Posted by: Richie Bernardo

Las Vegas isn’t the only sinful place in America. In other cities, bad things happen and stay there, too. From beer-loving Milwaukee to hedonistic New Orleans, the U.S. is filled with people behaving badly. No place is innocent. We all have demons. But luckily for the saints among us, all American vices are not created — or distributed — equally.

So in order to identify the darkest corners of America, WalletHub’s data crunchers compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities across 27 key indicators of evil deeds. Our data set ranges from “violent crimes per capita” to “excessive drinking” to “potential cheaters.” Scroll down to see the baddest of the bad cities, expert recommendations for overcoming humanity’s devilish nature and a full description of how we ranked the cities.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/29846/geochart.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2k6dZs1;  

Most Sinful Cities in America

Overall Rank	City	WalletHub Vice Index	‘Anger & Hatred’ Rank	‘Jealousy’ Rank	‘Excesses & Vices’ Rank	‘Avarice’ Rank	‘Lust’ Rank	‘Vanity’ Rank	‘Laziness’ Rank
1	Las Vegas, NV	62.64	42	51	43	2	2	5	20
2	St. Louis, MO	59.00	2	2	1	42	115	12	45
3	Cincinnati, OH	57.03	19	45	6	16	7	14	41
4	Orlando, FL	56.69	50	5	79	141	1	4	19
5	Springfield, MO	54.81	5	10	28	131	6	19	44
6	Miami, FL	52.76	87	3	135	96	3	13	33
7	Richmond, VA	52.68	128	42	9	79	4	3	68
8	Baton Rouge, LA	52.60	14	88	20	21	55	22	1
9	Pittsburgh, PA	52.09	61	105	10	18	24	6	63
10	New Orleans, LA	51.92	27	81	2	10	38	71	7
11	Cleveland, OH	51.84	13	8	17	24	18	55	37
12	Tampa, FL	51.33	98	30	41	84	5	9	39
13	Knoxville, TN	50.75	38	52	25	114	28	8	21
14	Reno, NV	50.67	43	92	31	1	45	27	57
15	Scottsdale, AZ	50.30	134	86	112	34	29	1	103
16	North Las Vegas, NV	49.66	46	67	43	2	112	35	18
17	Akron, OH	49.64	23	63	22	26	34	29	25
18	Toledo, OH	49.19	26	80	5	20	32	100	5
19	Tacoma, WA	49.12	30	21	23	13	49	32	115
20	Shreveport, LA	48.86	12	66	12	55	69	49	3
21	Jackson, MS	48.29	47	41	66	14	16	88	9
22	Detroit, MI	48.19	1	28	13	50	97	147	32
23	Spokane, WA	48.14	53	15	36	15	70	23	126
24	Salt Lake City, UT	47.40	3	14	115	147	114	2	145
25	Little Rock, AR	47.00	15	23	33	128	54	43	29
26	Mobile, AL	46.92	77	90	15	120	67	16	4
27	Grand Rapids, MI	46.91	6	146	34	105	31	18	83
28	Philadelphia, PA	46.87	62	62	3	49	13	135	30
29	Baltimore, MD	46.74	24	7	4	87	51	132	50
30	Henderson, NV	46.65	89	82	43	2	75	56	38
31	Birmingham, AL	46.42	35	24	37	133	144	11	28
32	Fayetteville, NC	46.19	88	50	24	123	20	39	22
33	Atlanta, GA	45.89	76	9	113	134	73	7	54
34	Fort Lauderdale, FL	45.85	65	1	125	138	139	10	10
35	Portland, OR	45.37	66	22	77	25	25	37	114
36	Buffalo, NY	45.27	51	83	75	70	15	58	26
