2022’s Most Sinful Cities in America

Adam McCann, Financial WriterDec 5, 2022

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Dec 5, 2022

Las Vegas isn’t the only “Sin City” 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 illicitly. No place is innocent - we all have flaws.

But at some point, we all have to pay for our vices. Gambling addiction, for instance, leads to over $100 billion in losses for U.S. consumers every year. In 2021, identity fraud and identity fraud scams took a toll of $52 billion. And every year, smoking burns an over $300 billion hole in Uncle Sam’s wallet.

Luckily for the saints among us, all American sins are not created, or distributed, equally. In order to identify the darkest corners of America, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 38 key indicators of vices and illicit behavior. Our data set ranges from violent crimes per capita to excessive drinking to adult entertainment establishments per capita.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Most Sinful Cities in America

Overall Rank*	City	WalletHub Vice Index	Anger & Hatred	Jealousy	Excesses & Vices	Greed	Lust	Vanity	Laziness
1	Las Vegas, NV	59.93	32	31	87	2	5	5	17
2	St. Louis, MO	55.14	1	12	1	82	22	51	26
3	Philadelphia, PA	54.11	9	14	38	55	6	26	35
4	Houston, TX	53.72	31	6	149	77	3	6	130
5	Atlanta, GA	53.39	50	2	84	176	1	9	53
6	Los Angeles, CA	52.86	25	90	171	98	2	1	79
7	Denver, CO	52.57	17	16	41	64	9	16	55
8	Chicago, IL	52.49	16	13	109	90	15	7	74
9	Baton Rouge, LA	51.39	8	3	9	136	89	42	10
10	Phoenix, AZ	50.65	54	70	78	99	12	3	64
11	Cleveland, OH	50.07	7	17	8	152	39	33	12
12	New Orleans, LA	49.93	5	11	12	92	18	86	31
13	Baltimore, MD	49.59	13	8	15	101	17	61	36
14	Memphis, TN	49.56	11	1	24	162	42	122	24
15	New York, NY	49.36	38	111	176	119	4	4	33
16	San Bernardino, CA	48.94	15	102	63	42	10	21	16
17	Dallas, TX	48.86	37	24	107	112	8	10	113
18	Miami, FL	48.71	106	15	148	78	20	8	15
19	North Las Vegas, NV	47.12	135	46	83	2	88	22	8
20	Kansas City, MO	46.70	2	18	31	114	76	69	117
21	Wilmington, DE	46.51	12	7	88	48	176	68	22
22	Charleston, WV	46.40	6	78	17	46	74	77	11
23	Reno, NV	46.35	56	97	48	5	28	57	96
24	Wichita, KS	45.49	53	4	37	159	69	35	45
25	Washington, DC	45.41	4	48	61	1	32	74	180
26	Orlando, FL	45.16	21	22	96	169	56	14	72
27	Detroit, MI	45.08	3	94	7	147	31	138	9
28	Birmingham, AL	44.69	14	9	11	140	104	85	98
29	Columbia, SC	44.28	27	20	26	108	108	89	7
30	Portland, OR	44.20	74	65	69	36	11	36	169
31	Cincinnati, OH	44.08	39	85	4	115	121	24	32
32	Billings, MT	44.04	26	101	44	7	40	87	161
33	Austin, TX	43.61	94	59	134	63	16	15	172
34	Nashville, TN	43.59	48	68	14	103	41	32	97
35	Richmond, VA	43.59	24	93	22	100	58	45	34
36	Fort Lauderdale, FL	43.52	76	5	132	94	50	54	48
37	Little Rock, AR	43.32	23	36	10	161	27	98	61
38	Mobile, AL	43.16	70	26	34	133	23	60	73
39	Louisville, KY	42.84	43	76	6	168	77	37	21
40	Pittsburgh, PA	42.82	57	80	30	97	137	11	155
41	Knoxville, TN	42.64	73	99	5	128	119	18	80
42	Huntington, WV	42.58	51	138	3	56	125	90	1
43	Dover, DE	42.34	58	32	57	106	167	102	5
44	Shreveport, LA	42.31	47	21	19	163	72	101	19
45	Riverside, CA	42.27	127	108	72	125	29	12	56
46	Columbus, OH	42.01	44	41	27	156	71	41	63
47	Tampa, FL	42.01	105	119	60	127	14	19	71
48	Toledo, OH	41.97	78	105	2	135	35	106	2
