2024's State-by-State Stress Levels Revealed: Where Are Americans Most Relaxed?

Stress levels and relaxation vary dramatically across the United States, painting a fascinating picture of well-being beyond simple state boundaries. From the serene shores of Hawaii to the bustling streets of Massachusetts, each state tells its unique story about how its residents cope with - or succumb to - the pressures of modern life.

Our analysis of all 50 states reveals striking contrasts in how Americans experience relaxation and stress. By examining six key categories - mental well-being, physical health, financial stability, work pressures, environmental conditions, and social factors - we've uncovered patterns that challenge common assumptions about where Americans find their peace.

The findings paint an intriguing picture: while Hawaii leads the nation with exceptional environmental quality and the lowest crime rates, Nebraska boasts the lowest depression rates, with just over 17% of residents affected compared to nearly 29% in more stressed states. Utah emerges as a trailblazer of physical health, with smoking rates barely reaching 7%—a stark contrast to states where over one in five adults smoke regularly.

These variations aren't just statistics - they reflect real differences in how Americans live, work, and find their moments of calm. Our research shows that states leading in relaxation often excel across multiple categories, suggesting that true well-being comes from a balance of factors rather than any metric.

US states were ranked from most to least relaxed and given scores of 50-80, with higher scores representing more relaxed states and lower scores representing more stressed states.  

Key Findings

• • Hawaii ranks as America's most relaxed state with a score of 74.44. It was shown to have the nation's cleanest air quality, with particulate matter of just 4.39 µg/m3, and the lowest crime rates, with less than 260 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people last year.
  
  
• • West Virginia ranks as the most stressed state, scoring 57.06. It is the third worst for physical health (score 50.58), economic metrics (score 50), and mental health (score 50) in the country.
  
  
• • Southern states face the greatest challenges in well-being, occupying 6 of the bottom 10 positions.
  
  
• • The Northeast region dominates the top 10, with Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire all ranking highly for overall relaxation.
  
  
• • Nebraska shows the strongest mental well-being score of 80, helped by 17.16% of the population experiencing lifelong depression.
  
  
• • In Utah, the low prevalence of smoking—only 7.2% of the population—and 80.36% of residents exercising aid the state in coming out on top in physical health, with a perfect score of 80.
  
  
• • Life expectancy varies by nearly 9 years between the highest state (Hawaii: 79.9 years) and lowest (Mississippi: 70.9 years).
  
  
• • Massachusetts workers earn the highest wages ($7,478 monthly), while Mississippi workers earn the lowest ($3,949 monthly).
  
  
• • Binge drinking and rent-to-income ratios show minimal impact on overall stress levels, with the least stressed states having some of the highest rent-to-income ratios and high levels of binge drinking.

The Most Relaxed and Stressed States in America 2024

The 10 Most Relaxed States in America 2024

1. Hawaii

Claiming the top spot with the nation's highest relaxation score of 74.44, Hawaii demonstrates exceptional quality of life markers across mental (77.57) and physical (76.74) well-being scores. The state boasts the nation's cleanest air quality with a PM2.5 of just 4.39 and the lowest violent crime rate at 259.6 per 100,000 residents, while its strong social support networks earn a perfect score of 80.00 in social metrics.

2. Massachusetts

A robust financial landscape propels Massachusetts to second place with an overall score of 72.11. The state leads the nation in wages, with residents earning an average of $7,478 monthly while maintaining impressive mental (76.29) and physical (73.85) well-being scores. Its life expectancy of 79.6 years ranks among the nation's highest.

3. Connecticut 

Connecticut's balanced lifestyle earns it third place with a score of 71.93. The state's residents benefit from excellent mental (73.02) and physical (75.08) well-being scores, exceptionally low crime rates at 150 violent crimes per 100,000 people, and affordable housing with a 20% rent-to-income ratio. Housing costs remain manageable, with residents typically spending about 20% of their income on rent. 

4. Minnesota 

Minnesota achieves an overall score of 71.17. Minnesota boasts the nation's highest average credit score at 742 and exceptional air quality with a PM2.5 of just 6.37. More than 77% of residents engage in regular physical activity, while the average 23.8-minute commute falls well below major metropolitan areas. The state's unemployment rate of just 2.7% ranks among the nation's lowest.

5. New Hampshire

New Hampshire ranks 5th with an overall score of 71.03.  Its safety and stability shine through, with just 126 violent crimes per 100,000 residents - among the nation's lowest rates last year. Residents maintain an average credit score of 736, while 78.5 years of life expectancy and a mere 12.5% smoking rate reflect strong public health outcomes.

6. Maryland

At number six, with a score of 70.77, Maryland's residents enjoy strong financial security, benefiting from high-paying jobs averaging $6,136 monthly and one of the lowest unemployment rates – less than 3 in 100 people are seeking work. Only 10.1% of residents smoke - among the lowest rates nationwide - while 75.9% of adults engage in regular physical activity, creating a foundation for well-being.

7. Utah 

Utah leads the nation in healthy living as the nation's 7th most relaxed state, accomplishing a score of. The state boasts the lowest smoking rate in the country at 7% – and more than 80% of people regularly exercise. The state's clean air and beautiful environment also contribute to its residents' well-being. 

8. New York 

New York's strong economy helps secure its position as number 8th, scoring overall 70.15, with workers earning an average of $7,456 monthly, second only to Massachusetts. Housing costs remain reasonable relative to income, with rent typically taking up just 20% of earnings, while the suicide rate of just 8.5 per 100,000 ranks among the nation's lowest.

9. Nebraska 

Nebraska ranks 9th with an overall score of 70.10. It has the nation's lowest depression rate at 17.16%, while 70.66% of residents get sufficient sleep - significantly better than the national average. Quick commutes averaging 18.9 minutes and a low 2.5% unemployment rate contribute to daily quality of life.

10. Virginia 

Virginia rounds out the top ten with an overall score of 69.51. It has strong public health metrics: clean air quality (PM2.5: 7.04), moderate crime rates (234 violent incidents per 100,000), and 73.54% of adults engaging in regular physical activity. The state maintains a healthy 2.8% unemployment rate and average credit scores of 722 which keeps daily stress low. 

The 10 Most Stressed States in America 2024

1. West Virginia

Landing as America's most stressed state with a score of 57.06, West Virginia faces challenges across multiple fronts. Nearly one in four residents smoke - the highest rate nationwide at 23.6% and a life expectancy of just 71 years. Depression affects 28.3% of residents, while 40.58% report insufficient sleep - the highest rate nationwide. With monthly wages averaging just $4,425 and a PM2.5 air quality reading 8.0, residents face challenges across health, economic, and environmental metrics.

2. Oklahoma 

Oklahoma is the US’s second-most stressed state, managing a score of 58.10. The state faces the nation's worst environmental quality score, with a PM2.5 reading of 8.95 and 42.32 federally declared disasters per million residents since 1953—among the highest rates nationwide. The 5.3% unemployment rate exceeds national averages, while an average credit score 696 reflects widespread financial strain.]

3. Arkansas 

The 3rd most stressed state in the US, Arkansas, records concerning health metrics: 21.5% of adults smoke, 33.44% report no regular physical activity, and the life expectancy reaches only 72.5 years. The state's social support score ranks lowest nationwide, while average monthly wages of $4,499 fall significantly below the national median.

4. