Stress is inevitable. Everyone experiences some degree of it normally, but the past few years have elevated Americans’ stress levels with everything from a pandemic to high inflation and spiking homicide rates.
Money, health and the economy all remain top stressors, but around 3 in 5 adults don’t talk about their stress because they don’t want to be a burden on other people. Stress isn’t just harmful to individuals, though – by one estimate, workplace-related stress alone costs the country more than $300 billion per year.
To determine where Americans cope the best, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 39 key metrics. Our data set ranges from average weekly work hours to the unemployment rate to divorce and suicide rates.
Best vs. Worst
- Miami and Hialeah, Florida, have the lowest unemployment rate, which is 5.9 times lower than in Detroit, Michigan the city with the highest.
- Fremont, California, has the lowest divorce rate, which is 4.6 times lower than in Detroit, Michigan, the city with the highest.
- Portland, Maine, has the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health, which is 2.5 times lower than in Huntington, West Virginia, the city with the highest.
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), which is 3.3 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest.
| Overall Rank* | City | Total Score | Work Stress Rank | Financial Stress Rank | Family Stress Rank | Health & Safety Stress Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland, OH | 60.37 | 55 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
| 2 | Detroit, MI | 59.72 | 44 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | 58.30 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 38 |
| 4 | Memphis, TN | 57.12 | 53 | 4 | 15 | 6 |
| 5 | Gulfport, MS | 57.12 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 22 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | 56.03 | 12 | 12 | 31 | 9 |
| 7 | Birmingham, AL | 55.96 | 57 | 18 | 11 | 3 |
| 8 | Akron, OH | 54.86 | 108 | 16 | 6 | 8 |
| 9 | New Orleans, LA | 54.02 | 25 | 3 | 65 | 20 |
| 10 | Jackson, MS | 53.43 | 68 | 10 | 41 | 14 |
| 11 | St. Louis, MO | 53.38 | 35 | 5 | 69 | 16 |
| 12 | Montgomery, AL | 53.10 | 114 | 6 | 40 | 7 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | 52.41 | 19 | 17 | 42 | 37 |
| 14 | Shreveport, LA | 52.29 | 81 | 7 | 61 | 13 |
| 15 | Newark, NJ | 51.35 | 9 | 15 | 35 | 92 |
| 16 | Mobile, AL | 51.23 | 65 | 8 | 84 | 27 |
| 17 | Milwaukee, WI | 50.92 | 60 | 45 | 13 | 34 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | 50.92 | 13 | 72 | 36 | 17 |
| 19 | San Bernardino, CA | 50.83 | 112 | 35 | 2 | 53 |
| 20 | San Antonio, TX | 50.43 | 92 | 47 | 18 | 11 |
FULL REPORT
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