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Americans have a lot on their minds these days — from talk of a coming recession to continued inflation. And 77% of adults report being stressed about the future of the country.
But those are just the macro-stressors. Plenty of Americans are worried about their jobs, marriages, family members, and bank accounts.
WalletHub set out to find the most stressed cities in the U.S. It looked a huge list of factors, sorting them into four categories: work-related stress, money-related stress, family-related stress, and health and safety-related stress. The company considered everything from the average hours worked per week, the share of the personal bankruptcy rate, the cost of childcare, and suicide rates. It also weighed some unique factors like the affordability of doctor’s visits, the share of parents without emotional support, and hate-crime incidents per capita.
“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," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "Cities with high crime rates, weak economies, less effective public health and congested transportation systems naturally lead to elevated stress levels for residents."
Lupo continued: "When moving, it’s important to consider how a certain city may impact your mental health – not just your financial opportunities.”
Continue reading to see which cities are the most — and least — stressed out.
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Memphis was rated the fifth most stressed city, with the highest rate of health and safety stress in the country, and elevated rates of family and financial stress.
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While Gulfport has low rates of work stress, it has the most family stress of any other city in the country and high rates of financial stress, landing it in fourth overall.
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Baltimore was ranked the third most stressed city overall. It ranked third for work stress, second for financial stress, and 13th for family stress.
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Cleveland is the second most stressed city, according to WalletHub. It ranked first in financial stress, second in health and safety stress, and seventh in family stress.
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Detroit was ranked the most stressed city, coming in second in family stress, third in financial stress, fourth in health and safety stress, and 14th in work stress.
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Burlington was ranked the fifth least stressed, with low rates across the board, particularly for work and family stress.
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Irvine came in at fourth least stressed, with the second-lowest rate of health and safety stress and low scores in other categories.
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Sioux Falls was ranked the third least stressed city, in part due to its very low family stress rate. It also had low scores for health and safety stress and financial stress.
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Fremont came in second-to-last for overall stress levels, with the lowest rate of health and safety stress of any city measures and the second lowest rate of financial stress.
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South Vermont took the vaunted spot of least stressed city in America, with the lowest rates of financial and family stress in the entire country.
