The Most Stressed Cities In The U.S.

The Most Stressed Cities in the U.S.

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it," as famous American journalist Sydney J. Harris once said. People in certain cities in the U.S. understand what this means better than others. The excessive tension and pressure will eventually take a toll on your physical and mental health with upset stomach, headaches or migraines being only a few of the possible side effects. The following list of least stressed cities in the U.S. is based on a study by WalletHub.

15. St. Louis, MO

St. Louis has the highest crime rate per capita, which is the biggest problem when it comes to what stresses people out in the city. While work-related tress it not as high (129 out of 150), family issues and health and safety-related concerns are big stress inducers, ranked at 15th and 17th, respectively.

14. Toledo, OH

Toledo ranks seventh in the family-related stress category. Other things on the locals' minds over which they are losing sleep are mostly health and safety. Money is also a problem, even though not as much. Toledo is 77th in the nation. Work-relates stress is somewhat low – at 126th out of 150.

13. Baton Rouge, LA

Locals are stressed over health and safety concerns, as well as money-related stress. Even though the study points out, people deal fairly well with the anxiety, fifth in the nation, the Red Stick has the fewest psychologists per capita than any other city on this list. This may be a cause of concern if you keep in mind that the city ranked 11th for family-related stress. Baton Rouge is also among the 15 worst cities for spring allergies.

12. Louisville, KY

People in Louisville worry a lot about work and job security, which is ranked among the five lowest. This budget-friendly city, especially in the fall, is also among the least fit places in the country. Its health and safety-related stress rank is eighth in the nation. The home of the Kentucky Derby ranked 30th, out of 150 cities, in terms of work-related stress.

11. Augusta, GA

Locals in Augusta, which is best known for hosting The Masters golf tournament every year, experience too much work-related stress and face a lot of health and safety-related issues, which increase their overall stress ranking. The city is 21st for family-related stress and 30th for money-related stress.

10. Montgomery, AL

Life in the Deep South is not a walk in the park. Montgomery, which has a population of just about 200,000 people, ranks very low in job security.  A high level of work-related stress, money worries, health problems, and a lack of access to mental health professionals are what landed Alabama's Capital City at No. 10.

9. Newark, NJ

Several factors are dragging Newark down. The city is ranked second in the lowest credit score category and fourth when it comes to affordable housing. Worrying about how to pay rent or the inability to get a good mortgage rate can be very stressful. Another stressor for locals is the lack of sleep. Newark ranks at the bottom with people getting the second fewest average hours of sleep per night.

8. New Orleans, LA

Who says that people in the South are always relaxed and chill? This is the second Louisiana city on this Top 15. The nickname "Big Easy" may not be appropriate anymore. The city ranks 18th out of 150 in the money-related stress category and 20th for family-related stress. People in the Crescent City don't worry as much about health and safety issues.

7. Columbus, GA

People in Columbus have a difficult time coping with work related stress. This is most likely due to the fact that they are among the top five cities for the most average weekly hours worked, and they have low job security.

6. Shreveport, LA

The third largest city in Louisiana, Shreveport has a high percentage of adults in fair/poor health. They encounter a lot of work and family related stress as well. A recent report also ranks Louisiana the second most stressful state.

5. Cleveland, OH

Cleveland, the city of about 388,655 people, the second most populous in the state, has extreme difficulties managing family related stress. This is most likely due to their high poverty and divorce rate.

4. Memphis, TN

Memphis city made our list of the most dangerous cities you should never visit alone. In 2015, the FBI ranked Memphis as the 3rd most dangerous city in the nation. Residents also tend to have lower credit scores compared to other cities in the U.S.

3. Birmingham, AL

Located in Jefferson County, the city of Birmingham ranks the third most stressed city in the U.S. The city struggles with a high divorce and crime rate. Residents also encounter a lot of money and health related stress.

2. Mobile, AL

Falling behind Detroit is Mobile, Alabama. The city has a high percentage of adults in fair/poor health and has a small amount of psychologists per capita. According to reports, they tend to struggle with work and health related stress.

1. Detroit, MI

Detroit made the top of Wallet Hub's list as the most stressed city in the U.S. The city has the highest poverty rate and a high divorce rate. The residents tend to have lower credit scores compared to many other U.S. cities and the crime rate is extremely high.