Austin makes top 30 most sinful cities in America

AUSTIN – Austin is the 26th-most sinful city in America for 2024, according to a study by WalletHub. More than 180 U.S. cities were compared using 37 indicators of vices and illicit behavior. The data ranges from violent crimes per capita to excessive drinking and the number of entertainment establishments per capita.

Austin wasn’t the only Texas city to make the list. Houston is the second-most sinful city in America, according to the study. Houston, Dallas and San Antonio all make the list before Austin. There are a total of 16 Texas cities that made the list.

Texas

Of the 182 cities studied, 16 of them were in Texas. Here are how those cities ranked:

2. Houston, TX
9. Dallas, TX
23. San Antonio, TX
26. Austin, TX
70. Fort Worth, TX
90. Corpus Christi, TX
100. Garland, TX
103. El Paso, TX
104. Arlington, TX
106. Grand Prairie, TX
114. Irving, TX
116. Lubbock, TX
147. Plano, TX
150. Amarillo, TX
169. Brownsville, TX
171. Laredo, TX

In-Depth Look at the Most Sinful Cities in 2024

The strip on Las Vegas Boulevard is seen on May 30, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Robert Mora/Getty Images)

1. Las Vegas, NV

Unsurprisingly, Las Vegas tops the list of the most sinful cities in 2024. The study shows Las Vegas to have the most casinos per capita, the most entertainment options per capita, the third-most fraud and identity theft complaints per capita, and a very high Google search for plastic surgery procedures.

The skyline of Houston, Texas. Getty Images

2. Houston, TX

Houston is the second-most sinful place in the U.S. for 2024, with the fifth-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. Houston also has the 22nd-highest violent crime rate in the country and the 30th-highest number of aggravated assaults per capita. It also had the seventh-highest number of mass shootings between Jan. 2022 and July 2024. Houston also has the 19th-most drunk driving fatalities per capita, the 8th-highest share of residents with gambling problems, and some of the highest Google search interest for plastic surgery.

3. Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles is the third-most sinful city in the U.S., because it has the third-highest share of students bullied in school and the seventh-most hate crimes per capita. It also had the 11th-most mass shootings between January 2022 and July 2024. It also ranks third because only 24 percent of residents volunteer, which is the fifth-lowest percentage in the country. The study shows that Los Angeles residents search Google more than most in other cities for topics relating to lust and vanity, like pornography, affairs and plastic surgery.

