.1% | 733,927 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_mw_rich | 5.6 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 5.2 to 5.9 | 1,365,521 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_poor | 36.0% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 35.7% to 36.3% | 512,939 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_rich | 28.4% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 28.3% to 28.6% | 1,365,694 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_steeper | 14.2 | percentage points steeper for women than for men (richest minus poorest band, women's difference minus men's, sign reversed) | difference between the women's and the men's income-band differences; standard errors added in quadrature (disjoint groups of respondents) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 13.5 to 14.8 | 1,878,277 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_wm_poor | 8.6 | percentage points of adults, higher among women than among men | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 8.0 to 9.2 | 512,756 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_women_poor | 39.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women in the lowest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 39.4% to 40.1% | 314,114 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| obese_women_rich | 25.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women in the highest of five household income bands: obesity (BMI 30 or more, self-reported height and weight) | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 25.1% to 25.6% | 631,594 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| race_gap_black | 0.5 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Black non-Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI −0.3 to 1.2 | 120,974 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| race_gap_hisp | 10.3 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 9.3 to 11.2 | 119,344 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| race_gap_multi | 5.5 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | multiracial non-Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 3.7 to 7.3 | 35,796 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| race_gap_other | 1.0 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults of another race, non-Hispanic in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 0.0 to 2.1 | 86,080 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| race_gap_white | 8.6 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | White non-Hispanic adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 8.3 to 8.9 | 1,319,140 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| ratio_poor | 1.9 | ratio of rates, men to women | ratio of two weighted shares from different groups of respondents, log-scale interval from the two standard errors in quadrature | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 1.8 to 2.0 | 450,603 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| ratio_rich | 1.5 | ratio of rates, men to women | ratio of two weighted shares from different groups of respondents, log-scale interval from the two standard errors in quadrature | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 1.5 to 1.6 | 1,254,385 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| sexgap_max | 9.2 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the income band with the largest difference: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 8.7 to 9.6 | 613,943 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| sexgap_min | 8.5 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the income band with the smallest difference: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 8.2 to 8.8 | 1,254,385 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke8_75 | 9.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the $75,000 to $99,999 band: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2021-2024 | 95% CI 9.4% to 10.0% | 189,175 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke8_top | 4.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the $200,000 or more band: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2021-2024 | 95% CI 4.0% to 4.6% | 95,390 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_coll_poor | 13.6% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school in the lowest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 13.1% to 14.1% | 70,037 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_coll_rich | 4.4% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school in the highest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 4.4% to 4.5% | 885,429 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_edu_coll | 5.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 5.8% to 5.9% | 1,783,216 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_edu_nohs | 24.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 24.4% to 25.0% | 301,438 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_gap | 17.2 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest and lowest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 16.9 to 17.4 | 1,924,406 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_gap_coll | 9.1 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who graduated from college or technical school: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 8.7 to 9.6 | 955,466 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_gap_nohs | 4.8 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 3.4 to 6.2 | 122,226 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_men_all | 16.5% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 16.4% to 16.6% | 2,049,062 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_men_hi | 21.9% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the highest rate of the five race and ethnicity groups | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men and multiracial non-Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 21.2% to 22.7% | 44,344 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_men_hisp | 15.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men and Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 15.4% to 16.1% | 161,479 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_men_lo | 13.5% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the lowest rate of the five race and ethnicity groups | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men and of another race, non-Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 13.1% to 14.0% | 107,849 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_men_white | 16.3% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are men and White non-Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 16.1% to 16.4% | 1,553,398 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_nohs_poor | 28.0% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school in the lowest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 27.5% to 28.5% | 107,166 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_nohs_rich | 23.2% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who did not finish high school in the highest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 21.9% to 24.5% | 15,060 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_poor | 25.7% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 25.4% to 25.9% | 