37	Chattanooga, TN	45.22	54	36	55	137	88	24	27
38	Sacramento, CA	44.98	36	65	108	47	27	25	118
39	Rochester, NY	44.60	92	103	72	97	11	21	65
40	Kansas City, MO	44.52	7	40	40	80	40	117	107
41	Tallahassee, FL	44.44	57	13	46	146	63	31	36
42	Anchorage, AK	44.35	4	87	14	64	111	90	134
43	St. Paul, MN	44.31	45	107	58	11	36	45	127
44	St. Petersburg, FL	44.13	20	4	27	139	143	57	23
45	Louisville, KY	43.85	31	89	8	101	136	51	24
46	Vancouver, WA	43.70	71	72	53	66	146	15	130
47	Huntsville, AL	43.59	72	71	73	102	47	36	6
48	Houston, TX	43.34	44	39	123	71	9	74	84
49	Denver, CO	43.33	74	54	52	41	19	62	140
50	Tucson, AZ	43.25	37	20	86	112	58	53	56
51	Augusta, GA	43.19	69	48	29	143	41	69	14
52	Tulsa, OK	43.15	25	37	38	126	82	70	49
53	Nashville, TN	42.96	9	61	18	127	107	95	42
54	Tempe, AZ	42.92	104	34	90	61	57	42	43
55	Indianapolis, IN	42.85	18	59	7	140	65	87	67
56	Wichita, KS	42.79	21	85	54	76	66	77	75
57	Providence, RI	42.78	122	126	83	8	46	78	12
58	Columbus, OH	42.65	59	56	42	35	74	101	51
59	Bakersfield, CA	42.64	48	106	21	94	48	50	59
60	Minneapolis, MN	42.60	90	76	82	9	134	28	110
60	Amarillo, TX	42.60	16	118	71	129	44	64	53
62	Madison, WI	42.14	41	119	48	48	30	40	141
63	Oklahoma City, OK	41.75	34	84	35	132	68	83	34
64	Milwaukee, WI	41.68	8	27	76	122	116	102	109
65	Glendale, AZ	41.68	91	25	90	83	33	85	60
66	Albuquerque, NM	41.61	22	26	63	108	90	91	108
67	Austin, TX	41.51	86	60	106	57	12	46	143
68	Memphis, TN	41.28	33	16	50	148	84	127	16
69	Sioux Falls, SD	41.24	11	144	69	17	128	54	136
70	Jacksonville, FL	41.17	63	18	19	149	59	98	40
71	Newport News, VA	41.13	95	95	16	36	87	75	73
72	Omaha, NE	41.10	29	100	32	72	83	59	132
73	Norfolk, VA	41.00	83	75	11	36	53	115	102
74	Arlington, TX	40.83	81	38	97	58	26	105	86
75	Worcester, MA	40.50	107	129	107	5	85	61	61
76	Seattle, WA	40.40	94	29	139	56	8	68	138
77	Phoenix, AZ	40.23	60	53	90	121	14	128	77
78	Stockton, CA	39.95	32	74	68	51	109	126	95
79	Lexington-Fayette, KY	39.92	49	136	26	142	35	48	69
80	Newark, NJ	39.74	100	43	130	6	61	148	13
81	Modesto, CA	39.62	79	94	60	40	86	52	125
82	Lubbock, TX	39.60	28	69	57	136	72	97	70
83	Lincoln, NE	39.31	17	143	47	98	99	84	111
84	San Bernardino, CA	39.22	39	58	101	43	108	138	66
85	Montgomery, AL	39.10	116	33	62	145	64	86	2
86	Riverside, CA	38.90	112	108	84	43	77	66	71
87	Boise, ID	38.73	10	121	89	107	100	47	150
88	San Francisco, CA	38.71	105	19	145	81	17	26	149
89	Dallas, TX	38.62	56	32	120	117	39	80	116
90	Overland Park, KS	38.54	78	114	114	22	118	62	93
91	Raleigh, NC	38.47	101	44	104	100	98	67	48
92	Fresno, CA	38.19	68	93	96	93	37	108	92
93	Chicago, IL	38.10	75	97	122	73	23	112	98
94	Port St. Lucie, FL	38.04	92	70	49	130	123	109	15
95	Virginia Beach, VA	38.01	117	122	59	36	106	65	101
