6 Most Stressful American Cities

Some cities are known for having more stress than others. Sperling’s Best Places recently ranked the most stressful cities in the country, taking into account such factors as unemployment, suicide rate, divorce rate, commute times, crime, mental health, and the number of cloudy days, among other factors. 

Florida cities appeared the most in the top 10. 

“I was shocked by the concentration of Florida cities clustered in the top ten,” Bert Sperling, lead researcher, said in a statement. “But when we look into the statistics, we can see some of the reasons,” such as high levels of divorce, suicide, unemployment, and stress from a sluggish housing market. 

The following are the cities that topped Sperling’s “Most Stressful City” list for 2012, as well as a few factors contributing to the city residents’ unease. 

1. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.: A high suicide rate was among the most notable stress factors for Tampa.

Divorce rate: 12.3%
Commute time: 28.3 (minutes)
Unemployment: 11.2%
Violent crime (per 100,000 population): 500

2. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.: It emerges on top for highest divorce rate in the nation.

Divorce rate: 13.2%
Commute time: 27 (minutes)
Unemployment: 14%
Violent crime (per 100,000 population): 763.4

3. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla.: The city’s stress is mostly blamed on a high number of violent crime rate and high alcohol consumption.

Divorce rate: 11.5%

Commute time: 33.2 (minutes)

Unemployment: 12.5%

Violent crime (per 100,000 population): 733.3 

4. Jacksonville, Fla.: One of the city’s top stressors is its high divorce rate.

Divorce rate: 12.3%
Commute time: 28 (minutes)
Unemployment: 10.4%
Violent crime (per 100,000 population): 557 

5. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich.: The city is in the 100-percentile in the nation for the most violent crime and property crime.

Divorce rate: 11.4%

Unemployment: 15.7%

Commute time: 27 (minutes)

Violent crime (per 100,000 population): 1111.2 

6. Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.: The city has a high number of property crimes, which contributes to its stress.

Divorce rate: 10.7%

Commute time: 29.6 (minutes)

Unemployment: 10.4%

Violent crime (per 100,000 population): 613.7 

See the full list of the Top 10 Most Stressful American Cities at CNBC.

Source: “America’s Most Stressful Cities in 2012,” CNBC.com (Jan. 20, 2012) and “Stressful Cities 2012,” Sperling’s Best Places