531,816 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_rich | 8.5% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 8.4% to 8.6% | 1,392,590 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_black | 7.0 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Black non-Hispanic adults: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 6.5 to 7.4 | 345,930 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_hisp | 8.1 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | Hispanic adults: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 7.7 to 8.5 | 346,545 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_multi | 3.3 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | multiracial non-Hispanic adults: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 2.2 to 4.4 | 93,285 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_other | 5.9 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults of another race, non-Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 5.4 to 6.4 | 215,106 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_poor | 6.7 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the lowest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 6.2 to 7.2 | 531,613 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_rich | 2.9 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the highest of five household income bands: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 2.7 to 3.1 | 1,392,389 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_sexgap_white | 1.7 | percentage points of adults, higher among men than among women | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | White non-Hispanic adults: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 1.6 to 1.9 | 3,452,292 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_steeper_men | 3.8 | percentage points steeper for men than for women (richest minus poorest band, women's difference minus men's) | difference between the women's and the men's income-band differences; standard errors added in quadrature (disjoint groups of respondents) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 3.2 to 4.3 | 1,924,002 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_women_all | 12.8% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 12.7% to 12.9% | 2,492,615 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_women_hi | 18.6% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the highest rate of the five race and ethnicity groups | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women and multiracial non-Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 17.9% to 19.4% | 48,941 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_women_hisp | 7.6% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women and Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 7.4% to 7.9% | 185,066 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_women_lo | 7.6% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the lowest rate of the five race and ethnicity groups | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women and Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 7.4% to 7.9% | 185,066 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| smoke_women_white | 14.5% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who are women and White non-Hispanic: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 14.4% to 14.6% | 1,898,894 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| state_max | 13.1 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the jurisdiction with the largest difference | adults in the District of Columbia: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 10.7 to 15.5 | 18,026 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| state_md | 5.7 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval | adults in Maryland: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 4.4 to 6.9 | 68,318 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| state_min | 2.7 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the jurisdiction with the smallest difference | adults in Utah: binge drinking in the past 30 days | BRFSS 2015-2024 | 95% CI 1.6 to 3.7 | 46,474 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| state_n_pos | 51 | states and the District of Columbia | count of jurisdictions where the binge drinking rate is higher in the highest income band than in the lowest | the 50 states and the District of Columbia | BRFSS 2015-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| state_n_sig | 51 | states and the District of Columbia | count of jurisdictions where the 95% interval of that difference is above zero | the 50 states and the District of Columbia | BRFSS 2015-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| state_smoke_hi | 29.9 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the jurisdiction with the largest difference | adults in Alaska: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 27.2 to 32.6 | 21,314 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| state_smoke_lo | 9.1 | percentage points of adults, lower in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the jurisdiction with the smallest difference | adults in California: current cigarette smoking | BRFSS 2014-2024 | 95% CI 8.2 to 9.9 | 51,083 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| state_smoke_n_neg | 51 | states and the District of Columbia | count of jurisdictions where the 95% interval of the smoking difference (highest minus lowest income band) is below zero | the 50 states and the District of Columbia | BRFSS 2014-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |
| top_share_14 | 30.2% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; share in the highest of five bands (bands are in nominal dollars) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who reported a household income band | 2014 | 95% CI 29.9% to 30.5% | 386,053 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| top_share_24 | 46.1% | percent of adults | design-based weighted share of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; share in the highest of five bands (bands are in nominal dollars) | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who reported a household income band | 2024 | 95% CI 45.7% to 46.4% | 364,440 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| year_max | 8.3 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the survey year with the largest difference | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, survey year 2022: binge drinking in the past 30 days | 2022 | 95% CI 7.3 to 9.2 | 164,332 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| year_min | 6.7 | percentage points of adults, higher in the highest income band | design-based difference between two weighted shares of respondents, Taylor-linearized 95% interval; the survey year with the smallest difference | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, survey year 2024: binge drinking in the past 30 days | 2024 | 95% CI 5.8 to 7.7 | 182,498 respondents | BRFSS final weight (xllcpwt); stratum and primary sampling unit for the interval | BRFSS |   |
| year_n_pos | 10 | survey years | count of survey years in which the 95% interval of the binge drinking difference (highest minus lowest income band) is above zero | adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia | BRFSS 2015-2024 |   |   | none (count) | BRFSS |   |