96	Colorado Springs, CO	37.85	40	55	99	88	80	81	146
97	Pembroke Pines, FL	37.85	146	12	117	113	149	94	8
98	Peoria, AZ	37.84	120	96	74	111	101	104	74
99	Mesa, AZ	37.82	85	78	90	61	103	120	62
100	Aurora, CO	37.80	64	73	100	54	56	134	122
101	Charlotte, NC	37.57	108	49	110	106	78	73	85
102	Des Moines, IA	37.39	97	130	30	60	96	99	123
103	San Diego, CA	37.35	115	125	129	78	10	38	148
104	Cape Coral, FL	37.25	80	98	65	135	102	123	31
105	Fort Worth, TX	37.23	70	35	80	124	94	119	100
106	Winston-Salem, NC	37.17	84	46	67	77	142	92	46
107	Columbus, GA	37.13	82	31	56	150	122	96	52
108	Honolulu, HI	37.09	130	147	128	52	43	33	81
109	Boston, MA	36.95	147	127	132	12	22	106	55
110	Chandler, AZ	36.81	132	91	90	85	81	89	88
111	Corpus Christi, TX	36.77	52	142	51	67	60	141	129
112	Greensboro, NC	36.58	113	110	78	109	105	93	58
113	Santa Rosa, CA	36.55	58	124	124	63	148	20	147
114	Oakland, CA	36.42	55	17	142	75	125	79	121
115	Gilbert, AZ	36.31	140	112	90	118	79	72	77
116	Fort Wayne, IN	36.23	73	140	39	144	92	44	96
117	Durham, NC	36.14	99	101	109	33	124	107	76
118	Chesapeake, VA	35.90	103	111	64	36	130	110	113
119	Washington, DC	35.78	142	6	119	82	113	116	120
120	San Antonio, TX	35.51	67	64	81	89	137	124	106
121	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	35.48	145	133	101	92	95	41	87
122	Garland, TX	35.37	106	47	98	116	131	129	97
123	Fontana, CA	35.08	125	134	101	43	110	142	82
124	Grand Prairie, TX	34.88	119	68	87	58	104	146	99
125	Moreno Valley, CA	34.86	127	109	84	95	129	130	71
126	Ontario, CA	34.66	131	116	111	43	93	136	91
127	El Paso, TX	34.66	96	150	88	69	52	144	64
128	Hialeah, FL	34.50	148	11	136	125	117	137	17
129	Laredo, TX	34.48	126	148	70	23	50	150	105
130	Jersey City, NJ	34.00	121	139	141	6	120	145	35
131	New York, NY	33.88	135	141	143	110	42	113	11
132	Oxnard, CA	33.82	109	77	118	68	126	122	131
133	Huntington Beach, CA	33.74	136	120	137	86	147	17	133
134	Long Beach, CA	33.62	110	99	140	90	91	76	94
135	Oceanside, CA	33.55	114	113	116	74	76	111	144
136	Plano, TX	33.42	141	79	134	119	121	30	128
137	Los Angeles, CA	33.29	123	117	146	103	21	114	89
138	Irving, TX	33.27	137	57	127	115	62	131	117
139	Aurora, IL	32.89	118	134	61	53	150	143	80
140	Anaheim, CA	32.35	111	104	131	27	119	133	124
141	Santa Clarita, CA	32.18	150	138	126	27	138	82	104
142	Glendale, CA	31.39	149	131	148	27	145	34	79
143	Irvine, CA	31.25	143	137	144	27	89	60	137
144	Santa Ana, CA	31.21	102	123	133	27	135	139	119
145	Garden Grove, CA	31.18	124	115	138	27	141	118	112
146	Chula Vista, CA	30.79	129	132	121	65	133	140	142
147	Brownsville, TX	30.57	139	149	105	91	71	149	90
148	Yonkers, NY	28.98	138	145	147	104	140	103	47
149	Fremont, CA	28.33	144	102	149	19	132	125	135
150	San Jose, CA	26.43	133	128	150	99	127	121	139

