It’s not always the big cities and college towns that are getting ‘Kentucky drunk’ the most.

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as info-tainment. Don’t freak out.

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Is there anything wrong with being called the drunkest city in your state?

Especially in Kentucky, which drinks the 3rd least amount of beer and spirits every year. So someone has to pick up the slack, right? And boy do these cities below.

How do you decide how much a place drinks? By the number of available places to buy booze, and by how often people are talking about drinking, that’s how.

Plus, we thought why not add in a stereotype? Cause, you know, drinking is one reason for divorce, and something that divorced people do a lot of.

Using that criteria, it’s not hard to scrape the internet, run some scientific data on where partiers might live in Kentucky, and then put out a list.

Because, the data never lies, does it?

So, hold our beers and watch this. After analyzing all cities with a decent amount of people in them, we came up with this list as The Drunkest Cities in Kentucky:

As it turns out, many of these are smaller cities in Kentucky with many bars in town or nearby, where there’s a higher than average divorce rate. Studies have indicated that when one or both partners in a marriage are alcoholics, that couple is three times more likely to divorce.

Read on below to see where your town ranked.


What drunken criteria did we use?

In order to rank the drunkest cities in Kentucky, we had to determine what criteria defines someone who drinks a lot.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using Yelp and Sperling’s Best Places, this is the criteria we used:

Number of bars and pubs per capita

Number of wineries per capita

Number of liquor stores per capita

Each city’s drunk related tweets within the last week

Each city’s divorce rate

For geo-located tweets, we measured the following raw number of tweets that came from within a city’s general area: #Drunk, #Party, #Beer, #Wine and #Cocktails

Note: For the sake of getting reliable numbers, we counted places within a city’s border, as well as within a short driving distance.


1. Newport

Bar Louie, Newport, KY. Google Maps.

Population: 15,398

Divorce rate: 18.3%

Bars per capita: 6th in KY

Liquor stores per capita: 6th

Wow, Newport you are tore up from the floor up! We’re impressed. Based on the data and number of raw tweets coming from your location, per capita, it sounds like you are all having a really, really good time.

Is it because you guys are so close to the party town of Cincinnati? That’s most likely the reason that there are so many bars and liquor stores in Newport. Obviously, you guys are letting some Ohio peer pressure get to you.

And the divorce rate is the 19th highest in the state in Newport.

2. Bardstown

Bluegrass Tavern, Bardstown, KY. Google Maps

Population: 12,291

Divorce rate: 16.3%

Bars per capita: 12th in KY

Liquor stores per capita: 5th

Bardstown is a pretty blue collar place about 3 or 4 beers east of Elizabethtown. But we’re sure all you guys down there know all the back roads, right? (Wink, wink).

We saw a huge number of drunk tweets coming from the Louisville/Mt. Washington/Bardstown area, where people were talking about how many drunk drivers were on Bardstown Road (Route 150). Several of the people Tweeting were claiming to be drunk while driving.

Be aware.

3. Paducah

Fat Moe’s Bar & Grill, Paducah, KY. Google Maps

Population: 25,081

Divorce rate: 18.5%

Bars per capita: 14th in KY

Liquor stores per capita: 25th

There we go again – letting the Illinois drunks peer pressure you guys into drinking a lot. Here in Paducah, there are lots of bars and several liquor stores per capita, making it quite a lively and boozy place. The type of spot where you want to watch Kentucky basketball games.

And considering the high divorce rate here, Paducah can be a place where there’s lots and lots of drama. Meaning there’s lots of inebriated and vulnerable people wandering around with a straw in their mouth in this area.

4. Florence

Muggbees, Florence, KY. From their Facebook page

Population: 30,021

Divorce rate: 15.5%

Bars per capita: 12th in KY

Liquor stores per capita: 19th

Another Kentucky city near Cincinnati, Florence also has a high number of bars and liquor stores and a divorce rate that’s far higher than the state average.

Florence residents are gainfully employed, and earn great salaries. That just goes to show you – it’s possible to burn the candle at both ends. However, working hard and partying hard has taken a toll on the marriages in Florence, Ya’ll.

