“Regardless of any particular religious tenets, certain activities are considered ‘sinful’ by society as a whole,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says. “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.”
Kansas City is the 43rd most sinful city in the nation, according to the new survey from WalletHub.
Gambling addiction, for example, leads to more than $100 billion in losses for U.S. consumers every year, while smoking burns an over $600 billion hole in Uncle Sam’s wallet annually. The survey compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 37 key indicators of vices and illicit behavior. The data set ranges from violent crimes per capita to excessive drinking and adult entertainment establishments per capita.
More specifically, Kansas City ranks 14th for anger and hatred; 73rd for jealousy; 27th for excesses and vice; 107th for greed and 45th for lust. Kansas City and St. Louis could climb the list with the addition of legalized sports betting in the state. Studies show that sports gambling is a factor in domestic abuse, crime, drug abuse and bankruptcy.
Not surprisingly, Las Vegas tops the list. The cities rounding out the top 10 are:
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Philadelphia
- Atlanta
- Denver
- Miami
- Dallas
- Phoenix
- New Orleans
Closer to home, St. Louis ranks 13th, while Wichita comes in as the 39th most sinful city.
“People may turn to some of these behaviors when they feel stressed, overwhelmed or out of control,” said Colleen Wynn, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Indianapolis. ”They may be experiencing these feelings of stress when they are experiencing economic inequality, concerns about housing, how to make ends meet, etc. So, by addressing these broader social problems, we can help to address what we often might think of as individual problems. Additionally, we need access to affordable, accessible and supportive mental health services so that folks can access care from those who are experts in their field.”
–Alan Goforth
