Top 20 U.S. Cities for "Adulterous Behavior," Says New Study
Ashley Madison reveals the naughtiest cities in America.
![jealous girlfriend](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/04/shutterstock_1294716274-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=1&resize=640%2C360)
Cheaters may never prosper, but they proliferate online. This has led to the continued success of Ashley Madison, a site that whispers to users, "Life is short. Have an affair." The portal brands itself as a "dating" site for those who are in committed relationships but are looking to step out on their spouses, and in a questionable audience development effort, the site recently released another list of the top 20 cities where partnered people are seeking some strange. Does that make users of the site paranoid that someone is keeping tabs on them and releasing them as a data point, even anonymously, or does it drum up business? That's beyond our current scientific grasp, but for the moment, here are the top 20 locations for "adulterous behavior," according to Ashley Madison's own reporting.
![skyline, portland, oregon, mountains, city](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/04/portland-oregon-skyline.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
In a different survey, Portland was named America's kinkiest city, but it's not the hottest spot for non-ethical non-monogamy: According to Ashley Madison, Portland ranks #20 nationwide for adulterous behavior.
![washington, d.c.](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/03/shutterstock_113738845.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The nation's capital was rated the 19th biggest city for adulterous behavior. Perhaps unsurprising: We all saw House of Cards, and it's been less than two years since now-former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) claimed he was invited to a local orgy.
![Seattle Washington](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/08/shutterstock_355279232.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
Frasier's former home city came in at #18 in the survey. In late September, local station KING reported that Seattle is a "hub for commercial sex in the Northwest."
![cityscape photo of Aurora, Colorado](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/12/aurora-colorado.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
Oh, it has been a long time since Wayne's World—the birthplace of SNL's most famous basement dwellers ranked #17 among cities when it comes to looking for action away from home.
![Fox Theater and street in downtown Bakersfield, California at night](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/bakersfield-california.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The ninth most populous city in California, located north of Los Angeles, might seem like a sleepy, nonremarkable suburb, but it ranks even higher than L.A. (which didn't make the top 20 list) when it comes to adultery.
![The skyline of Anchorage, Alaska with mountains in the background](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/anchorage-alaska-covid-states-spiking.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
Alaska's largest city is freezing most months of the year, but it's a national hotspot for adulterous behavior, ranking 15th overall.
![cityscape photo of buildings and tress in Colorado Springs, Colorado at sunset](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/colorado-springs-colorado.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The more-than-a-mile-high city in the Centennial State also has a sky-high number of people looking for extramarital activity, the Ashley Madison researchers said.
![cityscape photo of Tuscon, Arizon](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/07/tuscon-arizona.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
While Tucson ranked 13th nationwide for adulterous behavior, adultery is still a crime in Arizona—you can be charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor, resulting in up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine, and one year of probation.
![cleveland ohio skyline](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/07/shutterstock_1188983023.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The Ohio city came in 12th place overall. A few months ago, Cleveland Scene rated Ashley Madison the "best affair dating site overall", a piece of sponsored content that was apparently effective.
![The skyline of Denver, Colorado](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/denver-colorado-skyline-bridges-states-covid-surges.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The capital of Colorado ranked 11th nationwide, which might seem unexpected. But a recent browse of 2023 headlines found it's where newly separated Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO)groped a date at a performance of Beetlejuice the Musical, and former NFL player Chadwick Brown allegedly fired a woman at the behest of his wife after he had an affair.
![City view from Polish Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/01/pittsburgh-pennsylvania.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The city in the Keystone State hit the top 10 nationally among locales where marriages are less than solid.
![cityscape photo of City Hall and the downtown area of Buffalo, New York](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/buffalo-new-york-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
Unsuspecting Buffalo placed ninth nationwide for extramarital activity, while swinging New York City didn't even make the list. Maybe all those months of lake-effect snow make residents feel trapped at home in more ways than one.
![Minneapolis, happiest cities, drunkest cities, fittest cities, longest-living cities, healthiest cities, best singles scenes, house flip, rent, property, best sports fans](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/shutterstock_86523661.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The Twin Cities came in #8 and #7, respectively, among cities for adulterous behavior.
![city skyline of Cincinnati, Ohio at dusk](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/cincinnati-ohio.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The locale of beloved classic sitcom WKRP is #6 among American cities that may have one or more partners performing D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
![tampa florida skyline](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/07/shutterstock_239776111.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
The first of three Florida cities to make the top 5, Tampa was also the scene of a mild viral sensation last July 8, when a woman was captured on TikTok sending apparently adulterous messages during a Luke Combs concert.
![The Strip of Las Vegas, Nevada at night](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/06/las-vegas-nevada-strip-states-covid-surges.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
What happens in Vegas still apparently stays in Vegas—unless your data is on Ashley Madison.
![cityscape photo of Atlanta, Georgia](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/atlanta-georgia.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
A recent Real Housewives plot strand wasn't the only infidelity drama going on in Georgia's capital city, apparently, as it came in third nationwide.
![cityscape photo of the downtown area of Orlando, Florida](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/orlando-florida.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
Florida men and women are doing more than showing up in viral headlines—Orlando is #2 in terms of adulterous behavior nationally, Ashley Madison says.
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![Sunset aerial shot of Miami Beach.](https://bestlifeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/miami-beach-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=500)
Bienvenidos a the nation's capital for adultery, according to Ashley Madison's statistics. Adulterous behavior may still be a misdemeanor in the state, as NBC Miami reported this month—but it probably won't get you in the headlines as soon as driving around with a three-foot alligator in your SUV.