Determining the most dishonest states in America is a tricky and somewhat subjective undertaking. Honesty speaks to one’s character – about whether a person would lie, deceive, cheat, or steal if given the opportunity. Honesty implies honor and integrity. Based on a list compiled by 24/7 Tempo, you might be surprised by which states are the most dishonest. (It wasn’t one of the factors considered for the list, but these are the states with the most identity theft.)
To determine the most dishonest (and most honest) states in America, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a study by Gambling.com, an international online gambling news, review, and guide site. The site created an index based on five key factors, differently weighted. These were the number of Google searches per 100,000 inhabitants in each state, between November 2021 and November 2022, for the terms “tips on lying,” “how to bluff,” and “Ashley Madison” (a controversial dating site that facilitates illicit affairs); each state’s percentage of divorces, per World Population Review; and each one’s integrity score as computed by rate; and the Center for Public Integrity. The higher the total score, the more dishonest the state, according to Gambling.com’s metrics.
Click here for a ranking of the most dishonest states in America.
According to Gambling.com, the three most dishonest states in America are in the Far West and New England. Wyoming was the top state for the number of Google searches for the terms “tips on lying” and “how to bluff.” Vermont No. 2 in both categories. Maine had the highest divorce rate of any state – 13.90% – and was in the top 10 for the number of Google searches for the term “how to bluff.” (These are the states where the most people are divorced.)
North Dakota, Delaware, and Nevada come next on the list. On the other end of the spectrum, California turns out to be the most honest state in America, with New Jersey and Iowa following close behind.
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50. California
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 49
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 86
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 226
> Divorce rate: 9.20%
> Integrity score: 73
> Total score: 21.2
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49. New Jersey
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 44
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 103
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 289
> Divorce rate: 8.60%
> Integrity score: 65
> Total score: 28.7
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48. Iowa
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 36
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 137
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 205
> Divorce rate: 10.80%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 29.2
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47. Mississippi
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 40
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 136
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 98
> Divorce rate: 11.50%
> Integrity score: 61
> Total score: 30.6
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46. New York
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 44
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 96
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 297
> Divorce rate: 8.80%
> Integrity score: 61
> Total score: 32.6
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45. Alabama
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 36
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 125
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 195
> Divorce rate: 12.20%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 32.8
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44. Illinois
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 41
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 116
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 316
> Divorce rate: 9.70%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 33
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43. South Carolina
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 39
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 122
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 190
> Divorce rate: 10.70%
> Integrity score: 60
> Total score: 33.1
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42. North Carolina
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 39
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 116
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 255
> Divorce rate: 10.70%
> Integrity score: 65
> Total score: 33.6
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41. Tennessee
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 35
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 126
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 211
> Divorce rate: 12.20%
> Integrity score: 66
> Total score: 34
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40. Kentucky
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 33
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 137
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 178
> Divorce rate: 13.00%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 34.1
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39. Wisconsin
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 36
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 122
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 249
> Divorce rate: 10.90%
> Integrity score: 63
> Total score: 34.2
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38. Louisiana
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 41
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 120
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 141
> Divorce rate: 11.60%
> Integrity score: 59
> Total score: 34.3
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37. Massachusetts
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 49
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 111
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 312
> Divorce rate: 9.40%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 34.9
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36. Texas
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 41
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 97
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 247
> Divorce rate: 10.50%
> Integrity score: 60
> Total score: 35.1
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35. Minnesota
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 41
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 129
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 256
> Divorce rate: 10.20%
> Integrity score: 62
> Total score: 35.8
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34. Ohio
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 35
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 120
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 279
> Divorce rate: 12.00%
> Integrity score: 68
> Total score: 36
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33. Hawaii
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 71
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 163
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 163
> Divorce rate: 9.10%
> Integrity score: 69
> Total score: 36.1
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32. Utah
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 44
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 144
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 293
> Divorce rate: 9.00%
> Integrity score: 62
> Total score: 37
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31. Pennsylvania
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 38
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 112
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 310
> Divorce rate: 9.70%
> Integrity score: 58
> Total score: 37.9
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30. Maryland
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 53
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 137
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 236
> Divorce rate: 9.90%
> Integrity score: 64
> Total score: 38
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29. Indiana
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 34
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 140