Most Sinful Cities in America

Overall Rank*	City	WalletHub Vice Index	Anger & Hatred Rank	Jealousy Rank	Excesses & Vices Rank	Greed Rank	Lust Rank	Vanity Rank	Laziness Rank
1	Las Vegas, NV	60.82	28	8	90	1	3	6	9
2	Houston, TX	54.43	50	5	110	49	1	7	114
3	Los Angeles, CA	53.79	19	35	164	92	4	1	82
4	Atlanta, GA	53.56	9	1	104	169	2	10	64
5	Philadelphia, PA	52.55	2	3	52	87	11	21	31
6	Denver, CO	52.39	14	18	33	41	8	15	86
7	Phoenix, AZ	51.81	59	66	59	69	5	4	32
8	Miami, FL	51.18	102	7	152	99	9	5	14
9	Dallas, TX	51.16	32	10	89	110	6	9	94
10	St. Louis, MO	49.56	8	22	1	63	34	45	42
11	Cleveland, OH	48.28	4	12	13	152	20	35	26
12	New York, NY	48.05	33	100	175	113	7	3	29
13	Orlando, FL	48.04	11	6	85	168	15	14	118
14	North Las Vegas, NV	47.78	144	16	49	1	98	22	5
15	Memphis, TN	47.43	6	4	8	118	29	126	23
16	Chicago, IL	47.39	46	50	138	83	16	8	80
17	Baton Rouge, LA	47.23	7	11	6	96	111	38	20
18	New Orleans, LA	45.92	21	19	7	62	39	90	34
19	Baltimore, MD	45.22	15	44	16	148	13	65	53
20	Birmingham, AL	44.81	1	38	4	149	65	85	47
21	Detroit, MI	44.69	12	28	9	156	21	157	4
22	Richmond, VA	44.67	10	55	10	79	59	47	71
23	San Antonio, TX	44.61	85	34	81	39	19	27	62
24	Portland, OR	43.93	43	37	97	22	14	41	179
25	Pittsburgh, PA	43.79	36	99	38	58	81	11	147
26	Austin, TX	43.64	71	57	129	67	17	13	173
27	Tampa, FL	43.63	115	63	83	102	10	17	81
28	Nashville, TN	43.44	38	80	11	105	33	26	79
29	Fort Lauderdale, FL	43.14	41	2	102	93	113	52	57
30	San Diego, CA	42.62	136	128	161	71	32	2	133
31	Knoxville, TN	42.55	35	120	2	139	120	16	89
32	Wilmington, DE	42.52	77	9	75	70	174	71	7
33	Charleston, WV	42.50	3	137	15	75	76	81	11
34	Washington, DC	42.48	5	42	67	95	28	76	178
35	Henderson, NV	42.46	157	14	160	1	74	109	17
36	Sacramento, CA	42.44	16	79	107	32	94	36	93
37	Charlotte, NC	42.34	104	23	94	122	23	20	74
38	Columbus, OH	42.18	34	47	41	136	37	34	107
39	Billings, MT	42.05	56	112	51	8	79	80	110
40	Reno, NV	42.05	68	135	57	9	47	57	67
41	Little Rock, AR	42.02	23	20	20	170	38	98	59
42	Cincinnati, OH	41.89	78	92	3	98	73	25	55
43	Rapid City, SD	41.87	30	153	98	14	12	133	45
44	Seattle, WA	41.67	20	40	169	78	27	23	177
45	Minneapolis, MN	41.52	88	69	122	31	31	24	163
46	Tempe, AZ	41.24	45	31	123	137	82	30	28
47	San Bernardino, CA	41.18	24	85	25	34	99	140	16
48	Dover, DE	41.11	63	24	105	104	159	102	3
49	Jacksonville, FL	41.06	101	52	21	154	30	31	58
50	Kansas City, MO	41.01	17	77	43	90	44	70	139
51	Wichita, KS	40.74	72	139	30	18	53	32	99
52	Mobile, AL	40.65	44	94	31	81	67	54	19
53	San Francisco, CA	40.63	64	29	162	91	25	19	175
54	Akron, OH	40.59	29	75	22	159	41	67	56
55	Scottsdale, AZ	40.52	118	90	156	38	90	12	123
56	Toledo, OH	40.51	49	117	5	133	36	105	10
57	Indianapolis, IN	40.41	37	81	24	175	18	43	96
58	Columbia, SC	40.32	69	51	18	88	106	86	13
59	Shreveport, LA	39.78	54	61	14	157	78	87	18
60	Fort Smith, AR	39.67	42	138	60	48	26	114	25
61	Tucson, AZ	39.57	81	87	28	135	58	48	15
62	Salt Lake City, UT	39.33	13	54	137	163	40	39	171
63	Vancouver, WA	39.28	52	49	80	77	115	42	172
64	Gulfport, MS	38.98	112	86	50	17	45	143	103
65	Louisville, KY	38.92	70	116	23	161	55	33	44
66	Chattanooga, TN	38.75	26	73	34	145	103	82	83
67	Aurora, CO	38.71	79	58	46	11	138	136	61
68	Montgomery, AL	38.69	74	15	73	176	24	137	30
69	Salem, OR	38.60	31	141	76	21	130	77	76
70	Fort Worth, TX	38.46	129	21	103	151	64	28	101
71	Charleston, SC	38.46	62	82	65	82	121	29	142
72	Glendale, AZ	38.44	100	62	29	100	97	110	21
73	Springfield, MO	38.38	48	102	42	142	70	49	102