Ask the Experts

The sins people commit every day lead many to wonder what incites them, whether certain evil acts are worse than others and how people can conquer their inner demons. These are among the puzzling questions we posed to a panel of experts whose bios and thoughts on the following key questions can be found below.

1. To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings?
2. What makes some cities more sinful than others? Laws? Culture?
3. Why do some cities have more cheaters than others?
4. Is cheating within marriage becoming more or less common over time?
5. Should government play a role in trying to reduce greed and consumerism?
6. What are some effective strategies for combating addiction and domestic violence?

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• Amanda Miller Associate Professor of Sociology, Director of the MA in Applied Sociology and Facilitator for the Faculty Learning & Design Studio at University of Indianapolis
• Ashley Thompson Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
• Brian J. Willoughby Associate Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University
• Emily Huddart Kennedy Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Washington State University
• Pepper Schwartz Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington

Amanda Miller Associate Professor of Sociology, Director of the MA in Applied Sociology and Facilitator for the Faculty Learning & Design Studio at University of Indianapolis To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings? As a sociologist, I leave the question of whether sin is innate to the theologians. In my field, we spend most of our time examining how one’s surroundings influence their behaviors. For example, if the social norms of a location dictate that certain behavior is acceptable, you might be more willing to engage in that behavior. In fact, that behavior may not be considered “sinful” at all. What we consider “sinful” is socially constructed. That means each social group and society creates its own definition, often to meet a particular social or historical need. Smoking marijuana in Portland, for example, certainly would not be considered sinful by most; it would be seen no differently than buying alcohol. However, in the Philippians, possession of a single joint is considered so harmful by those in power that it could result in over a decade in prison. What makes some cities more sinful than others? Laws? Culture? When I think of “sin” I often think of “deviance” though the two are not necessarily synonymous. In large part, the culture can play a role in setting norms of what is or is not acceptable. However, other factors matter as well. For example, when people feel less attached to their communities or foresee few achievable positive alternatives, they are more likely to turn to deviant behavior. Why do some cities have more cheaters than others? I would argue that demographics play a huge role in why some cities have more incidences of infidelity than others. Whisman and Snyder, for example, find that infidelity is more common among those who are younger. There are also relationships between infidelity and ethnicity. Further, cohabiting couples are more likely to be unfaithful than those who are married. A young, diverse city with a high proportion of cohabiting young adults, then, would likely have more infidelity than would a city full of older, married adults. It is not that living in Tampa, Florida discourages infidelity while living in Columbus, Ohio encourages it; it is that the kinds of people (e.g., older, married) who choose to live in Tampa would be less likely to cheat regardless of where they lived. Is cheating within marriage becoming more or less common over time? Infidelity seems to have increased over time, but there may be several reasons which make that answer more complicated than it first seems. First, infidelity is generally viewed negatively, but, not unlike divorce, social norms about infidelity have changed such that we no view the behavior as negatively as we once did. That means that more individuals may be willing to admit to being unfaithful than did in previous surveys. Second, we live longer than we once did. “Till death do us part” is a much weightier prospect with an average lifespan of 75+ than one of 50. There is simply more time in which to cheat. Finally, with the rise of more married women in the workforce, there is a greater opportunity to meet prospective mates than in the past, particularly for heterosexual individuals. In all, then, it might not be that we are more unfaithful than ever because something has shifted in our cultural morality, but rather that we are more honest about our shortcomings and have more opportunities in which to engage in extra-marital affairs. Should government play a role in trying to reduce greed and consumerism? Personally, I think the government has no business legislating individual morality. We can see numerous examples of government overreach throughout history and around the world (where individuals are put to death for infidelity, for example.) However, the American Government does play a role in trying to reduce greed, at least, on a larger scale through things like anti-trust laws. We see an example of this at the present through the bipartisan questioning of the Time Warner-AT&T merger in the Senate Judiciary Committee. And, an entire agency, the Office of Government Ethics is tasked with promoting ethical compliance within the executive branch (the House and Senate have their own committees as well.) Although such actions may not directly reduce greed and consumerism, they certainly keep ethical issues a part of governmental conversation. What are some effective strategies for combating addiction and domestic violence? The first step to combating addiction and domestic violence is to ensure that there is adequate funding for doing so at all levels - social services, policing, drug treatment facilities, and supportive services for those in recovery or who have left abusive relationships. Second, we need to view both addiction and domestic violence as public health issues, rather than as moral failings. Finally, we should recognize that both issues are long-term and that relapse or returning to one’s abuser are very often a part of the process; neither means that the affected individual is weak as multiple attempts are extremely common. Stigmatizing those with additions or in violent relationships only does them further harm and leads to more of the behaviors we are trying to help them avoid. Ashley Thompson Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings? The classic