Columbia, South Carolina ranked No. 30 on a new list of “sinful” cities in the United States.
The rankings – published by Wallet Hub – ranked 182 municipalities around the nation according to seven different “dimensions.” The sins: Anger/ hate (i.e. violent crimes per capita, etc.), jealousy (thefts per capita, etc.), excesses/ vices (drunk driving arrests, gluttony, smoking, drug use, etc.), avarice (lack of charitable contributions, etc.), lust (strip clubs per capita, X-rated internet searches, Tinder users, etc.), vanity (tanning and beauty salons per capita, etc.) and finally, laziness (highest percentage of adults not exercising, etc.).
Based on more than three dozen individual metrics tied to these various vices, an index was established – with sinfulness plotted on a scale of zero to 100 (least to most sinful).
Columbia scored a 43.85 on this “vice index.” By comparison, the nation’s most sinful city – Las Vegas – graded at 61.32. The nation’s least sinful city – South Burlington, Vermont – clocked in at 21.19.
[su_dominion_video_scb]Charleston, S.C. – the “Holy City” – ranked No. 55 on the list with a vice index of 40.60, while Charlotte, N.C. ranked No. 58 (40.05) and Augusta, Georgia ranked No. 71 (38.41).
No other South Carolina cities were charted on the “vice index,” which was confined to the 150 largest municipalities in the United States (along with the two largest municipalities from each state).
“We examined those dimensions using 37 relevant metrics,” researchers noted. “Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of sinfulness.”
No clue yet on whether the results of this “vice index” have been forwarded to the North Pole as its most famous resident prepares his annual “naughty” and “nice” list in anticipation of next month’s Christmas holiday.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our stories? Please feel free to submit your own guest column or letter to the editor via-email HERE. Got a tip for us? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE. Want to support what we’re doing? SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Banner: Getty