Appleton named "drunkest city in America," seven Wisconsin cities in the top 10

APPLETON -- Just six months after being rated the "drunkest city in Wisconsin," the city of Appleton has been upgraded. Appleton has been named the "drunkest city in America."

Considered by many to be the place to go to grab a drink, Appleton's entertainment district along College Avenue and its high number of bars was just one factor in the rating.

"Beer and cheese. Beer and cheese. Beer and cheese. It's like a rite of passage or something -- is how people treat it," an Appleton resident said.

The report, released by 24/7 Wall Street, analyzed self-reported data from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Seven of the top 10 cities are in Wisconsin -- with Oshkosh #2, and Green Bay #3. Milwaukee/Waukesha/West Allis is #17.

Here is the complete list:

20: Corvallis, Oregon

19: Iowa City, Iowa

18: Lincoln, Nebraska

17: Milwaukee/Waukesha/West Allis, Wisconsin

16: Janesville/Beloit, Wisconsin

15: Racine, Wisconsin

14: Grand Forks, North Dakota

13: Missoula, Montana

12: Sheboygan, Wisconsin

11: Wausau, Wisconsin

10: Mankato/North Mankato, Minnesota

9: Eau Claire, Wisconsin

8: Ames, Iowa

7: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

6: La Crosse/Onalaska, Wisconsin

5: Fargo, North Dakota

4: Madison, Wisconsin

3: Green Bay, Wisconsin

2: Oshkosh/Neenah, Wisconsin

1: Appleton, Wisconsin

Appleton's public health director said he's not surprised Appleton is #1.

"We've known for a long time both in Wisconsin and in Appleton that we have a culture of alcohol. I think part of that culture is being honest about reporting too," Kurt Eggebrecht said.

A map highlighting excessive drinking by county shows that Outagamie County is #1 -- at 27%, but Brown County, Calumet County and Winnebago County are close behind.

The state average is 23%, and it's as low as 12% in some communities outside Wisconsin.

"I think availability of alcohol, price of alcohol, is a factor as well. In Wisconsin, it's very inexpensive to purchase and drink alcohol compared to other states. So the availability and price I think do factor in," Eggebrecht said.

24/7 Wall Street also ranked the driest cities in America. CLICK HERE for that list.