These Are The Most Sinful (But Not Necessarily The Fun Sinful) Cities In America According To A Study

Rob Fox9 years ago

At first glance this title might make it appear that this is a list of super fun cities. Sin means sex! And drugs! And overconsumption! But the study is actually a pretty literal interpretation of “sinful” cities, so they went ahead and threw murder, sex offenses, overdoses, suicide, burglary, adultery, and teen pregnancy in there too. So some of these cities aren’t so much “fun” as they are “pits of despair” that may also have a side of “rampant obesity” or “overly enthusiastic heroin usage.”

Here’s the top 10 cities, which seem to alternate between the above two general categories.

From WalletHub.com:

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. St. Louis, MO
3. Cincinnati, OH
4. Orlando, FL
5. Springfield, MO
6. Miami, FL
7. Richmond, VA
8. Baton Rouge, LA
9. Pittsburgh, PA
10. New Orleans, LA

Here are all the categories the study considered, for some perspective.

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)

So yeah, some of these cities, like Vegas and Miami, ranked so highly because of booze, gambling, and sex stuff. Others, like my hometown of St. Louis, took a, uh, more murdery route to the top. And apparently Cincinnati is full of fatties who bang a lot. It’s no surprise their love of skyline chili has made them obese, and is also so intense that it’s a regional aphrodisiac despite looking like the end result of anal gone as horribly wrong as possible.

So yeah, this is a pretty great guide of cities you can have a good and/or horrible time in, maybe all in the same night (looking at you, Baton Rouge and New Orleans)..

[via WalletHub]