Most stressed-out US states ranked — with surprising state taking top spot

09 March 2024 , 07:00

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Despite the fine whiskey and country music, one state has earned the crown of 'most stressed' (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Perhaps it's bill trouble, or maybe it’s worrying about being on the brink of a Biden-Trump rematch, whatever the cause might be, it turns out, Americans are stressed — with more than a quarter struggling to function, according to a poll from the American Psychological Association.

Some stress can help performance peak, but more chronic bouts can be debilitating and cause severe health problems. And it turns out some areas in the US are more stressed out than others.

Wellness brand, Komowa, has charted the top 10 most stressed-out states across the country. Its study analysed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Tennessee has been crowned the most stressed state in America (Getty Images)

The ranking system was devised by evaluating 16 key indicators of stress — from credit card debt to divorce divorce rates. The key indicators were grouped by similarities and boiled down to four main categories: money stress, work stress, health stress and family stress.

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Home to the Great Smoky Mountains, fine whiskey and country music, this state might not be the first place you’d think to find a pool of strained citizens. But Tennessee has clinched the top spot thanks to its cumulative stress score. So why are its citizens so fraught?

Top 10 most-stress US states

1. Tennessee

2. Alabama

3. Oklahoma

4. Louisiana

5. Nevada

6. South Carolina

7. Georgia

8. Arizona

9. West Virginia

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10. Indiana

Tennessee residents work more than the typical American, clocking in an average of 42.3 hours per week — nearly six hours above the national average, according to tech company Clockify. Coupled with longer hours, Tennesseans also have one of the longest average commute times, according to the study.

Longer working weeks and commutes will likely worsen stress (Getty Images)

Away from the office, inhabitants of the Volunteer State are reportedly having health woes. Almost one in four residents suffer from depression, according to the data analysis — the third highest levels in America.

Nearly one in six said “their physical health isn’t good for more than 14 days a month”. When looking at the wider top 10, an unlikely trend appears: the top five states are all in the South of the country. On the flip side, you’ll find America’s most chilled-out inhabitants far away.

Hawaii's beautiful scenery still didn't help it land the top spot for least-stressed state (Getty Images)

No, it’s not the breathtakingly beautiful scenery of Hawaii which seems to mellow people out — which was the 18th least stressed state. You’d have to travel near to the northern border state of North Dakota, according to the study. Utah and Iowa took second and third respectively.

Despite earning the top spot for longest commute, New York didn't land at number one for the most hours worked. The accolade belongs to Louisiana, according to the study’s findings. Alaska earned the top spot for the highest credit card debt with an average of $7,338, while Wisconsin had the lowest credit card debt average of $4,808.

James Liddell