Are societies becoming more stressful? There are signs of growing mental health issues in advanced capitalist societies, like the U.S. This is not least with the finding that 77% of U.S. citizens feeling stressed about the future of our nation (as per the findings of the American Psychological Association).
The economy was the second most common, with 73% of adults having reported it as a significant source of stress (one such area contributing to this is the rate of inflation). The 2024 U.S. presidential election followed closely at 69%.
To explore this further, the personal-finance website WalletHub has undertaken research and released its report on 2025’s Most & Least Stressed Cities in America.
In order to determine where U.S. citizens cope best with their stress, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 39 key metrics. The data set ranges from average weekly work hours to the unemployment rate to divorce and suicide rates.
This revealed:
Most Stressed Cities
1. Detroit, MI
2. Cleveland, OH
3. Baltimore, MD
4. Gulfport, MS
5. Memphis, TN
6. Shreveport, LA
7. Philadelphia, PA
8. Toledo, OH
9. Birmingham, AL
10. Jackson, MS
In contrast, the least stressed states were found to be:
Least Stressed Cities
173. Boise, ID
174. Overland Park, KS
175. Lincoln, NE
176. Bismarck, ND
177. Fargo, ND
178. Burlington, VT
179. Irvine, CA
180. Sioux Falls, SD
181. Fremont, CA
182. South Burlington, VT
Within the overall rankings, there were some variances of interest. For example, Rapid City, South Dakota, was found to possess the lowest unemployment rate, which is 6.3 times lower than in Detroit, Michigan the city with the highest.
On another measure – martial stability – Fremont, California, has the lowest divorce rate, which is 4.4 times lower than in Cleveland, Ohio, the city with the highest.
Another important assessment is health and wellbeing. With this regard, Cheyenne, Wyoming, has the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health, which is 3.1 times lower than in San Antonio, Texas, the city with the highest. Although money is not a panacea to all problems, income levels can affect overall wellbeing. Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), which is 3.4 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest.
