Oregon – Last year, Americans spent over $228 billion on alcohol for private consumption. The average adult spent $898. That national number gives an overall picture, but new research shows that the amount people spend on alcohol varies a lot from state to state, depending on the culture, economy, and demographics of the area. In 2024, Oregon was one of the states that spent the most on alcohol. The state’s spending was far more than the national average.
SmartAsset’s new study says that consumers in Oregon spent an average of $1,104.87 on alcohol in 2024. That number is slight increase of 0.72 percent from 2023, when the average person spent $1,096.95. Last year, people in Oregon spent about $3.64 billion on alcohol, which is more than the $3.58 billion they spent the year before. The rise, though not huge, shows that demand is constant and strong.
Oregon was ninth in the country for per-person alcohol spending, ahead of Washington and much ahead of states like California and Texas. Alaska, Wyoming, Colorado, and a few Northeastern states were the only ones that had higher average spending per adult. Alaska came in first, with people spending almost $1,250 each. Wyoming and Colorado were close after.
The survey also shows how different Oregon is from states where people spend a lot less on alcohol. Utah ranked last nationwide, with adults spending just over $606 per year, followed by West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. These discrepancies show that there are differences in regulations, income levels, age of the population, and social standards.
Between 2023 and 2024, most states had an increase in alcohol spending, but the rates of growth were different. Oregon’s growth was moderate compared to places like Montana, which saw the biggest rise at more than 49%. Still, Oregon’s continually high expenditure shows how important alcohol is to the state’s consumer economy, which has effects on taxes, public health, and community safety.
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The rankings are based on federal consumption data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, focusing on off-premises alcohol purchases by adults aged 21 and older.