49	Charlotte, NC	41.86	101	55	86	50	47	25	112
50	Minneapolis, MN	41.75	71	72	136	23	46	23	175
51	San Francisco, CA	41.72	68	66	116	87	13	27	176
52	Seattle, WA	41.71	41	57	163	62	25	30	177
53	Aurora, CO	41.69	52	29	80	12	118	137	60
54	San Antonio, TX	41.46	108	77	110	74	34	20	69
55	Charleston, SC	41.46	30	86	70	24	110	39	134
56	San Diego, CA	41.28	154	157	161	83	51	2	132
57	Akron, OH	41.15	79	52	15	158	45	71	27
58	Jacksonville, FL	41.09	104	53	13	166	61	31	38
59	Rapid City, SD	40.80	22	141	102	52	7	141	70
60	Gulfport, MS	40.77	113	81	46	18	24	145	54
61	Sacramento, CA	40.76	64	114	106	41	117	29	75
62	Springfield, MO	40.71	33	56	20	178	55	53	66
63	Buffalo, NY	40.67	20	63	65	121	139	80	25
64	Fort Smith, AR	40.61	36	83	66	88	19	120	46
65	Indianapolis, IN	40.49	46	92	18	173	30	34	118
66	Tucson, AZ	40.35	92	71	28	129	63	44	52
67	Chattanooga, TN	40.06	10	42	21	175	151	104	100
68	Henderson, NV	39.98	164	54	141	2	131	109	39
69	Rochester, NY	39.96	40	34	29	160	148	46	111
70	Albuquerque, NM	39.81	34	47	43	153	116	70	59
71	Tempe, AZ	39.77	124	58	89	67	97	43	49
72	Jackson, MS	39.67	45	51	58	28	156	162	20
73	Colorado Springs, CO	39.46	90	33	68	110	101	58	81
74	Oklahoma City, OK	39.34	49	109	67	164	62	47	23
75	Montgomery, AL	39.30	55	10	77	177	26	130	88
76	Scottsdale, AZ	39.04	165	118	119	49	105	13	151
77	Salem, OR	38.63	65	129	131	19	132	78	28
78	Tacoma, WA	38.52	35	40	75	89	157	97	133
79	Providence, RI	38.49	168	23	91	10	114	169	14
80	Milwaukee, WI	38.48	19	122	25	155	75	84	131
81	Fort Worth, TX	38.31	130	39	94	144	84	28	99
82	Warwick, RI	38.14	182	50	54	10	180	93	91
83	Tulsa, OK	37.85	84	67	47	157	98	73	40
84	Bakersfield, CA	37.62	111	91	51	145	53	49	124
85	Missoula, MT	37.60	85	131	82	6	153	135	178
86	Oakland, CA	37.45	18	35	177	81	95	146	126
87	Fayetteville, NC	37.40	42	60	59	154	92	115	139
88	Anchorage, AK	37.07	28	89	138	79	65	103	179
89	Fresno, CA	36.84	100	100	97	109	66	67	102
90	Vancouver, WA	36.66	80	98	123	86	91	52	168
91	St. Paul, MN	36.62	95	107	139	29	109	83	162
92	Spokane, WA	36.59	99	61	53	102	134	95	146
93	Salt Lake City, UT	36.52	89	38	137	165	67	38	173
94	Glendale, AZ	36.47	142	82	32	124	81	107	51
95	Huntsville, AL	36.47	72	28	90	138	115	113	150
96	Cheyenne, WY	36.34	62	148	122	142	21	114	42
97	Greensboro, NC	36.32	63	75	50	150	129	88	127
98	Long Beach, CA	36.02	114	74	162	111	80	65	84
99	Newark, NJ	35.99	119	110	113	8	166	175	4
100	Columbus, GA	35.99	111	25	73	181	43	128	58
101	Norfolk, VA	35.68	77	84	52	57	99	147	152
102	Omaha, NE	35.68	107	147	45	149	85	55	83
103	Newport News, VA	35.66	69	113	62	57	82	160	135
104	Lewiston, ME	35.65	110	175	42	20	164	167	6
105	Boston, MA	35.57	67	155	121	39	106	63	147
106	Tallahassee, FL	35.46	109	37	49	174	150	96	114
107	Huntington Beach, CA	35.39	166	104	175	31	141	17	157
108	Lubbock, TX	35.37	88	103	40	146	52	123	160
109	Stockton, CA	35.30	60	112	129	84	111	140	77
109	Juneau, AK	35.30	29	106	128	21	160	131	167
111	Corpus Christi, TX	35.27	59	137	76	107	70	154	90
112	Sioux Falls, SD	35.10	97	169	79	30	145	118	120
113	Arlington, TX	35.06	134	45	126	53	138	126	109
114	Grand Prairie, TX	35.03	160	64	118	53	37	168	76
115	St. Petersburg, FL	35.00	120	73	36	167	112	91	89
116	Hialeah, FL	34.78	180	27	152	122	120	142	3
117	Mesa, AZ	34.60	152	117	70	67	136	81	68
