Let's face it, some states are better behaved than other states. However, if you've been thinking of Illinois as some sort of bastion of righteousness, you're wrong...and more than likely new around here.

If you're more of the Billy Joel type who'd "rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints," you've found yourself in the right state if a new study's results can be believed.

Concept image of a signpost with the seven deadly sins upon the arrows.
You'll want to take a left at Sloth, and a right on Gluttony. (Getty Images)
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A Personal-Finance Website Crunched The Numbers On Immoral And Illicit Behavior Among The States, And Illinois Ranks High In The Sin Department

WalletHub.com, in their piece "2022's Most Sinful States In America," took a look at which states should be thinking about cleaning up their acts as opposed to those little goody-two-shoes states. Here's what WalletHub looked at to come up with their numbers:

In order to determine the states that most give in to their desires, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 47 key indicators of immoral or illicit behavior. Our data set ranges from violent crimes per capita to excessive drinking to the share of the population with gambling disorders.

"Close-up of evil and angel eggs, against blue background."
Getty Images
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When It Comes To States And Their Sinning, Illinois Isn't At The Very Top, But We Can See It From Where We Are

Actually, we are #10. Here's how WalletHub breaks down Illinois' numbers:

Sinfulness of Illinois (1=Most Sinful; 25=Avg.):

  • 10th – Anger & Hatred
  • 11th – Jealousy
  • 11th – Lust
  • 7th – Vanity
  • 15th – Laziness

And our Midwestern neighbors, the lousy bunch of do-gooders, hold these positions:

  • Wisconsin: #34
  • Minnesota: #44
  • Michigan: #22
  • Iowa: #46
  • Indiana: #31
  • Missouri: #24
  • Kentucky: #29
Say what you will, but the devil is obviously hitting the gym. (Getty Images)
Say what you will, but the devil is obviously hitting the gym. (Getty Images)
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It Seems We Illinoisans Are Living In A Pretty Sinful State Overall, But Here's Where You Run Toward/Avoid At All Costs (depending on your feelings about sin) In Illinois For The Most Sinning

You probably already guessed that Chicago is one of those cities, according to the WalletHub report. Chicago comes in as the 8th most sinful city in America, and the other Illinois city to make the list is...Aurora. Aurora comes in at #120 on WalletHub's list.

Here are the top ten most sinful cities in America:

    1. Las Vegas, NV
    2. St. Louis, MO
    3. Philadelphia, PA
    4. Houston, TX
    5. Atlanta, GA
    6. Los Angeles, CA
    7. Denver, CO
    8. Chicago, IL
    9. Baton Rouge, LA
    10. Phoenix, AZ

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