The Most Stressed Cities In America 2024

Modern society seems to be set up to promote stress, it is everywhere and virtually impossible to avoid. Some stress is pretty much inevitable these days to some degree from family and relationship struggles to health and money to environment and politics. These recent years have elevated stress levels with imposed restrictions, heightened inflation, and increasing homicide rates. 

You are pretty much guaranteed that something is going to stress you out at some point, even if it is from a simple little annoyance of everyday life like traffic. A new poll from the team at WalletHub comparing over 180 cities across the nation on 39 key factors that can lead to stress such as local crime, family conflicts, workplace stress, divorce rates, health issues, and financial stress suggests that where you live plays a very significant role in how you are feeling. 

“Some stress is out of our control, due to issues with family, friends or employers. However, where you live can play a big role in how stressed you are. Cities with high crime rates, weak economies, less effective public health, and congested transportation systems naturally lead to elevated stress levels for residents. When moving, it’s important to consider how a certain city may impact your mental health – not just your financial opportunities,” says WalletHub Analyst Cassandra Happe in a statement.

Top 10 Stressed Cities

The 10 most stressed cities in America are Cleveland, OH taking the top spot for stress, followed by Detroit, MI taking the second spot, Baltimore, MD ranks 3rd for stress, Memphis, TN comes in at 4th, Gulfport, MS places 5th, Philadelphia, PA is ranked 6th, Birmingham, AL took 7th place, Akron, OH ranks 8th, New Orleans, LA was ranked 9th, and Jackson, MS round off the top 10 most stressful cities. 

10 Least Stressed Cities

The 10 least stressed cities in America are Fremont, CA is the least stressful city in America ranking #182, South Burlington, VT was #181, Fargo, ND took spot 180, Lincoln, NE placed 179, Bismarck, ND ranked 178, Sioux Falls, SD came in at 178, Biose, ID is #176, Nashua, NH ranked 175, Portland, ME holds spot #174, and Overland Park, KS is ranked 173 in the 10 least stressful cities in America.

Health

According to the poll, Portland, MN appears to be the healthiest place to live in America, having the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health. For example, there are 3 times fewer people in poor health living in this city compared to Huntington, WV, Montgomery, AL, San Antonio, TX, and Jackson, MS which are all tied as the number one cities with the highest number of residents in poor health. 

Perhaps lack of sleep is playing a part in residents being stressed out, the best city for sleep (South Burlington) gets 2 times more sleep than those living in the worst for average hours of sleep per night (Detroit). 

Workplace Related Stress

On average, 3 in 5 people don’t talk about their stress because they don’t want to place that extra burden on other people. However, money, health, and the economy remain the top stressors. Stress isn’t just harmful to people as individuals, recent estimates suggest that workplace-related stress costs the nation over $300 billion annually. 

Miami and Hialeah, FL have the lowest unemployment rates in the country which is 5.9 times lower than in Detroit where the unemployment rate is the highest.

Those living in Scottsdale, AZ work the most hours, those living in Dallas, TX and Casper, WY tied for second place in hours worked which was followed by Washington, DC, and Fayetteville, NC round off the top 5 in most average weekly hours worked. On the other end of the scope, Bridgeport, CT ranked 178, New Haven, CT came in at 179, Tallahassee, Fl was 180th, Huntington, WV placed 181, and those living in Burlington, VT round off the list at spot #182 with the fewest average weekly hours worked.

Poverty Rate

The poverty rate has a serious fluctuation, with the best city(Overland Park) versus the worst city (Detroit) having an 8 times difference. Detroit, MI was ranked #1 with the worst poverty rate, Cleveland, OH ranked 2nd, Huntington, WV is 3rd, Rochester, NY was 4th, and Buffalo NY has the 5th highest poverty rate. Rounding off the bottom of the least as cities with the lowest poverty rate Scottsdale, AZ ranked 178, Gilbert, AZ placed 179, Fremont, CA came in at 190, and sharing spot #181 Pearl City, HI tied with Overland Park, KS. 