## Definitions

- Modeled estimate: A figure produced by a statistical model instead of a direct count or measurement, usually for small areas where direct data are thin, borrowing strength from surveys, neighboring areas or other data. Neighboring areas can share errors, so single extremes call for caution.
- Ecological inference: Drawing conclusions about individuals from data about places or groups. A pattern across counties need not hold for the people inside them.
- Survey weights: Numbers attached to survey respondents that say how many people in the population each one represents, so that results describe the whole population and not only the people who answered.

## Methods

These estimates compare adults interviewed in successive annual surveys. Survey weights account for how the sample represents the covered population, and the uncertainty calculation uses the survey design. Different questions and income comparisons use different eligible subsets; the interviews do not follow the same adults over time. The public files locate a respondent no more finely than the state, so none of these comparisons is a neighborhood comparison.

### Who was interviewed

Estimates use the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) public-use files for 2014 to 2024, 4,874,919 respondents in all, of whom 4,790,742 are adults in the 50 states and the District of Columbia; the 84,177 respondents in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are left out.

The survey is a repeated cross-section, not a panel, and its geography stops at the state (metro status is missing for most respondents).

Explains Table 3.

### What the behavior measures mean

Binge drinking is the BRFSS calculated variable for five or more drinks for men or four or more for women on one occasion in the past 30 days.

Current smoking, obesity (BMI of 30 or more from self-reported height and weight), no leisure-time physical activity, fair or poor health and race and ethnicity are BRFSS calculated variables; diabetes is a reported diagnosis, prediabetes counts as no diabetes, and diabetes only during pregnancy leaves the denominator.

Explains Table 5 and Table 7.

### Which years each question covers

Binge drinking is in the files from 2015, so its estimates cover 2015 to 2024 and the other measures cover 2014 to 2024.

### Making income bands comparable

Household income was recorded in eight categories through 2020 and in eleven from 2021, which split the top category. The five bands group categories that exist in every year (under $20,000, $20,000 to $34,999, $35,000 to $49,999, $50,000 to $74,999, $75,000 or more) and the eight-band view uses the 2021 to 2024 categories. Respondents who did not know or refused to give income are left out of the bands.

Gradients are the rate in the highest income band minus the rate in the lowest. The 2021 change in the income question is checked by estimating the binge difference separately for 2015 to 2020 and 2021 to 2024.

Explains Table 1 and Table 4.

### Weights and uncertainty

Every estimate is a weighted share with the BRFSS final weight, computed on the full frame with the group or domain as a subpopulation, so that strata and sampling units outside a group keep their place in the variance.

A cell is published only with 30 or more respondents. Strata with a single sampling unit are merged with a neighbor in the same state and year.

Intervals are 95% intervals from Taylor linearization with the survey's strata (made year-specific) and primary sampling units; shares use a logit interval, differences a normal interval.

In the public files each respondent is a primary sampling unit, so two groups of respondents are independent and the standard error of a difference of two group estimates is the two standard errors added in quadrature; the build checks this against the design-based gap estimator to within 0.03%.

## What these data cannot show

Every measure in this chapter is reported by the respondent in a telephone interview, so the estimates describe what adults say. Respondents may under-report their drinking and their weight, and the data cannot show whether that differs by income, sex or race. The 2024 survey year is provisional. The intervals reflect the survey's sampling design and weights. They do not cover the adults who could not be reached or declined to take part, or the 19.4% of adults who gave no household income and are left out of every band.

The data are a repeated cross-section, not a panel. A person in the highest band and a person in the lowest are different people, so the gradients say how behavior differs across incomes and not how it changes when one person's income changes. The bands are household income in nominal dollars, not adjusted for household size or for prices. The highest band holds 46.1% of respondents who gave an income in 2024 against 30.2% in 2014, and part of that shift is a step at the 2021 change in the income question, so pooling the years mixes survey years with different bands. The binge drinking difference between the highest band and the lowest is similar before and after that change. Income, age, schooling and race are related. The age, education and race and ethnicity panels compare within one of them at a time and only for binge drinking, and the other figures are not age-adjusted.

The groups are those BRFSS defines. The Hispanic group may be of any race, and the other-race group combines populations whose drinking and smoking differ. Binge drinking is a measure of quantity on one occasion, and a person who binges once in a month is counted with a person who binges every week. BRFSS locates respondents by state and, for some respondents, by metro status, which is missing for a large share of respondents and is not used here, so the results say nothing about neighborhoods. The person-level results here and the tract-level results of Chapter 7.1, Health behaviors and the supply of care (https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-and-the-supply-of-care) come from different measures, survey responses in one and modeled estimates in the other, so neither confirms the other. Whether the drinking measured here relates to the alcohol-related deaths mapped in Chapter 8.2, Overdose, alcohol and suicide (https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/overdose-alcohol-and-suicide) is outside what BRFSS can show.

