Have you ever found the love of your life on Hinge, only to find out they were unhinged? When was the last time you went on a Tinder date that ended in tragedy? Many of us either have that one ex or know someone who just can’t MOVE ON! No matter how many times you leave them on read, block them, or flat out tell them you’re not interested– they just can’t quit you.
In some ex-treme cases, people have had to worry about a scorned lover going as far as showing up at their homes or work. Thankfully, we're here to tell you that some places are better than others when it comes to making a break for it. In this study, we surveyed lovers across the country to find which states had the worst ex-lovers.
Key Takeaways
Tennessee ranks number one as the worst state for exes with residents saying they regret nearly half (44%) of their past relationships.
More than 60% of residents in Georgia and Mississippi have had exes attempt to contact people on their network post-breakup.
More than 40% of Alabama residents reported having unwanted visits from exes after they thought they ended it.
Nearly 70% of women in the U.S. reported being cheated on, while just over 40% of men suffered the same heartache.
Hawaii had the lowest number of reported cheating incidents out of every state surveyed.
All the Worst Exes Live in Tennessee
Recently, a study found that Tennessee ranked ninth on a list of the top 10 worst states to live in. We think we know why; Tennessee is the number one U.S. state with the worst exes. On our super-scientific scale that measures small D energy on a scale from 0 to 100, Tennessee got a perfect 100. If you’re thinking that your love life could use a few more twists and turns, then the Volunteer State is the place for you.
Besides Tennessee, women in Arkansas and North Carolina reported being cheated on more frequently than those in other states. In fact, residents of Arkansas reported that they were cheated on more than any other state in our survey. Arkansans, this might be a good time to re-watch Lie to Me and invest in a polygraph.
Americans Reflect on Their Exes
Even the worst break-ups aren’t all that bad. Break-ups are a great time for self-reflection and taking control of your life. Many Americans have had life-changing epiphanies stemming from heartbreak.
While over 70% of respondents regret at least one of their past relationships, residents in Washington, Delaware, and Arizona, were the most likely to look back fondly on their old flames and previous relationships. Meanwhile, nearly 60% of all North Carolinians surveyed reported that they never blocked an ex, suggesting that the Tarheel State might be the best place for a clean break.
Closing Thoughts
Being the hopeless romantics that we are, we’d like to say “it’s better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all,” but TBH sometimes you just have to block a b#@$!.
Break-ups can really bring out the worst in people and show you someone’s true colors; while it may be hard to get over now, you may be dodging a bullet in the long run. While we encourage you to choose to be the bigger person over being a petty Betty, we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t fun to stunt on your exes on the gram with a fun and sexy fit from yours truly.
Methodology
For this study, our team asked Americans across the country about their break-up experiences. To accomplish this task, we surveyed over 2,000 participants for two weeks in September 2022 about their previous relationships. Questions included: how many times (if any) have you been cheated on? Have you blocked an ex? What percentage of your past relationships do you regret?