States Where People Are Most – and Least – Stressed

Stress in America is up and while it is generally a combination of things that send anxiety levels skyrocketing, new research has pinpointed the states in the U.S. where people are the most, and least, stressed out.

The analysis from Wallethub looked at all 50 states, taking into account 33 key indicators ranging from how many hours the average person worked to what their sleeping patterns and financial situations were like. Based on their findings, we look at the ten states where people are the most stressed out:

Most Stressed

1. Louisiana: All work and no play makes people in Louisiana pretty unhappy. Residents are suffering from work-related stress along with massive concerns over money and health.

2. Mississippi: In a state where many people live below the poverty line and have the lowest credit score, it is little wonder why Mississippi residents suffer from some of the highest levels of money-related stress.

3. Arkansas: For most residents in Arkansas, health and family were at the root of their stress.

4. Kentucky: Low job security is enough to stress anyone out, so it is little wonder why Kentucky residents are feeling anxious.

5. West Virginia: It appears that family concerns are at the heart of West Virginian's stress. 

6. New Mexico: Residents in this state face poverty and high crime rates on a daily basis, which is leaving them feeling stressed out and anxious.

7. Alabama: Combine money-related stress with family-related stress and you have a highly-strung out Alabama.

8. Nevada: Finance and work-related stress has propelled Nevada to number seven in the WalletHub rankings.

9. Alaska: Known for its rustic, if not cold, way of life, you would not believe that Alaska would give its residents many things to stress about. But mMoney, family and health issues put the state at No. 9.

10. Oklahoma: Work, money and family related stress seems to be on the minds of most residents in Oklahoma, which rounded off Wallethub's 10 most stressed out states.

In stark contrast, the 10 states with the lowest stress levels were:

1. Minnesota
2. Utah
3. Massachusetts
4. North Dakota
5. South Dakota
6. Iowa
7. New Hampshire
8. Wisconsin
9. Hawaii.
10. Montana

• Study: Brain Activity During Stress Linked to Heart Disease
• Job Stress: Love it or leave it?