Is Your State Full of Psychopaths? A New Study Suggests… Maybe

Ever felt like everyone around you in your state is just… too much? The boss who micromanages and gaslights. The neighbor who always seems a little too charming. The friend who turns every conversation into a power play.

You’re not alone—and you might not be paranoid, either.

A massive psychological study across the United States has found that where you live might say something about how likely you are to encounter people with “dark personality traits”—think narcissism, manipulation, or even sadism.

That’s right. The data suggests some states may have more people scoring high in what’s called the D-factor, a unified measure of the darker side of human personality.

The Dark Factor: One Trait to Rule Them All

Developed by psychologists Morten Moshagen, Benjamin E. Hilbig, and Ingo Zettler, the D-factor doesn’t just look at traits like psychopathy or narcissism in isolation. Instead, it rolls them into a single score that reflects a person’s tendency to put their own interests first—often at the expense of others.

People with a high D score? They’re not necessarily criminals or cartoon villains. But they do see the world as a brutal, competitive place, and they’re more likely to justify doing whatever it takes to come out on top.

Think: cutting corners, manipulating coworkers, cheating systems—and, yes, maybe even enjoying someone else’s downfall.

Where the Shadows Are Longest

The study analyzed responses from more than 144,000 Americans. And when the results were broken down by state, some clear patterns emerged:

Nevada topped the list with the highest average D score at 2.26 out of 5.
New York followed closely with 2.24, while Texas and South Dakota tied for third at 2.22.

On the other end of the scale?

Vermont stood out with the lowest score in the country—just 1.96, the only state under 2.0.
It was followed by Utah (2.03) and Maine (2.04).

Now, before you start canceling your Vegas trip or moving to Burlington, know this: these are population averages, not personality judgments. You’ll find good eggs in Texas and shady operators in Vermont. But statistically, some environments are more fertile ground for darker traits.

It’s Not Just About Personality—It’s About Place

What makes one state more “dark” than another?

The researchers didn’t just stop at personalities—they dug into social data too. They found strong correlations between high D scores and societal factors like poverty, inequality, corruption, and violence.

In other words: when people live in harsher, more unjust conditions, they may adapt by embracing more self-serving—or even harmful—behaviors. It’s not just “bad apples.” Sometimes it’s the barrel.

This aligns with global findings about how power structures and inequality can shape moral choices. In systems where trust is broken and rules feel rigged, it’s no surprise that survival might start to look like manipulation.

So, What Does This Mean for You?

It’s easy to point fingers, but the truth is, everyone has some level of dark traits. The real question is how often those traits show up—and in what context.

Maybe it’s how you compete for attention at work. Maybe it’s that one time you justified bending the truth to get what you wanted. The dark side isn’t always obvious—but it’s often there.

Want to know where you stand? You can take the same test the study used here. Just be ready to confront a few uncomfortable truths.

Because whether you’re in Nevada or Vermont, New York or Utah, the shadows don’t just live around us. Sometimes, they live within.

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Dan Mitchell

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