By Kaitlyn Chamberlin, Reader's Digest
It seems as though more and more people grow more and more stressed each year, but just how stressed is your hometown?
[post_ads_2]Most Stressed
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The analysts at WalletHub
compared the 150 largest cities in the United States. By categorizing
stress into 4 sections—family, work, financial, and health and safety
stress—across 30 metrics including job security, income, and those in
poor health, the analysts were able to rank the cities from most to
least stressed.
Maybe you think New York City or Los Angeles is the most stressed city,
But nope! According to WalletHub, Newark, New Jersey, is overall the
most stressed city in America. Newark had a total score of 60.28 / 100.
(Each of the four stress categories equals 25 points. The lower the
score, the better). The city is ranked number one in work stress, four
in financial stress, and seven in both family stress and health and
safety stress. So why aren't the larger cities more stressed? WalletHub
Analyst, Jill Gonzalez, says that while larger cities to tend to have
high levels of stress, they also have better health systems and more
active locals, so face lower health-related stress rate. "We actually
thought some of the largest cities like New York, LA, or Chicago would
rank higher, but that didn't turn out to be the case," she says.
Least stressed
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The
city that won this coveted spot is Freemont, California. Located about
40 miles south of San Francisco, Freemont scored a total score of 29.03,
ranking 14 in work stress, 147 in financial stress, 149 in family
stress, and 150 in health and safety stress. Besides facing high
work-related stress, the residents of Freemont don't seem to have a ton
of stress related to finances, family, and health. Is your job giving
you a ton of added stress? Here are 36 almost effortless ways to make your work day less stressful.
[post_ads_2]Most weekly hours worked
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When
it comes to the city that works the most hours every week,
Fayetteville, North Carolina and Anchorage, Alaska are tied for first
place. While those in Detroit, Michigan and San Bernadino work the least
amount of hours per week. Feeling burnt out on the job? Here are ten little ways to de-stress your work day.
Best and worst for job security
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Louisiana and Corpus Christi, Texas, have the lowest job security.
Plano, Texas and Raleigh, North Carolina have the highest. "A city that
has work-related stress under control might not look the same for
safety-related stress, but we see more of a snowball effect here across
the board," says Gonzalez. "So if you're job searching or just looking
to relocate, it's a good idea to check city stress levels beforehand."
[post_ads_2]Affordable housing
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Not
surprising at all, New York City and San Francisco have the least
affordable housing; big cities come with big rents. (Good thing San
Francisco residents are some of the smartest in the country.) Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York, have the most affordable housing options.
Highest and lowest divorce rates
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Detroit Harold Stiver/ShutterstockAccording to the American Psychology Association,
nearly 40 to 50 percent of marriages, in the United States, end in
divorce. So which cities have the highest divorce rate? Cleveland, Ohio,
and Detroit. Both cities also have the highest poverty rate. Glendale,
California, and Plano, Texas have the lowest divorce rates. Worried
about the stability of your union? Here are secret warning signs your marriage is on the rocks.
[post_ads_2]Best and worst for health
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Texas
wins (makes that loses) when it comes to the largest percentage of
adults in fair/poor health. Corpus Cristi and El Paso have the most
people who suffer from health-related stresses, while San Jose,
California, and San Francisco have the lowest. "Large cities do have
high levels of stress, but they also tend to have more active residents
and better quality health systems, thus reducing health-related stress,"
says Gonzalez. Find out the get fit secrets from residents of America's fittest city.
Best and worst crime rates
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St.
Louis, Missouri, and Birmingham, Alabama have the highest crime rates.
Southern California takes the cake for the cities with the lowest crime
rates, thanks to Santa Clarita and Glendale ranking 139 and 140.
[post_ads_2]Average number of hours of sleep per night
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Most
people go to Las Vegas to spend the night partying, so it's not much of
a shock that Las Vegas sleeps the least amount of hours per night,
followed by Henderson, Nevada (a town about 20 minutes south). Port St.
Lucie, Florida, and Lubbock, Texas gets the most rest. Wishing you could
catch more zzzs? Find out the eight little changes you can make today to sleep better tonight.
