With stress levels rising across the U.S., reportedly driven by inflation, health concerns, and work-life imbalance, new research reveals which states are managing stress better than others in 2025.
Stress is not straightforward to define, and the survey takes a transactional approach. Generlly, stress can be considered as a state of worry or mental tension caused by difficult situations, and it is a natural human response to challenges and threats.
This is in the form of new data from Topture, which attempts to ranks all 50 U.S. states by stress levels using 31 key metrics. The findings show wide differences in how U.S. citizens experience and manage stress based on where they live.
To determine the most and least stressed states in the U.S., the firm compared all 50 states across five key dimensions: 1) Work Stress, 2) Financial Stress, 3) Family Stress, 4) Health & Safety Stress, and 5) Work-Life Balance. The sample considers only the state level data in each case and excludes specific cities within states.
Next, Topture evaluated the five dimensions using 31 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 lowest levels of stress.
Finally, the analysis determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
In terms of interesting data trends, the data suggests that Vermont ranked least stressed in the U.S., performing best in both work stress and health & safety. Perhaps this is a sign that the progressive socialism of Bernie Sanders is a model for other states to consider.
Rhode Island and Maine followed, showing strong social support and access to healthcare. Interestingly, both of these states are located in New England, and represented by Democrats.
In contrast, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Nevada were the most stressed states overall. Each of these states is represented by Republican politicians.
The top ten least stressed states are:
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Work Stress Rank | Total Financial Stress Rank | Total Family Stress Rank | Total Health & Safety Stress Rank | Total Work-Life Balance Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 1 | 40 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 13 | 30 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| 3 | Maine | 5 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 9 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 3 | 48 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 9 | 42 | 1 | 6 | 14 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 11 | 38 | 5 | 18 | 1 |
| 7 | Iowa | 15 | 7 | 23 | 16 | 18 |
| 7 | New Jersey | 22 | 21 | 6 | 20 | 10 |
| 9 | North Dakota | 2 | 17 | 16 | 25 | 20 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 8 | 2 | 25 | 15 | 33 |
Data used to create this ranking were collected as of April 15, 2025 from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, America’s Health Rankings, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Council for Community and Economic Research, County Health Ranking, Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Gun Violence Archive, Indeed, INRIX, Kaiser Family Foundation, Mental Health America, MPH Online, PropertyShark, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, World Population Review.
Commenting on the findings, Benny Rehwald, Founder and CEO of Topture tells Digital Journal:
“Managing stress effectively is crucial not only for personal health, but for the strength of our communities. States that invest in healthcare, job stability, and strong support systems are seeing lower stress levels and improved well-being. At the same time, more people are taking stress management into their own hands—turning to wellness retreats or investing in calming tools like home saunas. The data shows demand for these personal stress relief solutions continues to grow.”
