One of the most fascinating aspects of “sex trafficking” hysteria is the bizarre competition I’ve dubbed “King of the Hill” after the boys’ game; each city and state boasts that it is one of the “top” or “leading” or “major” destinations, sources or “hubs” of sex trafficking in the United States. Since there is absolutely no basis for any interstate comparison, such claims are totally bogus and intercity comparisons belong strictly to the realm of fantasy. But virtually every “trafficking” fanatic speaking to every reporter, class or ladies’ club meeting will insist that whatever place he’s speaking in is “a major hotspot”, citing whatever authority sounds good (the FBI, DoJ and Homeland Security are favorites) and “explaining” that the high level of activity is due to the presence of interstate highways, proximity to some “sinful” place like New York or Atlanta, remoteness from other places (yes, really), or even (in a bizarrely 19th-century touch) the presence of navigable waterways, presumably for the slave-ships to sail in upon. Since many of the claims are (unsurprisingly) very vague, all words like “major” or “near the top” are counted as being claims for the top ten in states (first table), top twenty in cities (second table). Don’t try to compare rankings of cities with that of the states in which they lie; you’ll hurt your brain.
States
Rank | Claimants | Purported reasons |
1st | Texas | “25% of all US victims” |
1st | California | “Due to its proximity to Canada and Mexico“ |
1st | Florida | None given |
1st | Georgia | None given |
1st | Nevada | None given |
1st | Washington | Together with Oregon; none given |
1st | Oregon | Together with Washington; none given |
2nd | California | None given |
2nd | New York | None given |
2nd | Michigan | “close proximity to Canada and waterways“ |
2nd | Texas | “According to Homeland Security” |
3rd | Florida | “The FBI says“ |
3rd | Wisconsin | None given |
4th | Ohio | “NHTRC statistics” |
Top 5 | Michigan | “Large agricultural industry & international border“ |
5th | Ohio | “calls to the Nation Human Trafficking Hot Line“ |
6th | Virginia | “a report by the Human Trafficking Institute” |
Top 8 | North Carolina | Major highways and large rural areas |
8th | Maryland | I-95, bus stops & truck stops |
Top 10 | Illinois | “Central location” & “transportation infrastructure” |
Top 10 | Nevada | Interstate highways and “major events” |
Top 10 | New Jersey | Interstate highways, trains & buses, 3 airports |
Top 10 | Oklahoma | “The State Department reports” |
Top 15 | Minnesota | “The FBI says” |
Cities
Rank | Claimants | Purported reasons |
1st | Seattle, Washington | “33% of cases nation-wide” |
1st | Atlanta, Georgia | “World’s busiest airport” |
1st | Charlotte, North Carolina | None given |
1st | Houston, Texas | “Long regarded as the nation’s hub” |
1st | Oakland, California | “FBI identified Oakland as ground zero” |
1st | San Francisco, California | “FBI finding” |
2nd | Detroit, Michigan | “FBI finding” |
2nd | Portland, Oregon | Strip clubs, highways, waterways, Canada |
3rd | Chicago, Illinois | “national human trafficking hotline” |
3rd | Miami, Florida | “Travellers from around the world” |
3rd | Tampa Bay, Florida | None given |
3rd | Toledo, Ohio | “FBI reports” |
Top 5 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | “Known as the Harvard of sex trafficking” |
Top 10 | Dallas, Texas | None given |
Top 10 | Phoenix, Arizona | Major highways, “destination point” (?) |
Top 10 | Sacramento, California | Interstate highways & immigrants |
Top 10 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Interstate highways |
10th | Rockford, Illinois | “its location in the Midwest” |
Top 13 | Las Vegas, Nevada | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 13 | Los Angeles, California | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 13 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | “highways, year-round sports & conventions” |
Top 13 | New York City | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 13 | St. Louis, Missouri | “major hub for truck stops“ |
Top 13 | Washington, D.C. | “US Department of Justice” |
13th | San Diego, California | “According to the FBI” |
Top 20 | Birmingham, Alabama | “superhighway of sex trafficking” |
Top 20 | Denver, Colorado | Highways, “largest city in 600 miles” |
Top 20 | El Paso, Texas | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 20 | Fresno, California | Fresno cops |
Top 20 | Long Island, New York | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 20 | New Orleans, Louisiana | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 20 | Philadelphia, PA | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 20 | Richmond, Virginia | “US Department of Justice” |
Top 6.5% | Reno, Nevada | “an entertainment-like experience” |
2nd (FL) | Orlando, Florida | None given |
3rd (FL) | Jacksonville, Florida | None given |
3rd (VA) | Hampton Roads, Virginia | A cop claimed it |