Are people in your state up to no good? There’s a way to find out.
Personal Finance website WalletHub just released a ranking of all 50 states form most to least sinful. WalletHub based its ranking on “54 key indicators of immoral or illicit behavior” that include violent crime data, rates of excessive drinking and gambling rates.
“Red states and blue states may like to point to one another as the source of all that is wrong with the U.S., but the truth is that each of the 50 states has its own virtues and vices,” said WalletHub. “For example, New Mexico has the worst drug problem, and it certainly comes as no surprise that Nevada is the most gambling-addicted.”
Nevada’s largest city, well-known gambling destination Las Vegas, has even earned the nickname “Sin City.” It landed in the top overall spot.
“The state also has the most prostitution arrests in the U.S. and the second-highest number of fast food restaurants, showing that lust and gluttony both have a hold,” said WalletHub.
California landed in second place “thanks largely to the prevalence of violence,” such as mass shootings and elder abuse complaints, the site noted. Vanity (measured by plastic surgery searches on Google) and internet searches for strip clubs and porn also kept it high on the list.
Wyoming – the least populous state in the nation – was at the other side of the sin spectrum, ranking dead last.
If, like Billy Joel, you think it’s better to “laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints” check out the country’s sinning hot spots here with the full list:
(Hint: you can do both in the No. 3 spot, depending on how the New Orleans football season is going.)
1. Nevada
2. California
3. Louisiana
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. Tennessee
7. Mississippi
8. Illinois
9. Arizona
10. New York
11. Georgia
12. South Carolina
13. Oklahoma
14. New Jersey
15. Pennsylvania
16. Delaware
17. Alabama
18. Colorado
19. Arkansas
20. Missouri
21. New Mexico
22. North Carolina
23. Washington
24. Ohio
25. Michigan
26. Virginia
27. West Virginia
28. Maryland
29. Oregon
30. Montana
31. Kentucky
32. Massachusetts
33. Indiana
34. Rhode Island
35. Wisconsin
36. Alaska
37. Kansas
38. Hawaii
39. North Dakota
40. Connecticut
41. South Dakota
42. Nebraska
43. Iowa
44. Utah
45. Minnesota
46. Maine
47. Vermont
48. Idaho
49. New Hampshire
50. Wyoming
While the ranking tracks a variety of trends, WalletHub Analyst Chris Lupo said people in every state have their own moral struggles, “from violent outbursts and bullying to compulsive gambling, excessive lust and self-destructive consumption.”
“States should invest in resources to help people curb vices, such as robust rehabilitation programs for people with gambling and drug addictions,” said Lupo.