To determine the top places where people cheat in the winter, Ashley Madison analyzed sign-up data between December 21, 2017 and March 20, 2018 to find the most popular places for wintertime extramarital affairs.
Many of the places that made the list were smaller towns and cities like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Bloomington, Indiana.
"A lot of times people living in smaller hubs spend a great deal of time traveling for work and use that time to connect with people who are not their spouse," Isabella Mise, director of communications for Ashley Madison, explained in a release.
Here are the top 10 cities for cheating during the winter.
Alexandria, Virginia
The 10th most popular city for cheating in the winter months is Alexandria, Virginia. According to Paul Keable, Ashley Madison's vice president of communications, East Coast destinations like Alexandria were the most popular for wintertime affairs.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the ninth most popular winter cheating location and with the city's cold temperatures during the winter months, it makes sense.
"Having a warm body to snuggle up with in the winter allows people to avoid feeling devoid of the human and social interactions they mentally and physiologically crave," Caitlin Bergstein, a matchmaker for Three Day Rule, told Brit+Co when explaining why people tend to pair up more in the winter .
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana ranked eighth on Ashley Madison's list. The city has a population of 85,000 and many live there while they attend Indiana University.
Hollywood, California
Hollywood, California is best known for its star-studded scene and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but it also ranks as the seventh top city for wintertime cheating.
In a populous city like Hollywood, there are plenty of options for a cheater, especially one who is cheating out of a need for self-discovery . "Many times, people who stray are also hoping to reconnect with lost parts of themselves, with the lives un-lived, with the sense that life is short and there are certain experiences that they are longing for," sex and relationship expert Esther Perel previously told INSIDER.
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a New Jersey town that is around 10 miles from New York City, which according to Mise, may make it a hot spot for affairs. In a press release, she said small towns that are nearby larger cities give potential cheaters "opportunity to escape."
Bayonne, New Jersey
Flickr Creative Commons/Raymond Bucko
Marietta, Georgia
Idawriter/Wikimedia Commons
Marietta, Georgia is less populous than some of the other ranking cities with 56,579 residents, but its size didn't stop it from ranking fourth top city for winter cheating.
Wilmington, Delaware
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston ranked second on Ashley Madison's list and is West Virginia's capital city with 50,404 residents . The city is located between two rivers, the Elk river and the Kanawha river, and is home to many government buildings and residences, including the West Virginia governor's mansion.
Johns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek, Georgia landed at the top spot on Ashley Madison's list, and like North Bergen, Mise thinks its ranking has something to do with the town's small size and its closeness to a larger metropolitan area.
"Although not the first place that comes to mind for infidelity, its ranking on our list certainly makes sense because of its roots and proximity to a big city, that people might have more opportunity to escape or stray from their marriage," she said in a release.
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