## References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023). Calculated Variables in the 2022 BRFSS Data File. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, technical documentation, 29 September 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/2022/pdf/2022-calculated-variables-version4-508.pdf
2. Bohm, Michele K.; Liu, Yong; Esser, Marissa B.; Mesnick, Jessica B.; Lu, Hua; Pan, Yi; Greenlund, Kurt J. (2021). Binge Drinking Among Adults, by Select Characteristics and State - United States, 2018. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 70(41): 1441-1446. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7041a2
3. Collins, Susan E. (2016). Associations Between Socioeconomic Factors and Alcohol Outcomes. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews 38(1): 83-94. https://doi.org/10.35946/arcr.v38.1.11
4. Keyes, Katherine M.; Hasin, Deborah S. (2008). Socio-economic status and problem alcohol use: the positive relationship between income and the DSM-IV alcohol abuse diagnosis. Addiction 103(7): 1120-1130. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02218.x
5. Sobal, Jeffery; Stunkard, Albert J. (1989). Socioeconomic status and obesity: A review of the literature. Psychological Bulletin 105(2): 260-275. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.105.2.260
6. McLaren, L. (2007). Socioeconomic Status and Obesity. Epidemiologic Reviews 29: 29-48. https://doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxm001
7. Lopez, A. D.; Collishaw, N. E.; Piha, T. (1994). A descriptive model of the cigarette epidemic in developed countries. Tobacco Control 3(3): 242-247. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.3.3.242
8. Pampel, Fred C. (2006). Global Patterns and Determinants of Sex Differences in Smoking. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 47(6): 466-487. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020715206070267
9. Apouey, Benedicte; Clark, Andrew E. (2015). Winning big but feeling no better? The effect of lottery prizes on physical and mental health. Health Economics 24(5): 516-538. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.3035

## Provenance

- Pipeline version: 0.1.0
- Build script: book2/chapters/health-behaviors-person-by-person/build.py (sha256 841ecebcc35363bb5a1dd456307d73de44c0b27f8c25cd4fc773e3cabe4ddab8)
- Built on: 2026-10-07
- Site commit: c2b1ff3309cb4a10833f884da91ac0057a66ad0a

Inputs:

| File | Size (bytes) | SHA-256, first 1 MB | SHA-256, last 1 MB |
| --- | ---: | --- | --- |
| book2/chapters/health-behaviors-person-by-person/compute.py | 6,233 | 255c772d43009a45081e2bd14aab8555040b209143e24ef49533dd650cb5b31d | 255c772d43009a45081e2bd14aab8555040b209143e24ef49533dd650cb5b31d |
| book2/chapters/health-behaviors-person-by-person/survey.py | 7,022 | de7a95901b95620dd0b52eeb4dd2330496e5508893f76c99bc092b9f0cc76eec | de7a95901b95620dd0b52eeb4dd2330496e5508893f76c99bc092b9f0cc76eec |

Outputs:

| File | SHA-256 |
| --- | --- |
| facts.json | 57ddf5dd12fa5810873f9a306edf28e7911d21de5b1eb9503cdbe624c4742d4b |
| figures/behaviors_by_income.json | 5bcba1357eda7c97bcd11b599dbf66f1dd494a61d92e2a03d18df287c8c8eae1 |
| figures/binge_within_groups.json | ada479126f6e66cd1b0cc4d3fa2063f300de915b299e01c63f14236b22dcc7c5 |
| figures/gradient_by_behavior_and_sex.json | c56eb60c776db16ee7cf2d91ac3162288059152383fc41dcfc96d5f8367ab227 |
| figures/gradient_by_state.json | 5bf8b8de803954b95d7065370f3824faa39add297075757affe6b8108e4b7962 |
| figures/sex_by_income.json | 97f9b81291dbd91dd17517f7c95b4bc46e90970d03b43bcb33cca658e005cec0 |
| figures/smoking_by_education_and_income.json | e8923099e4a2e2015405a66015b8a147d0700a41937bad4ed9c58eec2d31bda8 |
| figures/smoking_gap_by_race.json | 44681fc98c22a3ce902383c1d70aa4d6b46d0bc2826b7587a0b0a08ed421cb27 |
| meta.json | 5680f2b6c400e4ee9a4a1436151dce75b158f3711e030184e05e44d9a0f60f25 |
| refs.json | bd44e4f82a27501a2097869bf4cdda64ef6c1ae34a6d541abe2338b210794bb4 |

## Machine formats

- Report (HTML): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person/report
- Report (Markdown): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/health-behaviors-person-by-person/report.md
- Every estimate (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/facts.json
- Table 1, figure "behaviors_by_income" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/behaviors_by_income.json
- Table 2, figure "binge_within_groups" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/binge_within_groups.json
- Table 3, figure "gradient_by_state" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/gradient_by_state.json
- Table 4, figure "sex_by_income" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/sex_by_income.json
- Table 5, figure "gradient_by_behavior_and_sex" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/gradient_by_behavior_and_sex.json
- Table 6, figure "smoking_by_education_and_income" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/smoking_by_education_and_income.json
- Table 7, figure "smoking_gap_by_race" (JSON): https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/report/health-behaviors-person-by-person/figures/smoking_gap_by_race.json
- Index of every report: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/llms.txt; all reports in one file: https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/llms-full.txt