nature vs nurture question. Because I am shaped by my interdisciplinary background, I am going to give my stereotypical psychologist response: "it is both, nature and nurture work simultaneously at shaping who we are as well as our sexual behavior and desires." Like almost all types of human behavior, sex and sexual desire is complex. Contemporary psychologists now agree that heredity and the environment do not act independently. Both our genetics and our surroundings are essential for any behavior (including sexual behavior). It is impossible to separate the two influences because nature and nurture are not distinct, rather they interact in a complex manner. For example, sex drive in men and women is partially explained by testosterone levels. Thus, some may argue that sex drive can entirely be explained by one's biology or genetics. However, we also know that certain environments foster sexual experimentation and the manifestation of sexual behavior. For example, although a man may be born with high levels of testosterone, that does not mean he will act on his sexual desires unless he thrives in an environment that promotes those desires. What makes some cities more sinful than others? Laws? Culture? I would argue this depends on your definition of "sinful." For example, some cities/countries may consider certain sexual behaviors to be "immoral" or "unconventional" that other cities/countries simultaneously define as "commonplace." For example, nonmonogamy may be common place in some polygamous cultures, however, western cultures (like the U.S.) highly stigmatize these behaviors and consider them to be "immoral" (Conley et al., 2013). In essence, the word "sinful" is culturally defined. The determination of what behaviors are "sinful" is largely determined by the customs adopted by the culture defining it. This (I would argue) is why sinful behaviors vary greatly. In particular, people's perceptions of "sinful" likely vary based on the culture with which they are being performed as well as the person judging the behavior. Why do some cities have more cheaters than others? First of all, I was not aware that some cities had more "cheaters" than others. However, certain cities may be more susceptible to cheating than others due to their size. For example, according to my research (Thompson & O'Sullivan, 2016) many behaviors commonly occurring online (e.g., viewing pornography, masturbating over webcam, sending sexts, browsing singles websites) are judged as infidelity (by many). Considering that larger cities provide a wider range of online options (more tinder profiles, etc.) it could be that people from larger cities have more opportunities to engage in infidelity (both with and without the use of technology). Conversely, it could also relate to the behaviors incorporated into people's conceptualization of infidelity. In more conservative cities and cultures (smaller/rural cities), people may define more benign behaviors (flirting, buying someone a drink, masturbating) as infidelity as compared to more permissive cities (larger cities - San Francisco). Thus, people may be more likely to blame their partner for cheating in conservative areas (as compared to permissive areas) because their definitions are more inclusive (i.e., they judge a wider range of behaviors as cheating). Is cheating within marriage becoming more or less common over time? There is very little research on infidelity prior to the last 3-4 decades. Consequently, trends in rates of infidelity are hard to assess. However, there is some research suggesting that rates of infidelity may have increased over the past few decades. Although this might be true, I would argue that occurrences of infidelity may not be becoming more commonplace but that researchers are doing a better job of assessing them. For example, very early research examining infidelity often only assessed sexual infidelity (i.e., extra-dyadic sexual intercourse), whereas recent research is taking a more comprehensive approach by using people's own definitions of infidelity to determine if they have "cheated" or not. So, let's say that an individual defines masturbating over webcam as infidelity. If they have experience with a partner who has masturbated over webcam, then we could conclude that they have experience with infidelity. However, previous research would have overlooked this occurrence of infidelity, thus the prevalence of infidelity would have been largely underestimated. Brian J. Willoughby Associate Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings? First, it is important to define what “sinful” means. Taken outside of a strictly religious context, we generally refer to sinful behavior as behavior that fall outside of the normative or moral code within our society. With that definition in mind, is sinful behavior innate or influenced by surroundings? The answer, as is often the case, is a bit of both. While many might indulge in the nature vs. nurture debate, it seems clear from most empirical scholarship that both innate (personality traits, temperament, etc.) and surroundings (family background, relationship experiences, life events, etc.) influence one’s likelihood of engaging in sinful behavior. For example, one might have a genetic or innate disposition toward the development of an addiction or compulsive behavior, but one’s surroundings might lead that predisposition to be directed toward alcoholism. What makes some cities more sinful than others? Laws? Culture? One of the basic tenants of psychology is that thoughts, values and attitudes often precede behavior. So what would make certain cities or areas of the country more sinful? I would suggest it is the underlying cultural values that define the people that make up a given population. Different regions, urban vs. rural areas, and varying racial and ethnic backgrounds found across different metro areas give different cities different cultural values and, by extension, differing behavioral patterns that may or may not line up with the general cultural norms. Why do some cities have more cheaters than others? In addition to the cultural value differences mentioned above, another important element of cheating is the availability of other potential romantic partners. Some cities, whether through a vibrant night life scene or popular regional events, give people more opportunities to interact and meet others. With more opportunities to interact and meet alterative partners, the “risk” of cheating will go up. Is cheating within marriage becoming more or less common over time? I do not think there is reliable enough data to suggest this in either direction. Cheating is a behavior with