5. Lexington

West Sixth Brewing, Lexington, KY. From their Facebook page

Population: 296,766

Divorce rate: 12.3%

Bars per capita: 18th

Liquor stores per capita: 35th

Of course, when you have a college town, you can expect that there are lots and lots of opportunities to get plowed at all hours of the day. Lexington has way more bars and liquor stores per capita than Louisville does.

And that’s just the actual bars. No telling how many bars are opened up at 8 am inside of the dorms and frat houses.

Of course, the divorce rate is lower than average here. The kids here are too young to have experienced the ups and downs of settling down with someone who parties their butts off all the time. Just give them time. They’ll come to their senses.

6. Crestview Hills

The Pub, Crestview Hills, KY. Google Maps

Population: 3,123

Divorce rate: 15.2%

Bars per capita: 1st in KY

Liquor stores per capita: 32nd

This folks in this little fairly wealthy suburb of Cincinnati simply have too many distractions to focus on their relationships, since the divorce rate is really high. Perhaps too many nights out ordering the top shelf Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey, produced right there in Kentucky?

7. Brandenburg

The SHOP, Brandenburg, KY. From their Facebook page

Population: 2,702

Divorce rate: 20.86%

Bars per capita: 5th in KY

Liquor stores per capita: 12th

Holy Matrimony, Brandenburg! Your divorce rate is through the roof. Was it because of the frequent nights out?

Brandenburg is located way out along the Ohio River south of Louisville. Considering that the population here is really small, and everyone knows everyone else, you can bet there are lots of interesting moments near closing time in Brandenburg bars.

Gossip central.

8. Prestonsburg

Pig In A Poke, Prestonsburg, KY. Google Maps

Population: 3,308

Divorce rate: 15.9%

Bars per capita: 7th

Liquor stores per capita: 2nd

Man, Prestonsburg, you guys are a mess. Nearly 1 in 6 of you are divorced, 1 in 10 of you are unemployed, and you’re broke. Being way out in the sticks has really made it tough on you guys.

What are you gonna do while you’re waiting for another job and nursing that ego? Elbow up to the bar that’s what. You can’t keep a good man down, right?

9. Corbin

Old Town Grill, Corbin, KY. From their Facebook page

Population: 7,010

Divorce rate: 16%

Bars per capita: 18th

Liquor stores per capita: 35th

Corbin is another small, very poor, isolated place in Kentucky where there isn’t much to do except fish, hunt and drink. So you can’t really blame them. Just look at the city’s event calendar. Blank. https://www.corbin-ky.gov/newsite/event-calendar/

The people here are really motivated to get their buzz on, too. Despite being in a dry county, the residents lobbied to allow full retail alcohol sales, following a successful local election a few years back. When there’s a will, there’s a way, right Corbinites?

10. Frankfort

Cooter Brown’s, Frankfort, KY. From their Facebook page

Population: 26,745

Divorce rate: 19%

Drunk tweets per capita: 7th in the state

Bars per capita: 19th in KY

Frankfort is a little middle class city not too far from Lexington. If you take the back roads (for undisclosed reasons), it’d probably take you 45 minutes.

While there were only a few drunk Tweets coming from Frankfort, there were several people talking about heading off to children’s birthday parties. Hey, we won’t judge you guys for throwing back some cold ones at a 5 year old’s cupcake party.

This just about sums up the Frankfort Twitter notes:

“Goodnight Frankfort. I’m drunk.”

There You Have It

If you’re measuring the locations in Kentucky where there are a high number of divorced people, bars and liquor stores, and where people are talking about drinking the most often, this is an accurate list.

And while you might think the larger cities and college towns are ‘more drunk’ than these places, when you measure the percentage of people who have access to alcohol, and who are separated, it makes sense. Cause, the data never lies, does it?

