Most & Least Stressed Cities in America (2026)

Stress is inevitable. Everyone experiences some degree of it normally, but the past few years have elevated Americans’ stress levels with everything from economic uncertainty to inflation and ongoing public safety concerns. For example, more than 500 mass shootings were reported in 2024, contributing to feelings of uncertainty and anxiety for many people.

Money, health and the economy all remain top stressors, but nearly 7 in 10 Americans have avoided discussing their mental health because they worry about burdening others. Stress isn’t just harmful to individuals, though – by one estimate, financial stress alone costs U.S. employers an estimated $250 billion per year.

To determine where Americans cope the best, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 39 key metrics. Our data set ranges from average weekly work hours to the unemployment rate to divorce and suicide rates.

Main Findings

Most & Least Stressed Cities in America

Notes: *No. 1=Most Stressed

With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the worst conditions for that metric category.

In-Depth Look at the Most Stressed Cities

Detroit, MI

Detroit has the most stressed residents in the country. One contributing factor is the fact that the city has the highest unemployment rate in America, at 10.4%. It also has the lowest median household income after adjusting for the cost of living, slightly under $40,000.

In addition, Detroit has the highest poverty rate in the country, at 32.7%. Residents also have a very low median credit score, at 618, which is in the bad credit range.

Many Detroit residents also have stress in their family structures – the city has the second-highest separation and divorce rate and share of single-parent households. People in Detroit are physically active at low rates, too, and the city has the fifth-highest obesity rate.

Safety is another big stressor, with Detroit having one of the highest violent crime rates in the country.

Baltimore, MD

Baltimore is the second-most stressed city. One reason is that it’s very expensive to rent in the city, with the average annual rent for a two-bedroom apartment at nearly 38% of the median household income, the third-highest in the country. In addition, many people who buy rather than rent have trouble keeping up with their mortgage payments, as the city has the fourth-highest share of seriously underwater mortgages.

Crime contributes a lot to stress in Baltimore, too. It has one of the highest violent crime rates in the U.S., along with the sixth-most mass shootings between April 2020 and April 2026.

To top things off, Baltimore has a few other miscellaneous factors that create stress. The city has the 15th-highest separation and divorce rate, the 11th-highest traffic congestion rate and the ninth-highest food insecurity rate.

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland is the third-most stressed city in the U.S., due in part to the fact that it has one of the lowest median household incomes in the country after adjusting for the cost of living, at under $44,000. Low wages contribute to Cleveland also having the fourth-highest share of households that fell behind on bills in the last 12 months, the second-highest foreclosure rate, and the second-highest poverty rate.

It’s not just financial issues that stress out Cleveland residents, though. The city also has the highest separation and divorce rate in the country, at nearly 41%, along with the 21st-highest percentage of single-parent households.

Cleveland is also stressful when it comes to health and safety. Nearly 20% of adults have 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month, and 45% of adults sleep less than seven hours per night. On top of that, Cleveland has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country.

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.