(Columnist note: It’s unusual to allow a guest commentary, however this report on ‘sin’ not only needs no rewrite or analysis. I have, however, included some commentary along the way.)
From Wallethub: From beer-loving Milwaukee to decadent New Orleans, the U.S. is filled with people behaving illicitly. No place is innocent – we all have flaws, and 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, while smoking burns an over $600 billion hole in Uncle Sam’s wallet annually.
Luckily for the saints among us—if there are any— all American sins are not created or distributed equally.
To identify the darkest corners of America, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 37 key indicators of vices and illicit behavior.
Our data set ranges from violent crimes per capita to excessive drinking and adult entertainment establishments per capita.
Milwaukee was ranked a modest 75th. Our greatest sins were excessive beer drinking and gambling. Sodom and Gomorrah, Milwaukee is not.
Not surprisingly, Madison came in at 180 out of 182. Party town, drugs, rock and roll and bottle shaking between college classes.
Madison is 13th as the best cities for singles, while moderate Milwaukee is 71. That lower ranking may be linked to the fact it is almost impossible to find a Black woman without children.
Not by coincidence, Milwaukee was ranked 131 out of 180 for ‘Fun Cities’ study. Madison was seventh.
“Regardless of any particular religious tenets, certain activities are considered ‘sinful’ by society as a whole.
Sometimes, these activities are always bad, like violent crimes or identity theft. In other cases, they may be relatively harmless in moderation but incredibly destructive when not kept under control, such as alcohol use or gambling.
The most sinful cities are those where illicit activities and vices alike are the most widespread.”
IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE MOST SINFUL CITIES IN 2025
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas tops the list of the most sinful cities this year, unsurprisingly.
Sin City has the second-most casinos per capita, driving many people to lose their money in a failed quest for quick riches and creating the fourth-highest share of residents with gambling problems.
In addition, Las Vegas has the most adult entertainment options per capita, and residents search Google for terms relating to strip clubs, affairs and pornographic content more than people in most other cities.
Las Vegas also has the fifth-most fraud and identity theft complaints per capita, so greedy thieves are no stranger to the city.
Houston, TX
Houston is the second-most sinful place this year, featuring the third-highest number of adult entertainment establishments per capita and some of the highest Google search interest for terms relating to pornography, strip clubs and affairs.
On top of that, Houston’s residents struggle with anger and hatred.
The city has the 21st-highest violent crime rate in the country and the 28th-highest number of aggravated assault offenses per capita.
It also had the fifth-highest number of mass shootings between January 2023 and June 2025.
Finally, many Houstonians have trouble with vices. For example, the city has the 29th-most drunk driving fatalities per capita, the eighth-highest share of residents with gambling problems, and some of the highest Google search interest for plastic surgery.
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles is the third-most sinful city in the U.S., in part due to violence committed by its residents.
Los Angeles has the third-highest share of students bullied on school property and the 14th-most hate crimes per capita.
It also had the eighth-most mass shootings between January 2023 and June 2025.
In addition, residents in Los Angeles may be a bit less giving than people in other cities. Only 24% of residents volunteer, the fifth-lowest percentage in the country.
Residents also give less than 4% of their adjusted gross income to charity, the 24th-lowest percentage among the more than 180 cities in our study.
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 37 relevant metrics 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
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