Austin among large U.S. cities with least amount of stress, study finds

Austin ranked 162nd out of more than 180 U.S. cities analyzed in a new WalletHub study that examines which places have the most stressful environments based on criteria such as weekly work hours, jobless rates, divorce rates and suicides per capita.

The city scored 36.84 out of 100 in the ranking. In comparison, the most stressful city, Cleveland, scored 64.66 in the analysis that compared municipalities over four dimensions: work stress, financial burdens, family problems, and health and safety stress.

Austin ranked 95th in the work-stress category, 167th in financial stress, 150th in family stress, and 149th in health and safety stress. Employment-related stress results in societal costs of more than $300 billion annually, WalletHub reported.

The study’s authors note that stresses that occurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic have given way to other stresses, such as inflation rates and Russia’s war against Ukraine. 

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How Stressful Is Life in the Largest U.S. Cities?

Overall Rank (1=Most Stressed)	City	Total Score	Work Stress	Financial Stress	Family Stress	Health & Safety Stress
1	Cleveland, OH	64.66	18	1	2	2
2	Detroit, MI	61.2	23	2	7	1
3	Gulfport, MS	57.03	33	4	32	8
4	Baltimore, MD	56.72	5	18	8	48
5	Philadelphia, PA	56.45	2	6	46	39
6	Memphis, TN	56.31	47	13	16	7
7	New Orleans, LA	55.91	17	8	19	30
8	Birmingham, AL	54.86	68	27	4	17
9	St. Louis, MO	54.36	39	3	63	28
10	Toledo, OH	54.03	99	15	21	13
11	Augusta, GA	53.8	60	19	55	4
12	Jackson, MS	53.55	93	22	9	25
13	North Las Vegas, NV	53.4	45	33	3	67
14	San Bernardino, CA	53.28	152	31	1	44
15	Fayetteville, NC	53.01	77	17	20	36
16	Akron, OH	52.83	92	12	29	33
17	Wilmington, DE	52.83	8	29	31	52
18	Houston, TX	52.82	4	81	17	42
19	Montgomery, AL	52.79	121	11	49	12
20	Shreveport, LA	52.58	129	5	91	10
21	Cincinnati, OH	51.91	51	25	48	26
22	Newark, NJ	51.85	6	14	59	103
23	Mobile, AL	51.71	75	16	77	23
24	Columbus, GA	51.67	87	7	106	18
25	Indianapolis, IN	51.48	57	9	84	40
26	Baton Rouge, LA	50.87	34	26	83	34
27	Las Vegas, NV	50.51	54	39	15	65
28	Huntington, WV	50.5	157	10	123	6
29	Springfield, MO	50.39	59	37	102	9
30	Dover, DE	50.08	88	32	70	27
31	Norfolk, VA	49.92	56	20	27	97
32	Milwaukee, WI	49.78	43	40	60	46
33	Chicago, IL	49.74	12	36	69	87
34	Newport News, VA	49.09	30	34	112	43
35	Washington, DC	48.88	11	158	5	89
36	Dallas, TX	48.79	22	107	22	58
37	Richmond, VA	48.71	80	41	35	69
38	Tulsa, OK	48.47	140	49	71	14
39	Chattanooga, TN	48.39	103	66	96	11
40	Bridgeport, CT	48.22	10	28	56	158
41	San Antonio, TX	48.22	74	64	36	56
42	Atlanta, GA	48.2	35	74	41	75
43	Glendale, AZ	47.98	73	38	39	90
44	New York, NY	47.94	3	67	68	140
45	Tucson, AZ	47.93	138	53	11	81
46	Columbia, SC	47.78	90	35	93	51
47	Columbus, OH	47.76	64	77	65	45
48	Knoxville, TN	47.72	154	68	45	24
49	New Haven, CT	47.61	136	45	13	111
50	Brownsville, TX	47.5	170	30	40	60
51	Rochester, NY	47.44	61	70	43	79
52	Casper, WY	47.23	15	43	155	31
53	Vancouver, WA	47.23	21	108	26	90
54	Oklahoma City, OK	47.23	67	51	101	50
55	Jacksonville, FL	47.15	91	58	89	47
56	Corpus Christi, TX	47.11	105	92	73	32
57	Charleston, WV	47.02	145	116	99	3
58	Henderson, NV	46.96	27	112	12	128
59	Phoenix, AZ	46.94	112	72	47	55
60	Modesto, CA	46.8	104	102	14	68
61	Wichita, KS	46.76	102	46	122	38
62	Winston-Salem, NC	46.75	122	87	25	77
63	Little Rock, AR	46.74	146	23	129	41
64	Moreno Valley, CA	46.67	162	75	6	74
65	Louisville, KY	46.62	40	63	157	16
66	Stockton, CA	46.61	130	52	37	101
67	Spokane, WA	46.44	124	119	18	62
68	Fresno, CA	46.38	171	56	10	104
69	Miami, FL	46.27	139	24	66	112
70	Kansas City, MO	46.25	49	78	151	15
71	El Paso, TX	46.16	124	76	24	95
72	Salem, OR	45.83	142	133	64	21
73	Hialeah, FL	45.64	160	21	52	138
74	Los Angeles, CA	45.63	76	60	29	146
75	Fort Smith, AR	45.51	181	55	126	5
76	Fort Worth, TX	45.45	52	111	61	76
77	Denver, CO	45.26	9	101	108	130
78	Arlington, TX	45.25	86	110	58	62
78	Buffalo, NY	45.25	89	98	78	71