If you’re curious enough, here are the least drunk places in Kentucky. Or the most sober, if you will:

Fort Campbell North (Pop. 13,761) Fort Knox (Pop. 10,919) Indian Hills (Pop. 2,855) Villa Hills (Pop. 7,417) Claryville (Pop. 2,515)

We also wrote about the 10 worst places in Kentucky in case you didn’t read it. Click here to see that story. https://www.roadsnacks.net/these-are-the-10-worst-places-to-live-in-kentucky/

Desktop users, here’s the complete chart:

City Divorce Rate Rank newport 18.33% 1 bardstown 16.30% 2 paducah 18.85% 3 florence 15.55% 4 lexington-fayette 12.37% 5 crestview hills 15.27% 6 brandenburg 20.86% 7 prestonsburg 15.91% 8 corbin 16.06% 9 frankfort 18.79% 10 vine grove 15.57% 11 carrollton 22.21% 12 crescent springs 14.22% 13 fort mitchell 14.60% 14 fulton 15.92% 15 wilder 13.90% 16 hebron 9.01% 17 mount sterling 17.76% 18 shepherdsville 16.10% 19 dayton 18.26% 20 covington 18.05% 21 somerset 16.99% 22 dawson springs 15.55% 23 prospect 7.05% 24 bellevue 12.22% 25 bowling green 11.79% 26 london 15.79% 27 ludlow 14.53% 27 eddyville 20.70% 29 walton 12.03% 30 maysville 10.55% 31 winchester 16.40% 32 lebanon 14.65% 33 russellville 19.03% 34 richmond 12.96% 35 lawrenceburg 18.45% 36 owensboro 15.83% 37 pikeville 13.82% 38 la grange 14.76% 39 morganfield 16.61% 40 henderson 16.38% 41 paintsville 21.29% 42 hopkinsville 15.46% 43 cynthiana 18.84% 44 hazard 11.83% 45 louisville 13.01% 46 paris 16.05% 47 fort wright 8.82% 48 cold spring 10.32% 49 ashland 16.75% 50 harrodsburg 18.27% 51 hardinsburg 16.05% 52 campbellsville 19.87% 53 madisonville 15.22% 54 crittenden 19.67% 55 shelbyville 16.81% 55 louisa 16.19% 57 nicholasville 14.40% 58 danville 15.96% 59 flemingsburg 18.88% 60 morgantown 15.60% 61 morehead 7.15% 62 springfield 11.20% 63 elizabethtown 14.46% 64 west liberty 18.72% 64 princeton 20.03% 66 mount vernon 17.04% 67 buckner 24.32% 68 hodgenville 17.22% 69 elsmere 14.13% 70 cadiz 12.86% 71 lakeside park 13.15% 72 berea 14.00% 73 mount washington 14.38% 74 murray 10.14% 75 scottsville 15.03% 76 stanford 17.71% 77 central city 13.83% 78 stanton 25.51% 79 union 6.36% 80 mayfield 16.13% 81 franklin 16.52% 82 greenville 21.86% 83 erlanger 13.18% 84 glasgow 15.42% 85 benton 17.06% 86 burlington 11.75% 86 highland heights 10.78% 88 farley 18.82% 89 beaver dam 15.81% 90 grayson 10.72% 91 calvert city 14.36% 92 marion 14.78% 93 brooks 17.82% 94 greensburg 14.30% 95 junction city 17.71% 96 park hills 10.12% 97 middletown 15.37% 98 southgate 13.20% 99 radcliff 14.73% 100 crestwood 12.15% 101 lancaster 10.39% 102 georgetown 13.54% 103 wilmore 3.72% 104 shively 15.13% 105 fort thomas 8.78% 106 williamstown 10.44% 107 elkton 12.84% 108 columbia 14.63% 109 barbourville 13.08% 110 lyndon 14.56% 111 graymoor-devondale 15.28% 112 hillview 15.02% 113 st. matthews 14.58% 114 middlesborough 15.17% 115 alexandria 4.08% 116 providence 14.87% 117 taylor mill 9.80% 118 oak grove 8.50% 119 independence 12.49% 120 monticello 13.68% 121 leitchfield 13.25% 122 hartford 14.18% 123 flatwoods 13.94% 124 edgewood 5.86% 125 williamsburg 12.56% 126 jeffersontown 12.97% 127 lexington-fayette 12.37% 128 douglass hills 11.09% 129 hendron 10.92% 130 russell 10.48% 131 hurstbourne 5.59% 132 reidland 8.66% 133 oakbrook 8.55% 134 massac 7.78% 135 raceland 7.54% 136 francisville 6.47% 137 claryville 6.15% 138 villa hills 5.21% 138 indian hills 5.12% 138 fort knox 4.45% 141 fort campbell north 3.25% 142

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