strong cultural values tied to it and it is likely often underreported in most survey data. Should government play a role in trying to reduce greed and consumerism? A very loaded question. I think rational people will likely always debate whether specific governmental policies should intervene with an individual’s personal freedom to make their own decisions in regard to money, goods, and other personal behaviors. However, I do believe that any healthy culture and country will hopefully be one where a government is concerned about the collective good and the welfare of its citizens. In other words, governments should be concerned about greed and consumerism (to the extent where such consumerism interferes with decent and moral behavior) in a general and broad way. What the government then does with that concern in terms of specific policies is a much larger debate. What are some effective strategies for combating addiction and domestic violence? One of the first things people can do to help combat addiction, domestic violence, or any other major life stressor is seek out the resources around you. Most regions and cities have many resources that individuals, couples and families might tap into to seek education on a particular issue or invention for personalized help. It is also helpful to approach these issues from a systemic perspective. Rather than a personal problem, explore how this might be resolved at the individual, couple, family, or even community level. Finally, believe in the greater good in humanity. Research suggests that any hardship can be generally overcome with the right resources and attitude, believe in the power of resiliency in your own life and work toward that goal. Emily Huddart Kennedy Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Washington State University To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings? My research has shown that environmental impact (e.g., carbon footprint, engagement in household "green" practices like recycling and buying organic products) is shaped more by context than it is by anything innate. For example, a study I conducted compared "green behaviors" of suburban residents to urban residents. Suburban residents scored lower, even though their levels of concern for the environment were the same. But living in a suburb makes it harder to buy green products if they aren't available in the local store, commute by bike or transit, and live with fewer than two vehicles. That's why it's so important that cities take on initiatives to make sustainable living the "default option" if we really want to get serious about using fewer resources (e.g., water, energy). What makes some cities more sinful than others? Laws? Culture? Both, likely. Policies to discourage the construction of extremely large homes ("McMansion ordinances") and encourage, or incentivize, energy efficiency upgrades likely reduce the energy footprint of the residential sector. Likewise, a culture that encourages cycling and walking will make it feel more normal for people to leave their car at home to get to work. Should government play a role in trying to reduce greed and consumerism? Yes, my research suggests so. Data on household environmental impact show that people impact the environment much more by going about their daily lives (working, taking kids to school, taking a vacation to relax, or traveling for work) than they do through senseless consumerism. So if local and state governments can ease the financial burden of making the "greener" choice when it comes to travel and housing, the impact of the residential sector would be much lower. Pepper Schwartz Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings? Everything in life is contextual. While we could argue about the meaning of the word "sin" (I think of it in an ironic way about eroticized behavior and environments), obviously there are places that are organized around illegal or semi-illegal behavior (i.e., lap dancing but not fondling or sexual intercourse) that have a feel to them that more or less says, “Why would you be here if you weren’t going to indulge in sinful behavior?” What makes some cities more sinful than others? Laws? Culture? Both. Take Amsterdam for example. The culture is permissive in general, for example, besides legalized prostitution they allowed lawful use of Marijuana way before most other cities and countries. Then, whether the law allows something - or allows something by not enforcing those laws (for example, there are southern cities in the United States that still have sodomy laws but they do not enforce them.) However, enforcement depends on culture. If the citizens were screaming for enforcement, the enforcement would happen more and more effectively. Thus, many cities have a desultory approach to pornography until, let’s say, a shop selling pornography moves into a residential neighborhood and the neighborhood goes crazy and pickets the place. Then you get enforcement pretty quickly. Why do some cities have more cheaters than others? If there are more cheaters it’s probably because there are more people, more anonymous places to go, fewer people you know who would see you (and tell your spouse or partner), and fewer laws that would punish you for cheating with real penalties. The penalty for adultery in Saudi Arabia is usually death - that's pretty discouraging. In Georgia, the person who cheats pays more money in a divorce settlement (it is not a no fault divorce state.) In New York - no problem. Is cheating within marriage becoming more or less common over time? It is still not the majority of marriages, but the data seems to indicate that whereas it used to be much more common for men to cheat, now the sexes are more alike, and cheating (sex outside of marriage when there is a vow and understanding that it would be a major violation of the relationship) seems to occur somewhat earlier. If that remains true, sheer increase in numbers of people (i.e., more women) would mean that cheating is becoming more common. Should government play a role in trying to reduce greed and consumerism? This is too much of a jump cut for me - but try doing much about that in a capitalist society. Nonetheless, some very progressive cities are trying to do that. Seattle, for example, has some new legislation pending that would curb the amount of money a landlord could ask for in terms of last months’ rent, damage deposits, etc. Many cities have rent control. Income taxes are graduated for that reason. So there is a lot going on but it is not in the anti-greed camp but more about equity of sacrifice, and contribution to running government, or allowing people to have housing, etc.