74	Oklahoma City, OK	38.37	40	142	92	167	42	37	27
75	Huntington, WV	38.11	57	173	19	72	100	88	1
76	Milwaukee, WI	38.09	22	91	12	160	48	103	155
77	Fayetteville, NC	38.00	60	48	26	128	66	117	140
78	Tacoma, WA	37.81	18	36	64	130	134	116	148
79	Colorado Springs, CO	37.55	61	89	69	106	87	61	97
80	Missoula, MT	37.31	86	144	36	4	158	127	152
81	Jackson, MS	37.30	55	65	35	47	126	168	48
82	Long Beach, CA	37.11	140	43	141	24	123	73	85
83	Boston, MA	37.03	51	105	147	40	63	58	165
84	Albuquerque, NM	36.99	73	78	45	155	75	74	91
85	Buffalo, NY	36.79	53	145	44	126	102	97	22
86	Bakersfield, CA	36.61	113	106	48	132	56	46	117
87	St. Petersburg, FL	36.47	105	33	56	158	101	78	95
88	Norfolk, VA	36.44	107	32	32	42	93	153	161
89	Riverside, CA	36.28	91	84	53	121	148	60	60
90	Corpus Christi, TX	36.00	39	160	77	64	46	154	77
91	Omaha, NE	35.91	109	126	70	127	69	51	75
91	Chandler, AZ	35.91	139	95	121	61	122	56	73
93	Huntington Beach, CA	35.87	141	53	178	24	164	18	166
94	Fresno, CA	35.78	76	93	101	101	88	75	134
95	Tulsa, OK	35.48	94	101	61	171	68	63	54
96	Anchorage, AK	35.46	27	157	95	85	72	101	162
97	Spokane, WA	35.30	93	64	68	107	110	107	156
98	Gilbert, AZ	35.27	126	123	114	140	80	44	72
99	Oakland, CA	35.21	25	29	168	89	176	150	109
100	Garland, TX	35.13	114	25	134	124	86	167	65
101	Rochester, NY	35.12	89	114	37	153	139	40	127
102	Mesa, AZ	35.02	121	96	71	146	104	83	36
103	El Paso, TX	34.96	103	158	126	65	22	122	119
104	Arlington, TX	34.92	132	27	132	52	135	129	104
105	St. Paul, MN	34.78	137	88	119	33	116	94	158
106	Grand Prairie, TX	34.62	166	46	106	52	77	166	70
107	Anaheim, CA	34.40	92	39	148	109	117	141	115
108	Raleigh, NC	34.32	96	98	96	111	124	55	168
109	Hialeah, FL	34.29	179	13	159	119	105	144	8
110	Santa Clarita, CA	34.25	145	83	163	24	137	68	131
111	Cheyenne, WY	34.22	47	136	140	141	43	120	144
112	Des Moines, IA	34.20	108	109	40	123	95	100	128
113	Augusta, GA	34.12	128	67	17	179	62	128	37
114	Irving, TX	33.97	167	26	139	125	92	155	51
115	Sioux Falls, SD	33.91	106	167	99	19	112	119	159
116	Lubbock, TX	33.86	84	121	27	138	71	121	174
117	Huntsville, AL	33.84	83	134	82	108	89	115	88
117	Providence, RI	33.84	168	131	109	6	83	172	35
119	Columbus, GA	33.80	87	72	74	178	54	130	113
120	Santa Ana, CA	33.79	119	59	115	24	173	149	78
121	Stockton, CA	33.77	65	118	136	80	118	147	63
122	Newark, NJ	33.74	134	113	130	56	143	175	6
123	Nampa, ID	33.71	95	176	131	57	108	104	12
124	Greensboro, NC	33.69	97	76	72	150	128	95	145
125	Ontario, CA	33.63	124	124	66	34	140	159	38
126	Newport News, VA	33.58	122	97	63	42	91	160	124
127	Lewiston, ME	33.30	150	174	58	16	170	162	2
128	Manchester, NH	33.15	80	162	111	51	169	112	87
129	Las Cruces, NM	32.91	130	71	84	131	57	173	100
130	Juneau, AK	32.76	75	180	112	29	151	123	52
131	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	32.64	142	129	157	34	107	118	106
132	Glendale, CA	32.36	169	68	174	84	142	79	105
133	New Haven, CT	32.35	148	70	86	60	160	171	43
134	Fargo, ND	32.20	152	130	113	23	131	135	169
135	Peoria, AZ	32.11	154	110	88	114	125	138	84
136	Oceanside, CA	32.08	138	119	155	86	150	93	122
137	Fontana, CA	32.00	163	150	55	34	141	146	40
138	Grand Rapids, MI	32.00	58	152	78	181	109	53	46
139	Pembroke Pines, FL	31.96	180	17	170	93	144	161	50
140	Tallahassee, FL	31.92	99	60	47	180	157	96	149
141	Modesto, CA	31.85	90	164	117	120	85	108	141
142	Winston-Salem, NC	31.79	67	108	87	162	132	142	129
143	Warwick, RI	31.60	182	163	108	6	181	92	121
