We’re all prone to sin sometimes, but in some states, residents can’t stop being bad.
WalletHub set out to find the least and most sinful states in the U.S. It looked at data across seven metrics: 1) Anger & Hatred, 2) Jealousy, 3) Excesses & Vices, 4) Greed, 5) Lust, 6) Vanity and 7) Laziness. Sound familiar?
The study considered serious issues like violent crimes, school bullying, teen dating violence, and theft rates. It also looked at drug use and gambling, casinos per capita, gambling-related arrests, and porn consumption. WalletHub then considered some lighter topics, like how vain a population is, looking at manicurists and pedicurists per capita, and plastic surgery rates.
“People across the nation have their own moral struggles, from violent outbursts and bullying to compulsive gambling, excessive lust and self-destructive consumption,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “While individual cases of negative behavior may only affect a few people, when these behaviors are exhibited by a high share of a state’s population, the majority of the state’s residents suffer as a result.”
Lupo suggested that states “invest in resources to help people curb vices, such as robust rehabilitation programs for people with gambling and drug addictions.”
Continue reading to see which states are the most — and least — sinful.
