The U.S. States With the Highest Amounts of Stress

Pennsylvania is right in the middle in terms of stress, which is why it ranks as the 25^th most-stressed state. It ranks # 19 in work-related stress, #31 in money stress, #24 in terms of family stress and #22 in health stress. Taking these factors into consideration, there's plenty of room for improvement.

Illinois does alright in terms of money, family and health, but for work stress, it ranks #7. Workers in Illinois are only entitled to at least 24 hours off each calendar week, which is not even enough to get a full night's sleep each day.

Ohio may be ideal if you are looking for affordable housing but finding a job and making it by with less can be a greater challenge. Ohio residents are getting the 5^th fewest hours of sleep too, which is probably what puts them in 24^th place for health- and safety-related stress.

Idaho seems to manage their work and family life well enough, but money and health are sore subjects. Idaho ranks #13 in health and safety stresses and ranks #9 in terms of money stresses. Fortunately, the state offers the 5^th highest job security, so you can at least stay afloat.

Family and health stress are the biggest contributors to stress in Michigan.  Currently, they both rank in the top 20. Obesity is easily the most widespread health concern, meanwhile, the state has a divorce rate of about 9% which is just 1% under the national average.

Like many other southern states, South Carolina performs poorly when it comes to the health metrics of its residents (14th worst in the country). Though it has beautiful beaches, the state has high rates of sedentary behavior. It also has high rates of obesity and is not a state that has expanded Medicaid coverage. Unsurprisingly, worries about your personal health contribute to higher overall personal stress levels.

Indiana does okay when it comes to family and work stress, ranking #30 in both, but health and safety-related stressors are a whole other story. Over the years, health problems such as diabetes, obesity and infant mortality have been a significant concern for the state. On top of this, tobacco use and opioid abuse are prominent in the state.

New York is the 18^th most-stressed state in the country with plenty of family and money stressors. But where New York really suffers is when it comes to work stress. Work stress ranks #9 in the country. To make matters worse, it has the 3^rd least amount of affordable housing, which means New Yorkers are really have to work hard to keep a roof over their heads.

North Carolina is right in the middle when it comes to money and work stress, but family and health stresses are a bigger concern with their spots in the top 20. Family stress is the worst problem in the state, ranking #14. 

Texas is in the middle when it comes to money-related stress, but the state's residents still have a problem balancing work and family, placing 13^th and 11^th most-stress in those regards. Texas currently ranks 4^th in the most hours worked per week.

Arizona might have eternally sunny weather, but all that sunshine doesn't alleviate the family-related stress of its residents. The state ranks 12th worst in that metric. To make matters worse, it also ranks in the top 20 of the most-stressed states in health- and money-related issues.

Oregon may be doing well when it comes to work-related stress, but it seems they have a little more difficulty managing stress related to family and money, ranking 13^th in the nation in both regards. Health concerns are even a greater issue at 10^th place in the country.

Florida may be home to plenty of family-friendly theme parks and attractions, but don't be fooled, the state has big family problems. Currently, it ranks #3 with the most family-related stress. The state has the second-highest divorce rate in the country.

Unlike the other states on this list, Georgia doesn't rank in the top 10 for most of four main categories, except for family-related stress. That being said, it ranks worse than the national average across all metrics. Its other poor-performing areas are money-related stress and health-related stress. 

The Volunteer State starts off just missing the top 10 most stressed states but nonetheless has two top 5 individual rankings: money-related stress and health concerns. There is a silver lining, however. Tennessee residents see much lower than average stress when it comes to work concerns.

Alaska's rankings are a little all over the place. When it comes to money worries, the state is the third least stressed. So how did it nab a spot in the top 10 of the most stressed? A #1 ranking in the work stress category surely didn't help. Alaska averages the most hours of work per week of any other state in the country.

When it comes to individual rankings, Oklahoma is the 5th most stressed state regarding health concerns, the 6th most stressed about work, and the 8th most stressed about family matters. All of this adds up a solid 9th place rating overall. At least, money issues have improved recently, with the state ranking 21st in money-related issues, whereas before it was in the top 10.

When it comes to both family concerns and worries about health issues, Alabama ranks 5th and 6th in the nation, respectively. Combined with the lowest credit scores and the fewest available psychologists per capita, Alabama residents are struggling to find relief from their stress.

The string of southern states continues with Kentucky. The Bluegrass State struggles with individual health, having high levels of obesity and sedentary lifestyle choices. Residents here also experience the third-fewest hours of sleep every night on average. The only states with worse nights sleep are West Virginia and Hawaii.

When it comes to family stress, Nevada leads the nation as the most stressed in the country. This metric is informed by high separation and divorce rates, the cost of childcare, poor parental leave policies, and the share of parents without access to emotional support. Overall, the Silver State ranks 6th most stressed.

When Mississippi was the 2nd most-stressed state for health concerns, the only state it trailed was West Virginia. One of the contributing factors to this is a lack of sleep. Residents of the Mountain State have the second-lowest number of hours slept per night on average.

Arkansas splits the difference between its individual rankings. It's in the top 5 for two of them but then decidedly average for the other two. Health is the state's worst performer and ranks the highest in the country, even after expanding Medicaid. Meanwhile, money stress (6th in the nation) also contributes to residents' overall worries.

New Mexico's worst metric is family-related stress. It is second highest in the nation, right behind Nevada. It also ranks in the top 5 most stressed states for work and money matters. All of those contributed to an unfortunate overall rating of the #3 most stressed state in the country.

The Magnolia State is one of the two states with the unfortunate distinction of having all of its individual rankings within the top 10 nationally. Money matters cause the most stress for Mississippians, and they are the state that is the most-stressed in the nation when it comes to that topic.

The Pelican State has the sad distinction of being the most stressed state in the nation. Like Mississippi, it ranks in the top 10 in all four individual metrics. Its two worst areas, money- and work-related stress, are closely followed by family-related stress, all three being in the top 5 worst in the country.