Adam McCann, Financial Writer

Jul 13, 2020

Stress is inevitable. Everyone experiences some type and level of it normally, but the COVID-19 pandemic this year has created a much more stressful environment than usual. With social distancing and isolation, that stress has only become amplified. In fact, 39 percent of Americans say worry or stress about coronavirus has had a negative impact on their physical health. As states reopen, hopefully Americans’ anxiety will start to diminish, too.

Stress is not always a bad thing. Certain kinds of stress can have positive effects on a person’s well-being, at least in the right doses. According to Psychology Today, “A little bit of stress, known as ‘acute stress,’ can be exciting—it keeps us active and alert.” When stress reaches an unmanageable level, however, it turns “chronic.” That’s when we become vulnerable to its damaging effects such as health problems and loss of productivity. By one estimate, workplace-related stress alone costs society more than $300 billion per year – and that’s not even taking into account this year’s pandemic.

To determine the cities where Americans cope best, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 42 key metrics. Our data set ranges from how vulnerable the state is to COVID-19 to average weekly work hours to divorce and suicide rates. Read on for our findings, expert insight and a full description of our methodology.

Main Findings

Most & Least Stressed Cities in America

Overall Rank* City Total Score ‘Work Stress’ Rank ‘Financial Stress’ Rank ‘Family Stress’ Rank ‘Health & Safety Stress’ Rank 1 Cleveland, OH 66.93 35 1 4 3 2 Detroit, MI 64.96 97 5 3 1 3 Birmingham, AL 62.40 71 15 1 4 4 Gulfport, MS 62.39 10 18 20 5 5 Newark, NJ 62.37 6 4 30 43 6 Baltimore, MD 62.03 9 7 12 45 7 New Orleans, LA 60.44 24 16 40 8 8 St. Louis, MO 59.78 48 2 43 41 9 Mobile, AL 59.75 53 6 90 9 10 Jackson, MS 59.27 81 20 7 13 11 Montgomery, AL 59.26 86 3 61 17 12 Akron, OH 59.16 63 11 37 11 13 Toledo, OH 58.65 87 17 36 6 14 Charleston, WV 58.57 8 38 120 2 15 Houston, TX 58.46 17 28 11 52 16 Shreveport, LA 58.13 45 19 65 10 17 Memphis, TN 57.97 92 8 39 23 18 Philadelphia, PA 57.47 14 31 47 28 19 Cincinnati, OH 57.20 52 26 69 7 20 Huntington, WV 56.56 64 9 103 20 21 Milwaukee, WI 56.46 36 30 15 64 22 Wilmington, DE 56.26 62 40 18 21 23 Augusta, GA 56.04 88 12 54 40 24 Columbus, GA 56.00 90 13 85 18 25 Chicago, IL 55.89 7 41 45 89 26 New York, NY 55.66 4 29 52 129 27 Newport News, VA 55.54 20 10 112 72 28 Indianapolis, IN 55.13 28 23 130 24 29 San Bernardino, CA 55.12 121 47 2 59 30 Baton Rouge, LA 54.85 39 61 73 12 31 Norfolk, VA 54.85 65 24 32 68 32 Dover, DE 54.48 120 22 53 44 33 Little Rock, AR 54.40 124 21 111 14 34 Rochester, NY 54.38 46 66 21 54 35 Fayetteville, NC 54.29 75 14 102 48 36 Dallas, TX 54.24 55 51 14 85 37 Atlanta, GA 54.02 38 35 57 77 38 Richmond, VA 54.00 56 48 27 69 39 Chattanooga, TN 53.92 142 25 68 22 40 Hialeah, FL 53.69 107 33 8 101 41 Phoenix, AZ 53.63 161 27 29 32 42 Miami, FL 53.47 122 37 22 71 43 Laredo, TX 53.22 154 34 31 39 44 Tulsa, OK 52.83 73 65 51 29 45 Washington, DC 52.81 34 130 5 121 46 Bridgeport, CT 52.55 22 43 44 131 47 New Haven, CT 52.32 145 32 28 81 48 Providence, RI 52.32 70 50 82 51 49 Worcester, MA 52.10 27 134 16 93 50 San Antonio, TX 52.02 68 54 91 46 51 Corpus Christi, TX 52.00 111 64 79 30 52 Los Angeles, CA 51.83 74 57 19 119 53 Las Vegas, NV 51.69 132 107 9 75 54 Las Cruces, NM 51.66 130 36 76 62 55 El Paso, TX 51.61 117 70 26 74 56 Springfield, MO 51.50 104 68 77 38 57 Fresno, CA 51.33 151 52 13 82 58 Columbia, SC 51.24 164 39 72 36 59 Winston-Salem, NC 51.20 114 83 46 49 60 Brownsville, TX 51.18 156 44 35 57 61 Boston, MA 51.11 31 91 59 112 62 Wichita, KS 51.07 139 71 24 61 63 Jacksonville, FL 51.04 103 84 92 33 64 Kansas City, MO 50.92 47 79 129 34 65 Oklahoma City, OK 50.74 60 58 118 53 66 Tampa, FL 50.69 84 98 58 58 67 Buffalo, NY 50.65 50 112 94 60 68 Stockton, CA 50.64 133 59 38 83 69 Albuquerque, NM 50.58 134 73 80 35 70 North Las Vegas, NV 50.47 138 74 6 105 71 Fort Worth, TX 50.33 40 117 55 88 72 Fort Wayne, IN 50.31 137 90 84 37 73 Louisville, KY 50.17 26 49 163 47 74 Oakland, CA 50.16 15 