
United States in close up on the map. Focus on the name of country.
GetFocusStudio/ShutterstockThe Top 10 Most Sinful States?
Let's face it... there's a lot wrong with the U.S. It doesn't take a genius to see that. Just watch the news. It's always one side blaming the other, right? But at the end of the day, we all have our own vices. And the same goes for each state!
WalletHub put together a list of the most sinful states in America. When it comes down to it, of course things like drugs and gambling are factors in some states. For other states, it may be smoking, drinking or some other harmful behaviors.
And, yes, some states are way more well-behaved than others. So WalletHub took a look at each state and used 47 key indicators of immoral or illicit behavior. The data they accumulated ranges from violent crimes per capita, excessive drinking, gambling and more.
We can only imagine that after 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these states' vices have only increased. On a personal level, many have found ways to cope with the unending stress that the pandemic continues to cause.
Some of the Findings
Georgia and South Carolina rank in the top 10 most sinful states in the United States. With Georgia coming in at number 8 and South Carolina falls right behind it at number 9.
When it came down to Most Violent Crimes per Capita, you've got Alaska, Arkansas, Louisana, New Mexico and Tennessee all tied for 1st. New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine were at the bottom of that list for the fewest violent crimes per capita.
As far as most thefts per capita? South Carolina unfortunately ranked number 5 on this list. Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado and Washington were the top 4.
The research also looked at gambling, time spent on adult entertainment sites, beauty salons and the percentage of adults who don't exercise. To learn more about these factors, scroll down to the bottom.
Here are the Top 10 Most Sinful States in the United States:
10. Illinois
WalletHub Vice Index: 48.77
Anger & Hatred: 10
Jealousy: 11
Excesses & Vices: 32
Greed: 46
Lust: 11
Vanity: 7
Laziness: 15
9. South Carolina
WalletHub Vice Index: 48.82
Anger & Hatred: 3
Jealousy: 10
Excesses & Vices: 12
Greed: 16
Lust: 21
Vanity: 26
Laziness: 10
8. Georgia
WalletHub Vice Index: 48.92
Anger & Hatred: 11
Jealousy: 3
Excesses & Vices: 29
Greed: 49
Lust: 17
Vanity: 10
Laziness: 9
7. Pennsylvania
WalletHub Vice Index: 49.96
Anger & Hatred: 34
Jealousy: 29
Excesses & Vices: 22
Greed: 12
Lust: 4
Vanity: 5
Laziness: 23
6. Tennessee
WalletHub Vice Index: 50.02
Anger & Hatred: 2
Jealousy: 14
Excesses & Vices: 6
Greed: 5
Lust: 13
Vanity: 21
Laziness: 21
5. Louisiana
WalletHub Vice Index: 50.14
Anger & Hatred: 4
Jealousy: 8
Excesses & Vices: 1
Greed: 25
Lust: 12
Vanity: 34
Laziness: 3
4. Florida
WalletHub Vice Index: 50.90
Anger & Hatred: 38
Jealousy: 9
Excesses & Vices: 44
Greed: 41
Lust: 3
Vanity: 3
Laziness: 11
3. Texas
WalletHub Vice Index: 51.85
Anger & Hatred: 30
Jealousy: 12
Excesses & Vices: 37
Greed: 29
Lust: 1
Vanity: 6
Laziness: 24
2. California
WalletHub Vice Index: 54.07
Anger & Hatred: 12
Jealousy: 16
Excesses & Vices: 38
Greed: 24
Lust: 2
Vanity: 2
Laziness: 25
1. Nevada
WalletHub Vice Index: 57.17
Anger & Hatred: 9
Jealousy: 1
Excesses & Vices: 7
Greed: 1
Lust: 7
Vanity: 27
Laziness: 4
Key Dimensions Factored In
Anger & Hatred: takes into account violent crimes, sex offenders, bullying, hate-crime, and more.
Jealousy: this factor looks at thefts, identity theft and fraud.
Excesses & Vices: looks at obesity rates in adults, fast-food restaurants, excessive drinking, drunk driving, smokers, coffee drinkers and more.
Greed: relates to casinos, gambling arrests, charitable donations, embezzlement and more.
Lust: time spent on adult entertainment websites, teen birth rates, prostitution and more.
Vanity: this refers to beauty salons, plastic surgery searches and expenses related to personal care products and services.
Laziness: the amount of adults who don't exercise, weekly hours worked, volunteering, time spent watching TV, graduation rates and more.