118	Overland Park, KS	34.39	93	62	166	22	170	105	181
119	Garland, TX	34.38	121	44	142	131	48	165	94
120	Aurora, IL	34.26	158	49	112	73	147	179	47
121	Amarillo, TX	34.17	98	136	39	139	36	143	141
122	Lexington-Fayette, KY	34.12	87	135	23	171	73	108	149
123	Casper, WY	34.11	75	181	95	38	54	150	43
124	Chandler, AZ	34.07	167	120	114	75	107	72	125
125	Ontario, CA	34.07	147	140	92	42	93	153	30
126	Nampa, ID	33.99	102	173	127	51	96	125	29
127	Augusta, GA	33.85	137	94	33	180	83	127	13
128	Des Moines, IA	33.84	96	128	35	120	128	111	142
129	Gilbert, AZ	33.69	156	146	105	143	57	56	122
130	Honolulu, HI	33.67	150	142	165	65	68	116	67
131	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	33.65	144	149	154	42	64	110	85
132	Jersey City, NJ	33.57	123	115	173	8	144	161	44
133	Modesto, CA	33.54	66	166	143	40	130	121	105
134	Santa Clarita, CA	33.49	163	145	157	31	100	64	128
135	Anaheim, CA	33.24	170	79	145	31	87	132	108
136	Raleigh, NC	33.18	116	132	146	116	122	48	154
137	Irving, TX	32.98	161	43	155	132	90	152	78
138	Manchester, NH	32.95	83	159	135	69	172	119	107
139	Pembroke Pines, FL	32.88	181	30	147	94	152	158	41
140	Durham, NC	32.86	86	87	117	66	168	151	140
141	Oceanside, CA	32.63	128	154	153	91	124	79	121
142	Fontana, CA	32.58	145	163	98	42	113	159	37
143	Fort Wayne, IN	32.57	126	164	56	148	103	66	106
144	Boise, ID	32.45	81	172	108	130	149	75	104
145	San Jose, CA	32.39	115	151	179	118	79	40	164
146	Las Cruces, NM	32.28	132	126	74	123	44	176	57
147	Lincoln, NE	32.24	82	171	85	104	135	99	143
148	El Paso, TX	32.18	118	179	133	96	38	112	137
149	New Haven, CT	32.15	91	116	104	61	174	174	93
150	Santa Ana, CA	32.15	133	96	144	31	175	157	65
151	Fargo, ND	32.12	129	152	103	47	142	133	174
152	Peoria, AZ	31.96	159	130	93	113	59	156	119
153	Virginia Beach, VA	31.80	173	133	111	57	159	50	163
154	Moreno Valley, CA	31.59	148	127	101	117	94	178	62
155	Grand Rapids, MI	31.53	61	176	55	182	86	62	82
156	Portland, ME	31.46	103	174	125	16	146	139	165
157	Plano, TX	31.36	131	69	169	134	155	117	158
158	Glendale, CA	31.24	171	121	170	85	102	124	103
159	Worcester, MA	31.23	136	170	120	15	163	129	110
160	Garden Grove, CA	31.09	139	88	160	105	153	172	86
161	Winston-Salem, NC	30.89	141	143	64	93	123	155	136
162	Chesapeake, VA	30.59	151	124	124	57	169	136	129
163	Bismarck, ND	30.58	138	162	158	141	60	94	144
164	Santa Rosa, CA	30.28	117	177	151	14	178	82	148
165	Yonkers, NY	30.26	162	134	178	137	177	59	50
166	Cedar Rapids, IA	30.19	140	158	100	126	133	76	170
167	Nashua, NH	30.04	149	180	130	25	179	144	116
168	Oxnard, CA	30.03	157	160	140	76	140	134	123
169	Irvine, CA	29.88	174	125	180	31	127	92	156
170	Chula Vista, CA	29.85	155	168	159	80	126	149	101
171	Madison, WI	29.65	146	139	99	151	161	100	166
172	Brownsville, TX	29.24	172	178	164	70	49	180	18
173	South Burlington, VT	28.86	125	150	174	26	143	182	182
174	Columbia, MD	28.33	179	19	182	37	182	166	171
175	Burlington, VT	28.22	143	167	168	26	165	177	115
176	Laredo, TX	28.19	177	182	150	72	33	171	87
177	Pearl City, HI	27.94	176	156	172	13	173	181	138
178	Cape Coral, FL	27.80	175	165	81	172	78	148	95
179	West Valley City, UT	27.43	122	123	167	170	162	164	159
180	Fremont, CA	26.90	169	144	181	17	171	170	153
181	Bridgeport, CT	26.82	153	161	156	71	181	172	92
182	Port St. Lucie, FL	24.84	178	153	115	179	157	163	145

