List of the Most Anxious Cities Will Give You Nagging Feeling You Forgot Something
Which city is the most stressed? You may be surprised.
The lights of the big city can be alluring, but the glitz and glamour come at a price, as the high prices and overcrowded existence of city living can cause you plenty of stress and anxiety on a daily. But which city causes its citizens the most stress? Recent — and pretty surprising — data from the United States Census Bureau revealed that it’s none other than Seattle.
As a part of the ongoing Household Pulse Survey, the Bureau found out what percentage of the population in the 15 biggest Metropolitan areas felt nervous, anxious, or on edge for at least several days from Sept. 29 to Oct. 11.
And it turns out that no amount of Starbucks and Amazon can chill out Seattle’s populace, with 54.5 percent of them reporting lingering stress or anxiety recently.
The Top 5 Most Anxious Cities in America
- Seattle, Washington
- Houston, Texas
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- San Francisco, California
Breaking Down the Anxiety
After Seattle, Houston was the next on the list, with nearly half of its residents feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge for at least several days during the past two weeks.
This makes some sense, as it’s the city that people call whenever they have a problem.
Then comes Boston in third place, with the high level of anxiety likely caused by Bostonians always worried that everyone thinks they’re better than them. (We do!) Philadelphia (48 percent) and San Francisco (47.7 percent) round out the top five, with Washington D.C. (46.5 percent) just missing the cut.
What may surprise people the most is how low New York City is ranked on the list, as its citizens are only the 13th most-stressed city dwellers in the United States despite constant train delays, the persistent smell of garbage, and a never-ending sea of people.
Maybe New Yorkers are all just so used to it that we’re numb to the anxiety they all probably should be feeling at every waking moment? Who knows. But if you’re really looking to avoid being filled with anxiety and nerves while still living it up in the city, your best bets are heading south to either Miami (39.7 percent) or Atlanta (39 percent).
This article was originally published on
