10 most stressed cities of 2018

December 4, 2018 1:29 PM

Unrecognizable businessman using laptop with digital business interface. Technology and innovation concept. 3D Rendering

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Workplace stress can have a big impact on employees, often leading to higher rates of illness, absenteeism and turnover. While employers have put in place some effective well-being strategies that have made meaningful strides in reducing behavioral and biometric risks, fostering emotional well-being in general, and reducing stress in particular, remains stubbornly challenging.

Office-related stress plays a big part in a new study from WalletHub that compares stress among some of the country’s largest cities. The financial site compared the 180 cities across four key dimensions using 37 different metrics: work-related stress, money-related stress, family-related stress and health and safety related stress.

Regarding work-related stress, points were tallied based on things like unemployment rates, average commute times and income growth rates. As for money-related stressors, median incomes and housing affordability were taken into consideration. In addition, family-related stress was calculated using childcare costs rates and parental-leave policies while health and safety stressors were calculated using statistics on increases in annual health premiums, suicide rates and mental health.

According to WalletHub, these cities are feeling the pressure (ranked 1-180, with 1 being the highest stress level).

10. St. Louis, Mo.

Work stress: 28
Financial stress: 19
Family stress: 50
Health and safety stress: 17
Total score: 53.57

9. Gulfport, Miss.

Water tower and buildings in Gulfport, Mississippi

Rex_Wholster/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Work stress: 67
Financial stress: 18
Family stress: 43
Health and safety stress: 3
Total score: 54.82

8. Milwaukee, Wis.

Work stress: 58
Financial stress: 14
Family stress: 12
Health and safety stress: 33
Total score: 55.02

7. Wilmington, Del.

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Work stress: 7
Financial stress: 30
Family stress: 33
Health and safety stress: 28
Total score: 55.25

6. Baltimore

Work stress: 21
Financial stress: 8
Family stress: 10
Health and safety stress: 48
Total score: 56.94

5. Toledo, Ohio

Major usa city; recreational destination; famous usa city; metropolitan area; tourist city, park in middle of downtown

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Work stress: 97
Financial stress: 7
Family stress: 14
Health and safety stress: 5
Total score: 57.42

4. Birmingham, Ala.

Birmingham, Alabama, USA downtown skyline.

Sean Pavone/SeanPavonePhoto - Fotolia

Work stress: 109
Financial stress: 5
Family stress: 3
Health and safety stress: 4
Total score: 58.03

3. Cleveland, Ohio

Work stress: 30
Financial stress:2
Family stress: 6
Health and safety stress: 7
Total score: 60.81

2. Newark, N.J.

Assorted cars passing a downtown area of office buildings along State Highway 21 in Newark, NJ. aRGB profile.

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Work stress: 1
Financial stress: 4
Family stress: 1
Health and safety stress: 45
Total score: 62.80

1. Detroit, Mich.

Work stress: 24
Financial stress: 3
Family stress: 4
Health and safety stress: 1
Total score: 63.53