144	Burlington, VT	31.59	120	103	128	45	136	177	116
145	Jersey City, NJ	31.51	125	132	176	5	152	164	39
146	Overland Park, KS	31.31	82	154	166	12	165	106	180
147	Plano, TX	31.26	117	45	173	144	171	113	150
148	Honolulu, HI	31.09	175	168	171	50	61	125	33
149	Bismarck, ND	31.04	98	170	154	143	51	84	154
150	Amarillo, TX	30.87	111	156	62	165	50	131	167
151	Lexington-Fayette, KY	30.85	127	159	39	177	84	89	126
152	Lincoln, NE	30.79	123	166	91	97	127	99	111
153	Durham, NC	30.69	153	104	100	30	172	152	135
154	Irvine, CA	30.66	159	74	181	24	155	91	164
155	Chesapeake, VA	30.64	162	107	125	42	147	139	132
156	Garden Grove, CA	30.57	143	56	167	103	162	176	92
157	Santa Rosa, CA	30.55	116	179	153	15	175	66	138
158	Oxnard, CA	30.12	156	151	135	73	154	124	120
159	Moreno Valley, CA	30.10	158	127	93	117	133	180	66
160	Aurora, IL	30.09	164	140	127	68	166	181	41
161	Cedar Rapids, IA	29.94	149	165	79	115	145	69	151
162	Virginia Beach, VA	29.93	176	122	133	134	129	62	170
163	San Jose, CA	29.93	110	133	179	165	114	50	153
164	Chula Vista, CA	29.76	161	148	150	75	149	156	98
165	Worcester, MA	29.62	165	155	118	13	163	134	143
166	Boise, ID	29.43	131	177	151	147	119	72	112
167	Nashua, NH	29.21	155	178	158	20	179	132	108
168	Casper, WY	29.19	66	181	143	116	52	148	157
169	Brownsville, TX	28.94	170	175	145	55	49	179	24
170	Yonkers, NY	28.81	171	147	172	129	178	64	49
171	Laredo, TX	28.72	173	182	124	54	35	174	90
172	Portland, ME	28.58	151	171	142	66	153	145	137
173	Fort Wayne, IN	28.57	133	168	54	182	60	59	125
174	South Burlington, VT	27.91	146	143	165	45	146	182	182
175	Bridgeport, CT	27.40	172	125	144	59	180	169	68
176	West Valley City, UT	27.37	135	146	116	172	161	165	160
177	Cape Coral, FL	26.75	174	149	149	173	96	151	130
178	Madison, WI	26.47	147	161	146	164	167	111	176
179	Pearl City, HI	26.34	181	172	177	10	168	178	69
180	Port St. Lucie, FL	25.84	177	115	120	174	156	163	146
181	Fremont, CA	25.46	160	110	182	112	177	170	136
182	Columbia, MD	25.04	178	41	180	74	182	158	181

Notes: *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.

Methodology

WalletHub determined the most sinful cities in America by comparing 182 cities. This includes the 150 most-populated cities and at least two of the most populated cities in each state. They used seven key dimensions:

Anger & Hatred
Jealousy
Excesses & Vices
Greet
Lust
Vanity
Laziness

They used 37 metrics with corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale. Each city’s weighted average was calculated across all metrics to determine its overall score.

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 (~3.58 Points)
Google Search Interest Index for “XXX Entertainment”: Full Weight (~3.58 Points)Note: This metric measures search interest for online adult entertainment.
Google Search Traffic for the Term “Tinder”: Full Weight (~3.58 Points)Note: This metric was used as a proxy for the cities that search Tinder the most.
Teen Birth Rate: Full Weight (~3.58 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, blepharoplasty, facelift, liposuction, and silicone implants) 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 as of October 21, 2024 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 (2023 estimates), The Southern Poverty Law Center, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Wm. Robert Johnston, Gun Violence Archive, Google Ads and Tinder.

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