97 63 133 75 Columbus, OH 50.05 58 103 136 27 76 Fort Smith, AR 50.03 165 46 110 15 77 Denver, CO 50.03 19 111 56 147 78 Sacramento, CA 49.67 116 89 17 134 79 Portland, OR 49.61 29 126 70 123 80 Garland, TX 49.60 109 92 10 145 81 Arlington, TX 49.32 77 105 49 97 82 Fort Lauderdale, FL 49.26 18 119 115 80 83 Warwick, RI 49.22 3 76 168 104 84 Yonkers, NY 49.11 1 136 121 148 85 Tucson, AZ 49.05 174 62 75 31 86 St. Petersburg, FL 49.05 129 138 89 25 87 Huntsville, AL 49.04 172 72 93 16 88 Knoxville, TN 48.94 162 53 139 19 89 Vancouver, WA 48.84 93 85 41 126 90 Lewiston, ME 48.80 61 69 117 114 91 Greensboro, NC 48.41 125 87 109 65 92 Amarillo, TX 48.21 153 86 126 26 93 Glendale, AZ 48.20 171 60 60 78 94 Jersey City, NJ 48.12 23 106 95 136 95 Long Beach, CA 48.03 30 82 104 143 96 Orlando, FL 47.86 170 96 64 56 97 Pittsburgh, PA 47.76 82 93 140 67 98 Spokane, WA 47.57 175 116 33 66 99 Lubbock, TX 47.56 167 100 88 49 100 Tacoma, WA 47.54 100 115 78 110 101 Moreno Valley, CA 47.48 147 75 23 139 102 Bakersfield, CA 47.30 157 55 113 86 103 Austin, TX 47.12 85 145 66 135 104 Nashville, TN 47.06 128 101 128 73 105 Grand Rapids, MI 47.02 110 149 119 55 106 Salem, OR 47.01 126 102 123 84 107 Mesa, AZ 46.90 168 77 107 63 108 Grand Prairie, TX 46.84 99 108 50 144 109 Port St. Lucie, FL 46.67 119 45 153 107 110 Reno, NV 46.65 155 147 48 87 111 Modesto, CA 46.61 59 156 106 94 112 Fontana, CA 46.54 140 67 108 120 113 Santa Ana, CA 46.53 150 99 71 113 114 Tallahassee, FL 46.51 169 42 127 91 115 Henderson, NV 46.46 96 154 25 159 116 Charlotte, NC 46.39 54 142 147 92 117 San Francisco, CA 46.27 41 169 62 158 118 Riverside, CA 46.18 159 104 87 99 119 Manchester, NH 45.91 78 150 138 79 120 Cape Coral, FL 45.87 51 137 116 137 121 Anchorage, AK 45.85 11 170 97 155 122 San Diego, CA 45.84 98 144 74 167 123 Lexington-Fayette, KY 45.82 136 118 164 42 124 Pembroke Pines, FL 45.65 13 139 157 130 125 Santa Rosa, CA 45.36 43 161 122 152 126 Tempe, AZ 45.29 181 81 100 70 127 Aurora, CO 45.24 66 132 101 156 128 Minneapolis, MN 45.20 112 157 86 141 129 Anaheim, CA 45.12 72 123 105 157 130 Durham, NC 44.99 80 164 133 90 131 Aurora, IL 44.96 25 159 146 117 132 Juneau, AK 44.92 5 179 143 109 133 Oxnard, CA 44.87 118 140 114 132 134 Seattle, WA 44.86 95 172 42 160 135 Honolulu, HI 44.86 37 153 99 174 136 Ontario, CA 44.80 163 94 83 151 137 Casper, WY 44.74 32 131 156 172 138 St. Paul, MN 44.67 44 146 142 128 139 Chula Vista, CA 44.47 89 133 98 169 140 Colorado Springs, CO 44.46 160 128 67 153 141 Nampa, ID 44.42 144 79 81 173 142 Irving, TX 44.42 135 135 96 149 143 West Valley City, UT 44.35 176 88 34 163 144 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 44.01 101 125 131 146 145 Glendale, CA 43.99 42 110 155 162 146 Virginia Beach, VA 43.91 113 143 145 115 147 Chesapeake, VA 43.74 123 122 134 140 148 Cheyenne, WY 43.69 76 155 152 122 149 Raleigh, NC 43.62 79 173 132 118 150 Salt Lake City, UT 43.43 149 109 135 150 151 Santa Clarita, CA 43.38 33 95 150 179 152 Rapid City, SD 43.31 49 113 173 124 153 Oceanside, CA 43.25 106 120 125 175 154 Charleston, SC 43.21 131 152 159 95 155 Garden Grove, CA 43.14 69 124 148 161 156 Huntington Beach, CA 42.95 16 167 141 168 157 Peoria, AZ 42.94 152 114 151 124 158 Portland, ME 42.78 105 121 167 127 159 Nashua, NH 42.19 108 166 161 96 160 Des Moines, IA 41.85 158 160 154 108 161 Omaha, NE 41.48 173 63 170 116 162 Chandler, AZ 41.25 179 141 149 98 163 Missoula, MT 41.18 143 56 176 142 164 Scottsdale, AZ 40.92 148 151 166 103 165 Irvine, CA 40.87 57 127 160 178 166 Burlington, VT 40.03 91 78 178 166 167 Pearl City, HI 39.74 21 162 144 182 168 Columbia, MD 39.58 141 175 162 76 169 Gilbert, AZ 39.34 182 129 165 102 170 San Jose, CA 39.32 115 180 124 176 171 Cedar Rapids, IA 38.63 166 168 171 106 172 Plano, TX 38.43 94 181 158 165 173 Billings, MT 38.30 127 165 175 154 174 Fremont, CA 38.28 2 182 174 180 175 South Burlington, VT 37.80 12 174 182 177 176 Madison, WI 37.53 146 171 169 164 177 Bismarck, ND 37.29 67 177 180 111 178 Overland Park, KS 36.70 83 178 172 170 179 Fargo, ND 36.40 177 163 179 100 180 Sioux Falls, SD 36.14 102 148 181 171 181 Boise, ID 35.77 178 176 137 181 182 Lincoln, NE 35.49 180 158 177 138

