What The Hell? Study Says Illinois Among The Most “Sinful” States

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.

Which way to I-39? (Getty Images)

I think you take a left at Sloth, then a right at Gluttony. (Getty Images)

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.

Looks like Jimmy has immoral behavior on his mind. (Getty Images)

Although Illinois Is Not Ranked As The #1 Most Sinful State, Guessing Which State Is Shouldn't Be Very Hard

In case you need a little hint as to which state claims the "most sinful" title, maybe this will be helpful to your efforts:

What happens here, stays here...unless you're Prince Harry. (Getty Images)

Yep, it's easily Nevada. Coming in at #1, and 3 points ahead of the next closest sinful state, America's gambling epicenter takes the crown. Here are the top 5 states WalletHub has named as being most sinful:

Nevada
California
Texas
Florida
Louisiana

Red Delicious? Too cliche. I prefer Jonagold apples. (Getty Images)

As For Illinois' Ranking, We're In The Top Ten

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

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

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

And our Midwestern neighbors hold these positions:

Wisconsin: #34
Minnesota: #44
Michigan: #22
Iowa: #46
Indiana: #31
Missouri: #24
Kentucky: #29

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