Whether it stems from receiving an unexpected bill or struggling with your workload, stress is often perceived as a personal matter.
But stress levels can also be shaped by more systemic factors such as poverty, crime, and childcare costs. For the most stressed cities in the US, poverty and high levels of violent crime consistently show up as contributing factors.
A recent study by WalletHub ranked 182 US cities based on four areas of stress: work, financial, family, and health and safety. The study evaluated the 150 most populated US cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state.
WalletHub evaluated the four areas using 39 metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest level of stress, and the results were then combined to determine each city's overall score.
For work stress, metrics included unemployment rate, average weekly work hours, job security, and traffic congestion.
Financial stress was evaluated with metrics such as median annual household income, share of households behind on bills, and the poverty rate. Family stress included factors such as separation and divorce rates, and childcare costs.
Health and safety stress included the share of adults who could not see a doctor because of cost, hate-crime incidents per capita, and the number of mass shootings.
Data for the ranking was compiled from federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as non-profits and research organizations.
The scores were then ranked from highest to lowest, with 100 being the highest level of stress.
Here's a list of the 20 most stressed cities in the US.
20. San Antonio
Total Score (out of 100): 51.37
Work Stress Rank: 67
Financial Stress Rank: 48
Family Stress Rank: 17
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 17
19. Indianapolis
Total Score: 51.84
Work Stress Rank: 84
Financial Stress Rank: 14
Family Stress Rank: 42
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 34
18. Cincinnati
Total Score: 52.00
Work Stress Rank: 25
Financial Stress Rank: 24
Family Stress Rank: 36
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 40
17. Columbus, Georgia
Total Score: 52.27
Work Stress Rank: 109
Financial Stress Rank: 5
Family Stress Rank: 34
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 52
16. Montgomery, Alabama
Total Score: 52.59
Work Stress Rank: 108
Financial Stress Rank: 12
Family Stress Rank: 45
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 18
15. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Total Score: 52.95
Work Stress Rank: 52
Financial Stress Rank: 23
Family Stress Rank: 25
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 20
14. New Orleans
Total Score: 53.89
Work Stress Rank: 71
Financial Stress Rank: 10
Family Stress Rank: 41
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 24
13. Houston
Total Score: 54.18
Work Stress Rank: 11
Financial Stress Rank: 56
Family Stress Rank: 15
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 8
12. Toledo, Ohio
Work Stress Rank: 74
Financial Stress Rank: 15
Family Stress Rank: 11
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 23
11. Birmingham, Alabama
Total Score: 54.42
Work Stress Rank: 119
Financial Stress Rank: 20
Family Stress Rank: 4
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 11
10. St. Louis
Total Score: 54.60
Work Stress Rank: 24
Financial Stress Rank: 8
Family Stress Rank: 67
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 13
9. Akron, Ohio
Total Score: 55.14
Work Stress Rank: 35
Financial Stress Rank: 18
Family Stress Rank: 9
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 22
8. Jackson, Mississippi
Total Score: 56.03
Work Stress Rank: 39
Financial Stress Rank: 6
Family Stress Rank: 37
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 10
7. Philadelphia
Total Score: 56.61
Work Stress Rank: 5
Financial Stress Rank: 9
Family Stress Rank: 33
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 26
6. Gulfport, Mississippi
Total Score: 56.90
Work Stress Rank: 156
Financial Stress Rank: 17
Family Stress Rank: 1
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 7
5. Shreveport, Louisiana
Total Score: 57.75
Work Stress Rank: 99
Financial Stress Rank: 4
Family Stress Rank: 8
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 3
4. Memphis, Tennessee
Total Score: 59.24
Work Stress Rank: 63
Financial Stress Rank: 7
Family Stress Rank: 5
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 1
3. Cleveland
Total Score: 59.35
Work Stress Rank: 111
Financial Stress Rank: 1
Family Stress Rank: 6
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 4
With low median household income, the second-highest poverty rate, and the highest separation and divorce rate among the cities analyzed, Cleveland has the third-most stressed residents in the US, WalletHub reported.
2. Baltimore
Total Score: 59.73
Work Stress Rank: 1
Financial Stress Rank: 2
Family Stress Rank: 18
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 31
Baltimore came in second. Contributing factors include expensive rent — the average annual rent for a two-bedroom apartment is nearly 38% of the city's median household income — and one of the highest violent crime rates among the cities analyzed, WalletHub reported.
1. Detroit
Total Score: 62.78
Work Stress Rank: 14
Financial Stress Rank: 3
Family Stress Rank: 2
Health & Safety Stress Rank: 2
Detroit topped the ranking as the most stressed city in the US. This is partly attributed to it having the highest unemployment rate (10.4%) and poverty rate (32.7%) among cities in the study, as well as one of the highest violent crime rates.
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Roya is a reporter on Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team. She is based in London. Before joining Business Insider, she worked as a reporter at financial newswire Alliance News and was an intern at The Wall Street Journal. Roya graduated from City St George's, University of London with an MA in International Journalism. You can contact her via email at [email protected].