*1=Most Stressed





Ask the Experts

Stress can be harmful to various aspects of our lives, including our jobs, finances and relationships. To help Americans find effective ways to manage their stress, we turned to a panel of health experts for advice. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

How can employers reduce work-related stress? What are the most effective ways for people to manage stress levels caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? What tips do you have for a person who finds managing finances to be stressful? What tips do you have for a person who wishes to find relaxation on a budget? What activities should families engage in together to minimize stress and ease tensions between family members?

Methodology

In order to determine the most and least stressed cities in America, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across four key dimensions: 1) Work Stress, 2) Financial Stress, 3) Family Stress, and 4) Health & Safety Stress. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated the four dimensions using 42 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest levels of stress. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Work Stress – Total Points: 25

Average Weekly Work Hours: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Job Security: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Traffic Congestion: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Note: This metric measures the annual hours spent in congestion per auto commuter.

Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Share of Households where No Adults Work: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Average Commute Time (in Minutes): Half Weight (~1.47 Points)

Income Growth: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Note: “Growth” compares income levels in 2018 versus in 2017.

Job Satisfaction Ranking: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Note: This metric is based on Indeed Job Happiness Index.

Financial Stress – Total Points: 25

Median Annual Household Income: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.

Share of Households Behind on Bills in Past 12 Months: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Personal-Bankruptcy Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Median Debt per Median Earnings: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Food Insecurity: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Note: Food Insecurity is the percentage of the population who did not have access to a reliable source of food during the past year.

Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Household Income.

Share of Mortgage Holders with Negative Equity: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Note: This metric measures the proportion of mortgage holders whose balance on mortgage is higher than the value of homes.

Family Stress – Total Points: 25

Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Share of Single Parent Households: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Median Duration of Current Marriage: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Strength of Social Ties: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Note: This metric is based on responses to Sharecare’s RealAge® Test and was used to indicate where relationships with family and friends are stronger, thus providing an upside to one’s social life and well-being.

Availability of Childcare Workers per Total Number of Children: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Child Care Cost: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Note: Monthly Cost of Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private for 1 Child (proxy for child care cost).

Health & Safety Stress – Total Points: 25

WalletHub “States with the Most Vulnerable Populations to Coronavirus” Score*: Triple Weight (~3.57 Points)

Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “ States with the Most Vulnerable Populations to Coronavirus ” ranking.

WalletHub “States with the Biggest Health Improvements During COVID-19” Score*: Triple Weight (~3.57 Points)

Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “ States with the Biggest Health Improvements During COVID-19 ” ranking.

Share of Adults in Fair or Poor Health: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Share of Adults Who Could Not See a Doctor Because of Cost: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Share of Adults Diagnosed with Depression: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Mental Health: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Share of Insured Population: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Share of Adult Binge Drinkers: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Note: This metric measures the share of adults consuming four or more alcoholic drinks on one occasion.

Share of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Physical-Activity Rate: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Share of Obese Residents: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Share of Adults with Inadequate Sleep: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Note: This metric measures the share of adults sleeping fewer than seven hours per night.

Well-Being Index: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Crime Rate: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Occurrence of Protests and Rallies in the Wake of George Floyd's Death: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)

Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of protests and rallies that occurred in the wake of George Floyd’s death in each city, as of June 29, 2020.

Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~1.19 Points)



Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, INRIX, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Indeed, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Renwood RealtyTrac, County Health Rankings, Zillow, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, TransUnion, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Gallup-Healthways, Numbeo, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sharecare, USA Today and WalletHub research.

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