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As Americans increasingly re-evaluate their drinking habits, sober curiosity is becoming more than just a trend. It’s a growing movement fueled by the desire to improve health, enhance well-being, and even save money. Understanding this shift, we conducted a nationwide survey to explore how people are embracing the idea of drinking less or giving up alcohol entirely. From spending habits to motivations and regional differences, our findings paint a comprehensive picture of how sober curiosity is taking root across the country.
Sober curiosity is no longer a niche concept—it’s on its way to becoming a significant cultural shift. As more Americans re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol, we set out to learn more about the trend directly from them. Here’s what we uncovered about their evolving perspectives on drinking less or giving up alcohol altogether.
The trend toward drinking less, or at least interest in it, is seen across all demographics but younger generations seem to be more open to rethinking their habits.
Cutting back on alcohol isn’t just about drinking less. When asked about where the motivation to cut back comes from, for many it’s tied to broader goals of self-improvement:
In fact, 36% of Americans believe that the personal changes they aspire to achieve cannot happen without reducing their alcohol intake.
Social settings and perceptions can play a large role in how Americans view their relationship with alcohol consumption.
47% of Americans planned on participating in either Dry or Damp January, with 18% aiming to abstain completely and 28% planning to cut back significantly. Among daily drinkers, planned participation increases to 57%.
The data suggests that sober curiosity is not just a fleeting trend but a reflection of deeper cultural and personal shifts. Americans are rethinking their drinking habits for a variety of reasons, from improving health to saving money, and many are finding empowerment in the growing acceptance of drinking less.
Next, we’ll take a closer look at the states leading the charge, revealing where sober curiosity is most popular across the U.S.
Dry (or Damp) January—a month-long break from (or severe reduction in) alcohol—is gaining momentum:
Sober curiosity isn’t just growing nationally—its momentum varies across the country. Our survey found that while 56% of Americans plan to drink less in 2025 than they did in 2024 and 47% planned on participating in Dry January this year, some states have more buy-in on it than others. Here’s what we learned about regional differences in sober curiosity.
Some states are leading the charge in rethinking alcohol consumption, with residents showing a stronger-than-average interest in cutting back. Below are the states with the highest percentages of people who report wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption.
1. Ohio: 74.4%
2. Louisiana: 68.3%
3. Illinois: 63.4%
4. Oklahoma: 61.5%
5. New Mexico: 61%
The high interest in drinking less in these states may reflect broader health trends or economic pressures, such as rising costs of living that make saving money a priority. But no matter the motivation, sober curiosity is a movement that spreads across the country from the Northeast to the Southwest.
Dry January continues to gain traction, with certain states showing a higher-than-average commitment to participating. These are the states where planned participation in Dry January is the highest.
1. New Mexico: 63.4%
2. Ohio: 59%
3. Mississippi: 56.1%
4. Georgia: 54.8%
5. Delaware: 54.3%
Participation in Dry January often mirrors broader cultural shifts. Earlier we learned that the top motivator for any interest in sobriety for six in ten people was to improve their health. During a time where people often resolve to better themselves, residents in states like New Mexico and Ohio could be using the month of January as a launching pad to achieve this goal.
Sober curiosity is taking root in states across the U.S., with regional trends highlighting both shared and unique motivations. Next, we’ll explore the fiscal part of the sobriety equation and find out how much Americans are spending on alcohol and what that means for their goals of cutting back.
One of the most overlooked benefits of a more sober lifestyle is its potential to save money. Alcohol costs can add up quickly, with the average American spending $94 per month on alcohol. For men, that number increases to $100, and for women, it’s about $80. Daily drinkers spend even more, averaging $178 per month, while weekly drinkers spend around $127. Cutting back, or cutting out alcohol entirely, can result in significant savings over time.
Some states stand out for their high average monthly spending on alcohol, offering residents the greatest potential savings.
1. Nevada: $147.68
2. Hawaii: $125.61
3. Maryland: $116.21
4. Illinois: $113.08
5. Texas: $103.95
Residents of Nevada, home to Las Vegas’s renowned nightlife scene, unsurprisingly top the list with nearly $150 spent every week. The high cost of living in Hawaii likely contributes to its residents’ above-average spending.
If residents in each of those five states went from being sober curious to sober, they’d save over $1,250 on average over the course of a year. If they reduced their intake by 50%, they’d still have over $600 more in savings by the holidays in 2025.
More States With Big Savings Potential
6. New Mexico: $99.14
7. Virginia: $98.49
8. Georgia: $96.92
9. New Jersey: $90.64
10. Iowa: $85.73
While New Mexico and Georgia have already shown strong sober-curious movements, their potential savings highlight another compelling reason to cut back. Virginia and New Jersey, known for their high-density urban areas, also see significant spending.
From Nevada’s nightlife to Hawaii’s cost of living, the financial benefits of cutting back on alcohol are evident. By spending less on alcohol, residents in these states could free up hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year on top of the potential health benefits.
Sober curiosity is clearly gaining traction, driven by short- and long-term goals like improving health, enhancing well-being, and saving money. Our survey shows that Americans are increasingly re-evaluating their drinking habits, with many embracing the idea of drinking less or giving it up altogether.
This growing movement clearly ties into larger health considerations. Excessive alcohol consumption is closely linked to weight management and blood sugar levels, both of which can negatively impact one’s overall health. MyRx Outlet supports these goals by offering affordable prescriptions for weight loss and diabetes management. So if you’re someone in need of these types of medications at an affordable price, contact us today.
To determine the U.S. states that are the most sober curious, we surveyed more than 3,400 people over two weeks in December 2024, asking them questions about their typical drinking habits, if they’d like to change them, if they plan on using social challenges like Dry January as a starting point on how to do that, and what their main motivators are behind a reduction in alcohol consumption.
We also asked about how much money people spend on alcohol per month to see how much money sober curiosity could save people.
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