Note: *No. 1 = Most Sinful
With the exception of “WalletHub Vice Index,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the worst conditions for that metric category.

Violent Crimes per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Memphis, TN
T-1. Detroit, MI
T-1. St. Louis, MO
T-1. Birmingham, AL
T-1. Baltimore, MD

Fewest

Fewest
174. Gilbert, AZ
175. Glendale, CA
176. Virginia Beach, VA
177. Warwick, RI
178. Irvine, CA

Thefts per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Salt Lake City, UT
T-1. Springfield, MO
T-1. Birmingham, AL
T-1. Chattanooga, TN
T-1. St. Louis, MO

Fewest

Fewest
174. Yonkers, NY
175. Aurora, IL
176. Santa Clarita, CA
177. Nashua, NH
178. Port St. Lucie, FL

Excessive Drinking

Most

Most
1. Madison, WI
2. Lincoln, NE
3. Denver, CO
4. Milwaukee, WI
5. San Francisco, CA

Least

Least
178. Huntington, WV
179. Fort Smith, AR
T-180. Salt Lake City, UT
T-180. West Valley City, UT
182. Montgomery, AL

Charitable Donations as % of Income

Lowest

Lowest
1. Worcester, MA
T-2. Manchester, NH
T-2. Nashua, NH
4. Oxnard, CA
T-5. Providence, RI
T-5. Warwick, RI

Highest

Highest
178. Memphis, TN
179. Columbus, GA
180. Springfield, MO
181. Chattanooga, TN
182. Wichita, KS

Adult Entertainment Establishments per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Portland, OR
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. Tampa, FL
5. Houston, TX

Fewest

Fewest
138. St. Paul, MN
139. Henderson, NV
140. Arlington, TX
141. Oakland, CA
142. Long Beach, CA

Tanning Salons per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ
T-1. Phoenix, AZ
4. San Diego, CA
5. Pittsburgh, PA

Fewest

Fewest
177. Pearl City, HI
178. Aurora, IL
179. Detroit, MI
180. Brownsville, TX
181. Moreno Valley, CA

% of Adults Not Exercising

Highest

Highest
1. Hialeah, FL
2. Jackson, MS
T-3. Newark, NJ
T-3. Laredo, TX
5. Gulfport, MS

Lowest

Lowest
T-177. Irvine, CA
T-177. Scottsdale, AZ
179. Fremont, CA
180. Juneau, AK
181. South Burlington, VT
182. Seattle, WA

Ask the Experts

The sins people commit every day lead many to wonder what incites them, whether certain acts are worse than others and how people can conquer their inner demons. We posed these questions to a panel of experts. Below, you can read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

To what extent is sinful behavior innate versus influenced by your surroundings?
Is cheating within marriage becoming more or less common over time?
Should the government play a role in trying to reduce greed and consumerism?
What are some effective strategies for combating addiction? Domestic violence?
Recent data suggests that Americans are doubling down on their worst habits (e.g., unnecessary spending, excessive drinking and eating, binge-watching etc.). What are some strategies that might help people steer clear of temptations and maintain their health?

