Most & Least Stressed States

Stress affects everyone. Although we cannot eliminate stress entirely from our lives, we can minimize it by choosing to live in the least toxic environments. American stress levels have been rising for many demographics since their low point in 2016. Common stressors include the future of America and money, along with health insurance costs. But not all demographics are affected in the same way. For example, millennials have the highest average stress levels.

But certain states have contributed more than others to elevating — or decreasing — stress levels in the U.S. WalletHub compared the 50 states across 40 key indicators of stress to determine the places to avoid and achieve a more relaxing life. Our data set ranges from average hours worked per week to personal bankruptcy rate to share of adults getting adequate sleep. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and our full methodology.

Main Findings

 

Most Stressed States

Overall Rank (1=Most Stressed)	State	Total Score	‘Work-Related Stress’ Rank	‘Money-Related Stress’ Rank	‘Family-Related Stress’ Rank	‘Health- & Safety-Related Stress’ Rank
1	Louisiana	59.94	2	3	7	4
2	Mississippi	58.71	5	1	6	5
3	Arkansas	56.20	14	4	12	1
4	Kentucky	54.77	23	9	3	3
5	West Virginia	54.68	12	2	31	2
6	New Mexico	54.57	4	5	5	18
7	Alabama	52.19	27	6	10	7
8	Nevada	51.06	38	20	1	9
9	Alaska	49.68	1	48	32	19
10	Oklahoma	49.48	22	17	17	6
11	Florida	48.87	30	21	2	21
12	Arizona	48.49	31	12	4	16
13	Tennessee	47.76	37	7	25	12
14	South Carolina	46.84	36	18	19	8
15	Georgia	46.53	16	10	23	22
16	North Carolina	45.89	18	25	15	17
17	Indiana	45.72	33	19	16	13
18	Oregon	45.46	46	13	9	15
19	Ohio	45.16	13	26	21	20
20	Michigan	44.94	25	29	18	10
21	New York	44.24	10	16	27	33
22	Texas	43.91	17	33	24	14
23	Rhode Island	43.54	45	15	11	30
24	Illinois	43.35	9	22	29	34
25	Missouri	43.00	28	24	35	11
26	Pennsylvania	42.81	15	28	28	27
27	Delaware	42.36	26	27	20	29
28	California	42.22	34	14	26	36
29	Maine	41.39	29	23	34	25
30	Connecticut	40.41	8	34	22	47
31	Wyoming	40.30	3	44	44	32
32	Virginia	40.02	24	38	14	40
33	Nebraska	39.90	39	36	8	39
34	New Jersey	39.60	7	42	43	26
35	Washington	39.54	32	30	36	24
36	Vermont	39.36	44	8	41	43
37	Idaho	39.30	48	11	45	23
38	Colorado	38.78	40	32	13	45
39	Maryland	38.67	6	41	30	48
40	Kansas	38.19	19	35	46	31
41	Montana	36.88	47	31	39	28
42	Hawaii	35.71	21	39	38	49
43	Wisconsin	35.49	35	43	33	41
44	New Hampshire	34.03	43	45	42	38
45	Iowa	33.73	41	46	37	44
46	South Dakota	33.18	20	47	49	42
47	North Dakota	32.67	11	49	50	37
48	Massachusetts	32.39	50	40	40	46
49	Utah	31.69	49	37	48	35
50	Minnesota	26.81	42	50	47	50

 

Ask the Experts

For the best ways to cope with negative stressors, we turned to a panel of experts. You can read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions below.

1. What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?
2. What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?
3. Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?
4. What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Methodology

In order to determine the most and least stressed states, WalletHub compared the 50 states across four key dimensions: 1) Work-Related Stress, 2) Money-Related Stress, 3) Family-Related Stress, 4) Health- & Safety-Related Stress.

