Most Stressful Cities in the U.S.: 2020 Ranking & Analysis

You think you've got it bad? You should see the other guy. While no one has found the secret to an utterly stress-free life, where we live plays a huge role in how easy or difficult our day-to-day can be. If you're feeling mad about your city, WalletHub has produced its 2020 ranking of the most stressful places to live in the United States — and the usual suspects aren't even close to the top 10.

New Yorkers have turned thriving on stress into an entire personality, but the City That Never Sleeps is just No. 26 on WalletHub's list. Instead, based on data about work, finances, family issues, and health and safety, the least relaxing place in America is Cleveland. Or, as Cleveland.com put it, "Clevelanders divorce too often, suffer through too many traffic jams, fear for our jobs, and run on too little sleep."

Other cities in the top spots include a number of cities in the Deep South (Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Gulfport and Jackson, Mississippi; New Orleans) and Rust Belt cities like Detroit (No. 2) and Ohio's Akron and Toledo (No. 12 and 13). Many of the least-stressed metropolitan areas include Upper Midwestern locales like Lincoln, Nebraska; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Bismark and Fargo, North Dakota.

Of course, nationwide, we're all still incredibly stressed about COVID-19, which isn't helping with the stress that's already keeping us down. Structural issues drive most of what's troubling Wallet Hub's list, but on an individual level, examining your mindset might help you address what's in your power to change.