Methodology

In order to determine the most sinful cities in America, WalletHub’s number crunchers compared the 150 most populated cities across seven key dimensions: 1) Anger & Hatred, 2) Jealousy, 3) Excesses & Vices, 4) Avarice, 5) Lust, 6) Vanity and 7) Laziness.

We examined these dimensions using 27 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest level of sinfulness. Please note that data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only.

Finally, we calculated the overall score, or WalletHub Vice Index, for each city based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to rank the cities accordingly.

Anger & Hatred – Total Points: 14.3

• Violent Crimes per Capita: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Sex Offenders per Capita: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Bullying Rate*: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Jealousy – Total Points: 14.3

• Thefts per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)

Excesses & Vices – Total Points: 14.3

• Percentage of Obese Adults: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Excessive Drinking: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)Note: This metric measures the age-adjusted prevalence of binge and heavy drinking among the adults population.
• Percentage of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Drug Overdose Deaths: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)Note: “Drug Overdose Deaths” refers to the number of deaths due to drug poisoning per 100,000 residents.
• Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)

Avarice – Total Points: 14.3

• Number of Casinos per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Charitable Donations as a Percentage of Income: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Percentage of Residents with Gambling Disorders*: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)

Lust – Total Points: 14.3

• Potential Cheaters: Double Weight (~5.71 Points)Note: Number of Ashley Madison Users per Capita
• Adult-Entertainment Establishments per Capita: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Teen Births Rate: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)Note: “Teen Births Rate” refers to the number of births per 1,000 female residents aged 15 to 19.
• “Most Active Tinder Users” Ranking: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)

Vanity – Total Points: 14.3

• Beauty Salons per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Tanning Salons per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
• Plastic Surgeons per Capita: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)

Laziness – Total Points: 14.3

• Percentage of Adults Who Do Not Exercise: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Mean Hours Worked: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Volunteer Rate: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• Average Daily Time Spent Watching TV*: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
• High School Dropout Rate: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted by the poverty rate.

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Advameg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Trade Commission, County Health Rankings, TransUnion, Yelp, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, National Council on Problem Gambling, Corporation for National and Community Service, Carto and Tinder.

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