PA's Public Bathrooms Are Among Nation's Worst, New Study Says

PENNSYLVANIA — Finding some quality porcelain in the Keystone State is no easy task, at least according to one new study that ranks the best and worst states for public bathrooms across the nation.

Pennsylvania's average score on public bathrooms was 5.2 out of 10, placing them as the 19th worst in the country.

“Public restrooms still serve a critical role in our society," said Mark Williams, a spokesperson for Lavatory Lab, the group which organized the study. "Whether we like it or not, they're a necessary part of our lives and we need them to be clean, safe, and accessible."

Major issues cited by Lavatory Lab included cleanliness, smell, privacy, lack of soap, and lack of toilet paper.

The Lab also pointed specifically to bathrooms which fostered strange and uncomfortable situations.

"Sinks and mirrors are often situated in full view of everyone in the bathroom, meaning that you're forced to engage in a game of 'who can avoid eye contact the longest' while you're washing your hands," the Lab notes.

While Pennsylvania still scored much better than the worst in the nation, which was Wyoming at 3.5, they were well below the majority of states.

The highest ranking states were Vermont and Maine, which each scored an 8, as well as Utah, which scored a 7.8.

To come up with their scores, Lavatory Lab surveyed 3,000 individuals nationwide on how they felt about public restrooms.

You can view a map with scores for each state here.