Methodology

For the list, WalletHub compared all 50 states on 40 different metrics across four key dimensions:

• Work-related stress, including average hours worked per week, average commute time, and job security (25 points)
• Money-related stress, including median income, median credit score, and economic security (25 points)
• Family-related stress, including separation and divorce rates, childcare costs, and parental stress (25 points)
• Health and safety-related stress, including share of adults in fair or poor health, physical activity rate, and suicide rate (25 points)

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, and the weighted average across all metrics was used to determine a state's overall score and its final ranking on the list.

Data used to create the rankings was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CDC, and more.

The most- and least-stressed US states

According to WalletHub, the 10 most-stressed states are:

1. Louisiana
2. Mississippi
3. Nevada
4. New Mexico
5. Arkansas
6. West Virginia
7. Alabama
8. Kentucky
9. Oklahoma
10. Texas

In comparison, the 10 least-stressed states are:

50. Minnesota
49. South Dakota
48. Utah
47. New Hampshire
46. Iowa
45. Idaho
44. North Dakota
43. Delaware
42. Nebraska
41. Hawaii

WalletHub also ranked states on several specific stress-related metrics, including:

• Average hours worked per week, with Alaska having the most hours and Utah having the least
• Percentage of adults in fair or poor health, with Mississippi having the highest and Hawaii and Massachusetts both having the lowest
• Job security, with Mississippi having the lowest and Michigan having the highest
• Crime rate per capita, with New Mexico having the highest and New Hampshire having the lowest

The best ways to reduce stress, according to experts

To help people cope with negative stressors, WalletHub spoke to several experts about the best ways to reduce stress, especially without spending money.

Lisa Hagermoser-Sanetti, a professor in the department of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education, recommends identifying the situations, people, or places that stress you out so that you can manage stress more effectively.

"Make a list of the most common stressors in your life then review each one; can you change it or avoid it?" Sanetti said. For stressors that are out of your control, she recommends changing your thinking patterns that could lead to intense emotions or poor coping.

Separately, Stacey Doan, a professor of psychology in the Berger Institute for Individual and Social Development at Claremont McKenna College, said that since stress is activated by the "fight-or-flight" response, targeting this reaction can be an effective way to reduce stress.

"Activities like running or letting off steam with a punching bag really are very effective. Another approach is tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts as a 'brake' on the stress response," Doan said. "Simple things like controlled breathing, a stroll in nature, or a bit of physical touch can work wonders."

Finally, Susan Paik, a professor of education and psychology at Claremont Graduate University, said that basic activities, like eating healthily, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep, can significantly reduce your stress levels.

"We often forget to take time to nurture ourselves in our busy schedules until we see warning signs," Paik said. "Prioritizing our lives and spending time on what is meaningful is a smart and cost-free intervention." (McCann, WalletHub, 3/25)

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