The Best and Worst Places to Be Sober in North Dakota Just Revealed

Remember back in the day when we were all around that 18-25 age range? It was nothing to go to a party on a Friday night, and it spilled into Saturday. My 21st came in August of 1995. Boone's Farm, Zima, and Miller Lite were constantly on the menu. Boy, those were the days! My friends and I partied hard, and I know we wouldn't change a single thing.

That said, we are all older now. Kids are in play, and we all have more responsibility.  Now is when the adult part of life starts. The best and worst cities in each state for sober living have been released by Smartstart.

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For the best sober cities, they looked for cities that ranked highly in fields like:

• Percentage of residents identifying as non-drinkers
• The average number of sober events per month per 100,000 residents
• Number of snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars per 100,000 residents
• Number of AA locations per 100,000 residents
• Number of treatment and recovery centers per 100,000 residents

They also looked for cities with low numbers in these areas:

• Number of drinking establishments per 100,000 residents
• Percentage of residents binge drinking in the past 30 days

Then they put all the data together and made some adjustments for each city’s population size, and here’s what they came up with:

• North Dakota's worst city for sobriety is Bismarck. Surprisingly, Grand Forks is the best city for sobriety.
• I hope our friends in Montana are not laughing. The best city for sobriety in the Treasure State is Billings. The worst is no surprise. It's Missoula.
• Out east, Minnesota's worst city for sobriety is Rochester, and the best in the state is St. Paul.
• South Dakota's best city for sobriety is Rapid City. The worst is Aberdeen.

It's interesting to see how different places compare in terms of sober living, even though we might not party as much as we once did. These lists offer some insight into changing lifestyles, whether you're searching for a location with lots of sober-friendly events or you're simply interested in how our area stacks up. Finding balance is a must no matter where you are, whether that means enjoying calmer, more responsible days or remembering all those crazy nights.