We evaluated those dimensions using 40 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 level of stress.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Work-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Average Hours Worked per Week: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
• Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.47 Points)
• Average Leisure Time Spent per Day: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Income Growth Rate (2017 vs. 2016): Full Weight (~2.94 Points)

Money-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Median Income: Double Weight (~3.85 Points)
  Note: Adjusted for cost of living.
• Debt per Median Earnings: Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Personal Bankruptcy Rate: Double Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Share of Adults Worried about Money: Double Weight (~3.85 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the percentage of state residents who report having worried about money in the last seven days.
• Economic Confidence Index: Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
  Notes: Gallup's Economic Confidence Index is based on state residents' views of economic conditions in the U.S. today, and whether they think economic conditions in the country are getting better or getting worse.
• Share of People Unable to Save for Children’s College: Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Share of Adults Paying Only Minimum on Credit Card(s): Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Share of Population Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~1.92 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Household Income.

Family-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
• Share of Single Parents: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
• Cost of Childcare: Double Weight (~6.25 Points)
  Note: Adjusted for median household income.
• “Parental-Leave Policy” Score: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
• Parental Stress: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
  Note: This composite metric considers the percentage of parents who felt angry with their child, felt the child does things to bother them or felt the child is difficult to care for.
• Share of Parents Without Emotional Support: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the percentage of parents who do not have someone they could turn to for day-to-day emotional support with parenting or raising children.
• Share of Parents Who Changed/Quit Jobs Due to Problems with Child Care: Full Weight (~3.13 Points)

Health- & Safety-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Share of Adults in Fair or Poor Health: Double Weight (~2.63 Points)
• Share of Adults Diagnosed with Depression: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Mental Health: Double Weight (~2.63 Points)
• Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Unaffordability of Doctor Visits: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
  Note: Measures percentage of adults aged 18 and older who reported not seeing a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost.
• Share of Parents Frustrated in Efforts to Get Health Services for Their Child: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of parents frustrated in their efforts to get health services for their child in the past 12 months.
• Increase in Annual Health Insurance Premiums: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Share of Insured Population: Double Weight (~2.63 Points)
  Note: “Population” includes noninstitutionalized civilians aged 16 and older.
• Psychologists per Capita: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Physical Activity Rate: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Share of Adults Getting Adequate Sleep: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
  Note: Measures percentage of adults aged 18 and older who reported getting seven or more hours of sleep per 24-hour period.
• Bullying Incidents Rate: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
  Note: Measures both the percentage of high school students who were bullied on school property and the percentage of high school students who were bullied electronically/online.
• Crime Rate per Capita: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Well-Being Index: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
• Quality of Infrastructure: Full Weight (~1.32 Points)
  Note: “Infrastructure” refers to roads and bridges.

Videos for News Use:

• YouTube (for web embedding National)
• YouTube (for web embedding Louisiana)
• Raw files (for editing into clips)

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, United Health Foundation, Council for Community and Economic Research, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, TransUnion, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Child Care Aware of America, National Partnership for Women & Families, Gallup-Healthways, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Consumer Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation and The Road Information Program.

Image: Elnur / Shutterstock.com

Community Discussion

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Nevada Smith @Nevada

April 2, 2019

Minnesota 85 percent white
Utah 96 percent white

Louisiana 65 percent white
Mississippi 59 percent white

Ten most safest cities, white majority
Ten most dangerous cities white minority.

You can get any results you want as long as you cherry pick data and ignore race. For example blacks make up 13 percent of the population, but commit half the violent crimes here in America FBI Table 43. Break it down by age and sex, then half the violent crime in America is committed by young black men that make up 3 percent of the population.

As long as race is left out of any equation, then the results will never be accurate or meaningful. But taking race into account is racist.

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Nattttttttt Tttttttttttt @natalie34_nt

May 11, 2019

True, True I TOTALLY agree with you . A liberal put these stats together.

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Machismo Smith @pcrhkr

April 2, 2019

California = 28 What a lie! they are sleeping in the streets of neighborhoods for gods sake. Is that poor enough? Is that stressful enough? how about the sky rocket high cost of living in that state? It should be colored black, for stay away.

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Nevada Smith @Nevada

April 2, 2019

Race is a factor that was left out of the equation. Minnesota 85 percent white
Utah 96 percent white Louisiana 65 percent white Mississippi 59 percent white. California is 79 percent white.

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@13mikeking

April 2, 2019

Vermont, lowest in crime, because anyone can purchase a firearm even felons.

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