These Are the Most and Least Stressed Cities in America

Just being alive is stressful. Ideally, you’d like to live in a place that inspires serenity, but if you’re a denizen of any major American city, it’s likely that you get stressed sometimes. Wishful thinkers will tell you the grass is always greener, but according to some extensive research compiled by WalletHub, which determined both the least and most stressed cities in the country for 2017, the answer to your anxious prayers might be just around the corner.

Using a team of twelve academic researchers, WalletHub cited data gathered by various government agencies and independent studies. The analysts compared the 150 most populous cities in the country across four key metrics: 1) Work Stress, 2) Financial Stress, 3) Family Stress, and 4) Health & Safety Stress, using various criteria, such as job security, unemployment rate, income growth and divorce rates to bolster their findings. Cities were given a score out of an available 100 points, with the higher tally meaning more stress and lower scores meaning the opposite.

The result is a stress test of the United States, fleshing out in thorough detail where the most anxious and perpetually irked citizens live, and where the bliss-chasing hippies have parked their vans. Let's not beat around the bush: Newark, New Jersey claims the top prize for the most stressed place in America, scoring a 60.28 points on the stress-o-meter.

America’s top 10 most stressed cities can be viewed in descending order with Newark, of course, at the bottom.

  • Shreveport, Louisiana
  • Augusta, Georgia
  • Rochester, New York
  • San Bernardino, California
  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Miami, Florida
  • Jackson, Mississippi
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Detroit, Michigan
  • Newark, New Jersey

As we move to the least stressed cities, the weather mostly gets warmer and sunnier, and there tends to be more oceans, deserts, and old people. If you’d like to find happiness, maybe consider moving to a drier climate, as Arizona has three cities in the top ten, including a city in the number eleven slot. Fremont, California registers in the number 1 position as the least stressed place in America, probably because of its proximity to Tesla’s original factory and vibrantly smiling suburbanites on every corner.

You can view the top 10 in descending order below, and take a look at everything else in between via WalletHub

  • Boise, Idaho
  • Madison, Wisconsin
  • Preoria, Arizona
  • Gilbert, Arizona
  • Irvine, California
  • Sioux Falls, South Daokta
  • Scottsdale, Arizona
  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Plano, Texas
  • Fremont, California

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.