Nevada is the most “sinful state,” while three Southern states and one on the West Coast also rank in the Top 5, according to a new study of state-level crime, vices and sin.
The study by WalletHub ranked all 50 states in seven categories – anger and hatred, jealousy, excesses and vices, greed, lust, vanity, and laziness – and totaled the score for its “most sinful states” ranking.
Nevada led the list, followed by Texas, Florida, California and Georgia. Rounding out the Top 10 were Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, South Carolina and Mississippi.
“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,” a WalletHub analysis of the study read.
The “anger and hatred” category included 16 elements, including violent crimes per capita, bullying, shootings, road rage and elder abuse. “Jealousy” involved thefts and fraud, while “excesses and vices” included obesity, excessive drinking, smoking and drug usage. “Greed” constituted gambling, embezzlement and lack of charitable donations; “lust” included internet porn and prostitution. “Vanity” involved beauty salons per capita and Internet searches for plastic surgeries. “Laziness” constituted lack of exercise, number of hours spent watching television, and high school graduation rates.
The WalletHub ranking for the 50 most sinful states, in order, are: 1. Nevada; 2. Texas; 3. Florida; 4. California; 5. Georgia; 6. Tennessee; 7. Louisiana; 8. Illinois; 9. South Carolina; 10. Mississippi.; 11. Alabama; 12. Arizona; 13. New Mexico; 14. North Carolina; 15. Michigan; 16. Pennsylvania; 17. Maryland; 18. Arkansas; 19. Delaware; 20. New York; 21. New Jersey; 22. Ohio; 23. Missouri; 24. Oklahoma; 25. Virginia; 26. Colorado; 27. Kentucky; 28. Washington; 29. Indiana; 30. Hawaii; 31. West Virginia; 32. Alaska; 33. Oregon; 34. Massachusetts; 35. Wisconsin; 36. Rhode Island; 37. Kansas; 38. Connecticut; 39. Montana; 40. Nebraska; 41. North Dakota; 42. Minnesota; 43. Utah; 44. Iowa; 45. South Dakota; 46. New Hampshire; 47. Maine; 48. Idaho; 49. Wyoming; 50. Vermont.
The full methodology can be read here.
Photo courtesy: James Walsh/Unsplash
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