Ask the Experts

Thomas G. Plante
Ph.D., ABPP – Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor, Professor of Psychology – Santa Clara University and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences – Stanford University School of Medicine
Read More

Linda E. Francis
Ph.D. – Professor of Sociology and CSU Faculty Mentoring Fellow; Graduate Program Director, MA in Applied Social Research, Department of Criminology and Sociology, College of Education and Public Affairs – Cleveland State University
Read More

Brandon Wagner
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work – Texas Tech University
Read More

Regan A. R. Gurung
Ph. D. – Associate Vice Provost & Executive Director, Center for Teaching and Learning; Director, General Psychology Program, School of Psychological Science; Professor of Psychology - Applied Social Cognition Lab – Oregon State University
Read More

Blake Victor Kent
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Sociology – Westmont College and Research Affiliate – the Harvard Flourishing Program
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the most sinful cities in America, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across seven key dimensions: 1) Anger & Hatred, 2) Jealousy, 3) Excesses & Vices, 4) Greed, 5) Lust, 6) Vanity and 7) Laziness.

We examined those dimensions using 38 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of sinfulness. Please note that data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we calculated each city’s weighted average across all metrics to determine its overall score, or WalletHub Vice Index, and used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities.

Anger & Hatred – Total Points: 14.3

Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Sex Offenders per Capita: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Aggravated Assault Offenses Known to Law Enforcement per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Bullying Rate*: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Hate Groups per Capita: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Deaths due to Firearms per Capita: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Number of Mass Shootings: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Presence of Terrorist Attacks: Full Weight (~1.59 Points)
Note: This is a binary metric:
1 – There was a terrorist attack or related incident in the city.
0 – There wasn’t a terrorist attack or related incident in the city.

Jealousy – Total Points: 14.3

Thefts per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)

Excesses & Vices – Total Points: 14.3

Share of Obese Adults: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Fast-Food Establishments per Capita**: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Excessive Drinking: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the age-adjusted prevalence of binge and heavy drinking among the adult population.
DUI-Related Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Share of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Share of Adult Coffee Drinkers: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of adults who drank ready-to-drink coffee in the past six months.
Share of Population Using Marijuana: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of residents aged 12 and older who used marijuana in the past month.
Retail Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed per 100 Persons: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Drug Overdose Deaths: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of deaths due to drug poisoning per 100,000 residents.
Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)

Greed – Total Points: 14.3

Casinos per Capita**: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
Charitable Donations as Share of Income: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)
Share of Adults with Gambling Disorders*: Full Weight (~4.77 Points)

Lust – Total Points: 14.3

Adult Entertainment Establishments per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Erotic/Burlesque Events per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Google Search Interest Index for “XXX Entertainment”: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric measures search interest for online adult entertainment.
Google Search Traffic for the Term “Tinder” : Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for the cities that search Tinder the most.
Teen Birth Rate: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of births per 1,000 female residents aged 15 to 19.

Vanity – Total Points: 14.3

Tanning Salons per Capita**: Full Weight (~7.15 Points)
Google Search Interest Index for “Top 5 Plastic Surgeries”: Full Weight (~7.15 Points)
Note: This metric measures search interest for the five most common plastic surgery procedures (rhinoplasty, blephaoplasty, facelift, liposuction and breast augmentation) as a share of the national average.

Laziness – Total Points: 14.3

Share of Adults Not Exercising: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
Average Weekly Hours Worked: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
Volunteer Rate: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
Average Daily Time Spent Watching TV*: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
High School Dropout Rate: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted by the poverty rate.
Disconnected Youth (16-24) Rate: Full Weight (~2.38 Points)
Note: Disconnected youth are teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor working.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Advameg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Trade Commission, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, County Health Rankings, TransUnion, Yelp, National Council on Problem Gambling, Corporation for National and Community Service, Esri's Updated Demographics (2022 estimates), The Southern Poverty Law Center, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Wm. Robert Johnston, Gun Violence Archive, Eventbrite, Google Ads and Tinder.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers(4 questions)

How is having a casino a better measurement of greed that the gap between poverty levels and wealth or pay gaps and wage disparity?

Upvotes

Would like to know at minimum the reason either social media was not included under laziness, at least online gaming. Not well structured.

Upvotes

Did the study include a metric for CHRISTian churches?

Upvotes

How in the world did this study find that LA is the least vain city in America? Clearly that makes no sense.

Upvotes

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