Study Ranks Tennessee Among Most Sinful States in America

When you hear that a state has been named one of the “most sinful” in America, it definitely grabs your attention. And that’s exactly what happened with Tennessee. According to a recent study by WalletHub, the Volunteer State ranks as the 6th most sinful state in the country.

Now before anyone starts clutching their pearls, this isn’t about pointing fingers at who’s going to church and who isn’t. The study isn’t measuring “bad people.” Instead, it looks at how certain behaviors – the classic seven deadly sins – impact states financially.

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For example, gambling costs the U.S. around $5 billion per year. That sounds like a lot, until you compare it to smoking, which reportedly costs the country a staggering $600 billion annually. So, when WalletHub talks about “sin,” they’re really talking about the economic toll tied to things like crime, addiction, and other costly behaviors.

How to Measure the Most Sinful States in America

To come up with the rankings, WalletHub scored all 50 states across seven categories: Anger & Hatred, Jealousy, Excesses & Vices, Greed, Lust, Vanity, and Laziness.

So how did Tennessee stack up?

Where Tennessee Ranked In Each Sinful Category

• Anger & Hatred – 2nd
• Jealousy – 20th
• Excesses & Vices – 6th
• Greed – 8th
• Lust – 11th
• Vanity – 22nd
• Laziness – 16th

Tennessee also has the 3rd highest violent crime rate per capita, which heavily influenced that high “Anger & Hatred” ranking.

Which States Ranked Highest And Lowest

As for the rest of the country, it probably won’t shock you that Nevada landed at #1 – after all, it’s home to Las Vegas, famously nicknamed “Sin City.”

On the flip side, Wyoming came in at #50, making it the least “sinful” state in America.

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You can scroll over the map below to see how the other states scored, and you can visit WalletHub.com if you want to look at the numbers and stuff.