New study reveals most stressed US states — and they aren't where you'd expect

Americans hoping to unwind connected their adjacent travel whitethorn privation to deliberation doubly astir wherever they’re headed.

A examination of each 50 states crossed 40 indicators of accent — including work, money, household and wellness factors — recovered that densely populated states with large metro areas did not apical the list, according to a caller WalletHub study. Instead, states crossed the South and Southwest ranked among the astir stressed overall.

Louisiana ranks arsenic the astir stressed authorities successful the state for 2026, followed by Kentucky, New Mexico, West Virginia and Arkansas, WalletHub found. Rounding retired the apical 10 were Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Mississippi and Alabama.

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The results whitethorn travel arsenic a astonishment to travelers who mightiness expect New York oregon Illinois to apical the list. Instead, some states ranked lower, with New York astatine No. 18 and Illinois astatine No. 30.

Experts accidental accent levels are often tied to economical conditions, wellness attraction entree and assemblage factors. (iStock)

Experts accidental the findings bespeak that accent isn’t conscionable tied to fast-paced metropolis beingness but is often linked to broader economical and wellness challenges.

"Where we unrecorded tin signifier however overmuch accent we experience," Cassandra D. Chaney, a prof astatine Louisiana State University who studies household stress, said successful a WalletHub quality release.

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"These realities punctual america that accent is not simply an idiosyncratic problem," she added. "Broader societal and economical environments play a almighty relation successful shaping regular stressors."

Louisiana ranked arsenic the astir stressed authorities successful the U.S., according to a caller WalletHub study. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith)

In Louisiana, factors specified arsenic precocious poorness rates, constricted entree to wellness attraction and intelligence wellness services, and occupation insecurity lend to elevated accent levels, Chaney noted. 

About 16% of residents skipped aesculapian attraction owed to cost, and the authorities ranks among the worst for mediocre intelligence wellness and slump portion besides having comparatively fewer psychologists per capita, according to the report. It besides recorded the eighth-highest mean unemployment complaint past twelvemonth and the lowest occupation information of immoderate state.

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Kentucky, meanwhile, faces important fiscal strain, with 1 of the highest bankruptcy rates and among the lowest median recognition scores successful the country.

States with stronger economies and amended wellness attraction entree tended to fertile arsenic little stressed. (iStock)

"New Mexico … faces precocious transgression rates, fiscal hardship and important household instability," Chaney added. "Nevada experiences precocious unemployment and bankruptcy rates, contributing to fiscal accent among residents."

For travelers to fashionable destinations specified arsenic Nevada (No. 6) and California (No. 12), the information suggests regular beingness whitethorn disagree from the acquisition visitors see.

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Meanwhile, immoderate of the slightest stressed states whitethorn connection clues for those seeking a much relaxing getaway.

South Dakota was named the slightest stressed authorities successful the country, followed by Utah and Minnesota. (iStock)

South Dakota ranked arsenic the slightest stressed state, followed by Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Vermont, according to the report. These states thin to execute amended successful areas specified arsenic economical stability, wellness attraction entree and work-life balance.

They besides study higher rates of capable sleep, an often overlooked origin tied to little accent levels, according to the report.

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Rounding retired the apical 10 slightest stressed states were Hawaii, Virginia, Wisconsin, Kansas and North Carolina.

Experts enactment that accent is influenced by aggregate factors and tin alteration by individual.

The survey analyzed each 50 states utilizing 40 metrics, including work, financial, household and health-related stress. (iStock)

"While we cannot destruct accent completely, we tin go much intentional astir however we negociate it," Chaney said.

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Chip Lupo, an expert astatine WalletHub, added successful a statement, "There are plentifulness of tiny ways to negociate stress, from staying progressive and pursuing hobbies to taking clip disconnected enactment and seeking assistance from a intelligence wellness professional."

The investigation compared each 50 states crossed 4 cardinal categories — work, money, household and wellness and information — utilizing 40 weighted metrics and information from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.