80	Greensboro, NC	45.2	119	82	79	61
81	Bakersfield, CA	45.12	172	61	33	83
82	Fort Wayne, IN	45.09	150	48	113	49
83	Providence, RI	45.03	133	59	44	123
84	Tacoma, WA	44.94	32	139	54	102
85	Port St. Lucie, FL	44.9	37	89	131	64
86	Lewiston, ME	44.89	14	73	164	29
87	Laredo, TX	44.7	178	47	28	129
88	Cape Coral, FL	44.66	13	103	144	70
89	Grand Prairie, TX	44.37	70	130	50	80
90	Garland, TX	44.37	78	114	51	100
91	Aurora, CO	44.35	26	54	110	142
92	Portland, OR	44.12	25	131	85	127
93	Ontario, CA	44.09	165	84	38	107
94	Lubbock, TX	44.08	167	57	130	35
95	Reno, NV	44.03	131	136	62	66
96	Huntsville, AL	43.96	135	134	118	19
97	Sacramento, CA	43.85	143	83	34	137
98	Amarillo, TX	43.81	115	120	145	20
99	Albuquerque, NM	43.58	101	94	95	98
100	Tampa, FL	43.58	69	100	114	94
101	Long Beach, CA	43.42	97	62	57	157
102	Colorado Springs, CO	43.4	134	65	75	133
103	Fontana, CA	43.36	164	85	72	85
104	Tallahassee, FL	43.19	163	44	115	93
105	Las Cruces, NM	43.15	158	42	105	117
106	Worcester, MA	43.04	114	117	100	86
107	Orlando, FL	42.98	179	69	76	72
108	West Valley City, UT	42.81	175	99	23	110
109	Fort Lauderdale, FL	42.75	85	71	138	88
110	Peoria, AZ	42.56	19	104	136	125
111	Riverside, CA	42.56	177	90	67	82
112	Mesa, AZ	42.4	118	91	107	115
113	Nashville, TN	42.26	83	121	139	78
114	Des Moines, IA	41.88	108	97	141	84
115	Nampa, ID	41.87	147	146	127	37
116	Tempe, AZ	41.84	173	88	86	109
117	Irving, TX	41.69	111	152	87	106
118	Oakland, CA	41.64	46	153	53	159
119	Grand Rapids, MI	41.27	96	137	134	96
120	Charlotte, NC	41.21	58	148	117	136
121	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	41.17	137	135	88	120
122	Boston, MA	41.06	38	141	116	155
123	Pittsburgh, PA	40.99	106	95	146	124
124	Honolulu, HI	40.85	81	129	97	162
125	Oceanside, CA	40.82	71	109	119	160
126	Pearl City, HI	40.79	1	156	132	163
127	Anchorage, AK	40.59	50	169	103	118
128	Warwick, RI	40.55	7	155	160	132
129	Virginia Beach, VA	40.26	63	147	135	131
130	Cheyenne, WY	40.2	113	93	163	73
131	St. Petersburg, FL	40.1	153	138	147	59
132	Chesapeake, VA	40.06	66	115	152	116
132	Billings, MT	40.06	109	160	165	22
134	Lexington-Fayette, KY	40.05	126	50	173	54
135	Durham, NC	39.96	141	164	82	126
136	Santa Ana, CA	39.64	182	106	42	153
137	Jersey City, NJ	39.55	36	118	128	172
138	Salt Lake City, UT	39.46	127	143	125	145
139	Aurora, IL	39.35	62	128	148	144
140	Santa Clarita, CA	39.34	42	79	143	176
141	Glendale, CA	39.33	94	96	120	173
142	Manchester, NH	39.3	79	157	158	92
143	St. Paul, MN	39.27	72	126	159	121
144	Garden Grove, CA	39.1	159	123	80	165
145	Pembroke Pines, FL	38.98	16	124	167	139
146	Yonkers, NY	38.95	48	149	111	170
147	Chandler, AZ	38.93	117	144	133	143
148	Oxnard, CA	38.89	166	145	92	154
149	Juneau, AK	38.58	29	175	140	114
150	Anaheim, CA	38.56	161	125	74	171
151	Santa Rosa, CA	38.22	144	159	90	168
152	Chula Vista, CA	38.21	128	122	124	174
153	Charleston, SC	38.02	100	161	162	108
154	Raleigh, NC	37.88	107	173	81	167
155	San Francisco, CA	37.85	28	170	104	179
156	Huntington Beach, CA	37.55	53	163	109	175
157	Omaha, NE	37.53	116	86	170	134
158	San Diego, CA	37.38	151	150	98	177
159	Gilbert, AZ	37.37	132	132	156	147
160	Scottsdale, AZ	37.27	24	162	161	151
161	Rapid City, SD	36.88	98	105	180	53
162	Austin, TX	36.84	95	167	150	149
163	Seattle, WA	36.71	123	178	94	164
164	Minneapolis, MN	36.61	155	154	154	141
165	Missoula, MT	36.58	176	80	174	57
166	Boise, ID	36.49	174	168	137	105
167	Nashua, NH	34.94	44	172	171	119
168	Plano, TX	34.89	65	179	153	152
169	Cedar Rapids, IA	34.11	156	151	172	135
170	Lincoln, NE	33.7	169	127	176	122
171	Portland, ME	33.6	82	142	178	150
172	Irvine, CA	33.3	120	166	142	180
173	Burlington, VT	33.24	180	113	168	156
174	Sioux Falls, SD	32.94	84	140	181	148
175	Bismarck, ND	32.91	110	174	177	99
176	San Jose, CA	32.85	149	180	121	178
177	Columbia, MD	32.12	55	176	149	181
178	Fargo, ND	31.46	168	165	179	113
179	Overland Park, KS	31.46	41	177	175	166
180	Madison, WI	31.27	148	171	169	169
181	South Burlington, VT	31.14	31	181	182	161
182	Fremont, CA	28.58	20	182	166	182

Source: WalletHub.com