Texans might need to watch their language — at least according to multiple studies that have crowned the Lone Star State as America’s swearing champion. Recent analyses of social media posts and online comments reveal Texans aren’t shy about expressing themselves with colorful language.
A comprehensive study by BonusFinder.com examining state subreddit “hot” posts found that Texas leads the nation with an average of 6.9 curse words per post. The research documented a whopping 4,743 instances of profanity across just 691 posts, handily beating Ohio’s second-place showing of 6.7 curses per post.
What’s behind this Texas-sized affinity for four-letter words? While the studies don’t definitively answer that question, they do paint a consistent picture of the state’s verbal tendencies.
Different Methods, Similar Results
The findings aren’t isolated. Another analysis by Journalistic revealed Texas as the fourth-most “potty-mouthed” state in America, earning a rudeness score of 9.18 out of 10 based on Reddit data. According to this study, Texans generated more than 225,000 “filthy” comments.
Radio station Jack FM confirms the trend, citing the BonusFinder research and noting that Texas consistently outpaced other states when it came to salty language. The Austin American-Statesman’s reporting, highlighted by Audacy, further solidified Texas’s reputation as the “cussing capital” of the United States.
But the verbal spice isn’t evenly distributed. Houston stands out as particularly expressive, ranking as the fifth sweariest city in the nation according to a separate WordTips analysis of 1.7 million tweets on X (formerly Twitter). This broader study suggests that while Texas is profane, Maryland actually leads all states in Twitter profanity, with South Dakota residents showing the most restraint.
“The average ‘sweariness’ in Maryland and Louisiana is inflated by their sweariest cities, Baltimore and Baton Rouge,” WordTips noted in their findings. “This is less the case in Georgia, where we have previously attributed the state-wide potty-mouth to humidity and horseflies.”
A National Habit
Swearing isn’t just a Texas phenomenon — it’s a national pastime. A Preply survey of 1,500 residents across 30 major U.S. cities determined that Americans average 21 swear words daily. Columbus, Ohio residents are the most prolific cursers, averaging 36 expletives per day, while Phoenix and Portland tie for the most restrained at just 14 daily curses.
Damn impressive numbers, some might say.
While these studies rely on different methodologies — from analyzing Reddit posts to Twitter feeds to self-reported survey data — they collectively suggest that Texans aren’t particularly concerned with filtering their language. Whether this reflects cultural attitudes, regional speech patterns, or simply a straightforward communication style remains open for interpretation.
For visitors to the Lone Star State unaccustomed to such verbal frankness, consider yourself warned: Texans say what they mean — and they apparently aren’t afraid to add some colorful emphasis.