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 216
> Divorce rate: 12.30%
> Integrity score: 62
> Total score: 39
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28. Georgia
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 47
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 120
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 248
> Divorce rate: 11.20%
> Integrity score: 63
> Total score: 40.3
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27. Arkansas
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 42
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 147
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 145
> Divorce rate: 12.90%
> Integrity score: 61
> Total score: 40.9
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26. Washington
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 47
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 126
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 281
> Divorce rate: 11.50%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 41.2
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25. Connecticut
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 54
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 127
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 335
> Divorce rate: 10.50%
> Integrity score: 71
> Total score: 41.5
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24. Florida
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 39
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 105
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 224
> Divorce rate: 13.00%
> Integrity score: 61
> Total score: 41.9
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23. Virginia
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 45
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 123
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 378
> Divorce rate: 10.10%
> Integrity score: 66
> Total score: 42.2
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22. Kansas
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 43
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 148
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 223
> Divorce rate: 11.20%
> Integrity score: 59
> Total score: 42.3
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21. Idaho
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 46
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 162
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 190
> Divorce rate: 12.00%
> Integrity score: 62
> Total score: 43.5
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20. Nebraska
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 49
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 164
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 332
> Divorce rate: 10.20%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 44.2
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19. Missouri
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 37
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 136
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 292
> Divorce rate: 12.20%
> Integrity score: 62
> Total score: 45.1
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18. West Virginia
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 45
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 191
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 163
> Divorce rate: 13.20%
> Integrity score: 66
> Total score: 45.2
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17. Michigan
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 38
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 131
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 219
> Divorce rate: 11.60%
> Integrity score: 51
> Total score: 45.6
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16. Arizona
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 44
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 122
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 304
> Divorce rate: 12.20%
> Integrity score: 64
> Total score: 45.9
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15. Rhode Island
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 62
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 215
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 172
> Divorce rate: 11.10%
> Integrity score: 68
> Total score: 46.3
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14. Alaska
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 77
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 248
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 119
> Divorce rate: 11.40%
> Integrity score: 76
> Total score: 47.2
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13. Oklahoma
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 43
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 146
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 202
> Divorce rate: 13.10%
> Integrity score: 59
> Total score: 47.7
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12. Colorado
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 44
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 128
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 375
> Divorce rate: 11.90%
> Integrity score: 67
> Total score: 48.4
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11. New Mexico
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 46
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 147
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 207
> Divorce rate: 13.30%
> Integrity score: 61
> Total score: 48.9
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10. Oregon
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 44
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 138
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 280
> Divorce rate: 12.70%
> Integrity score: 59
> Total score: 51.4
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9. South Dakota
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 55
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 219
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 178
> Divorce rate: 10.80%
> Integrity score: 56
> Total score: 52
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8. Montana
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 53
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 199
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 263
> Divorce rate: 12.50%
> Integrity score: 64
> Total score: 55.7
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
7. New Hampshire
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 54
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 205
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 259
> Divorce rate: 12.00%
> Integrity score: 61
> Total score: 56.6
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6. Nevada
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 55
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 150
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 207
> Divorce rate: 13.80%
> Integrity score: 57
> Total score: 58.2
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5. Delaware
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 66
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 250
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 159
> Divorce rate: 11.20%
> Integrity score: 56
> Total score: 60
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4. North Dakota
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 65
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 251
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 200
> Divorce rate: 9.40%
> Integrity score: 50
> Total score: 60.2
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3. Maine
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 51
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 202
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 263
> Divorce rate: 13.90%
> Integrity score: 59
> Total score: 64
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
2. Vermont
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 76
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 281
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 247
> Divorce rate: 12.50%
> Integrity score: 60
> Total score: 75.3
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1. Wyoming
> Searches for “tips on lying”: 74
> Searches for “how to bluff”: 300
> Searches for “Ashley Madison”: 224
> Divorce rate: 12.20%
> Integrity score: 51
> Total score: 80.5
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