Most Stressed and Relaxed Cities in the U.S.

 

In a world full of stress, which U.S. cities offer the ideal environment for some R&R? To mark National Relaxation Day on Aug. 15, LawnStarter ranked 2024's Most Relaxed Cities. We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on 8 categories. More specifically, we factored in housing affordability, the average length of a workday, depression rates, and access to mental health providers, among 43 total stress-related metrics. See the 10 most relaxed (and 10 most stressed) U.S. cities below, followed by key takeaways. (Don’t see your city below? Check out the full ranking.)

Most Relaxed Cities Rank City 1 Newton, MA 2 Sunnyvale, CA 3 Santa Clara, CA 4 Milpitas, CA 5 Naperville, IL 6 7 8 9 10 Cambridge, MA San Ramon, CA Carmel, IN Redwood City, CA San Mateo, CA Least Relaxed Cities Rank City 1 Flint, MI 2 Detroit, MI 3 Dayton, OH 4 Cleveland, OH 5 Shreveport, LA 6 7 8 9 10 Birmingham, AL Toledo, OH Lake Charles, LA Fayetteville, NC Memphis, TN

Key Insights: Affluent communities can afford the most laid-back lifestyle. The median household income in the U.S. is about $75,000, but in our top 10 cities that’s $121,000 or more.  86 California cities kick back in the top half of our ranking. Golden State cities dominated the 10 cities with the highest life expectancy and boasted high scores in mental and physical well-being. Los Angeles (No. 146) enjoys the most yoga studios, 632.  Michigan and Ohio cities are at the bottom, with Dayton (No. 498) and Detroit (No. 499) finishing near Flint, Michigan, in last place. Folks in Dayton reported the highest mental distress. Detroit residents have the highest rates of high blood pressure and strokes, while Flint has the most smokers, the most inadequate sleep rates, and the highest poverty rate.   Read the full story here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/most-relaxed-cities/  Other helpful links: Methodology Hire a local LawnStarter crew to take care of your lawn care to-do list while you sit back and relax.  More from LawnStarter:  Leading Cities for Quality of Life Most Sustainable Cities Best Cities to Get Stoned Best Dog Park Cities Dirtiest Cities in America