Crime Rate

Living in an area with high levels of violence and crime can have both direct and indirect effects on mental health which includes elevated stress levels which may be driven by chronic safety fear. This year, three cities Memphis, TN, Oakland, CA, and Tacoma, WA tied for 1st place for cities with the highest crime rate, St. Lois, MO ranked 4th and Little Rock, AR was 5th in cities with the highest crime rate. Meanwhile, Warkwick, RI ranked 175 for the lowest crime rate, Nashua, NH placed 176, Cape Floral, FL came in at 177, Gilbert, AZ took spot 178, and Port St. Lucie, FL rounded off the list at 179 for the city with the lowest crime rate in America.

A Closer Look At The Top 3 Most Stressed Cities

#1. Cleveland, OH.

This is the most stressed city in America this year, which may be due to it having one of the lowest median household incomes (under $41,000) after adjusting for the cost of living. The low wages contribute to the fourth-highest share of households that fall behind on their bills in the past 12 months, the second-highest foreclosure rate, and the second-highest poverty rate. It’s not just financial stress either, health and safety have a big impact. 

In Cleveland, over 20% of adults have 14+ mentally unhealthy days per month, and 43% of adults sleep less than 7 hours a night, in this city with one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. All this takes a toll on personal lives, adding stress to family and relationships. This city has the second-highest separation and divorce rate in the country, hovering at 41%, and this pairs with the 19th-highest percentage of single-parent households. 

#2. Detroit, MI.

One of the contributing factors to Detroit having the second most stressed population in the country is that this city has the highest unemployment rate across the nation at 8.2%. Detroit also has the lowest median household income (under $37,000) after adjusting for the cost of living. Add to this that the city has the highest poverty rate (31.5%) in the country, and residents have a very low median credit score of 614, which is in the bad credit range. 

Detroit has one of the highest violent crime rates across the nation which adds to the stress the residents have for their family structures. Safety concerns may be keeping people inside which contributes to the city having very low physical activity levels and the second-highest obesity rate.  This city also has the highest separation and divorce rates as well as the highest share of single-parent households. 

#3. Baltimore, MD.

Residents here may be stressed over the fact that it is very expensive to rent in the city, with the city ranking second highest for financial stress. The average annual rent for a two-bedroom apartment in this city is 40% of the median household income, which is the fourth highest in the country. People living here who purchase a home also have trouble keeping up with mortgage payments as the city has the ninth-highest share of underwater mortgages. 

Baltimore has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, along with the sixth most mass shootings between 2020 and 2024. This city has the ninth-highest separation and divorce rates, and it has the tenth-highest food insecurity rate in the nation. Just getting around in this city can be difficult too, which is reflected in it having the 13th highest traffic congestion rate.

Managing stress

Stress can be good and it can be bad. Good stress is typically short-term, and it may even inspire and/or motivate you, or help you to focus your energy and enhance your performance. Bad stress, on the other hand, tends to wear you out, leaves you feeling uneasy, and is harmful to your health. Chronic (bad) stress, leads to anxiety, confusion, poor concentration, fatigue, mood swings, paranoia, weight fluctuations, sleep disturbances, muscle tension, decreased performance, as well as other physical and mental symptoms. 

Stress is part of life, making it important for us to find ways to keep our level of stress in check such as practicing mindfulness, yoga, meditation and getting enough sleep among other options. Don’t let stress get the better of you, if you are having difficulty dealing with stress make sure to reach out for help whether that be to a family member, friend, or psychologist talking about it can offer valuable support, resources, and treatment options to help you manage stress effectively. 

The Most To Least Stressed Cities In America 2024

Notes: *1=Most Stressed

With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the worst conditions for that metric category.

As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. 

Content may be edited for style and length.

References/Sources/Materials provided by:

T.J.W. at WHN

https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-stressed-cities/22759

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2023/collective-trauma-recovery

https://stress.org/workplace-stress/

https://search.cdc.gov/search/?query=stress%20management&dpage=1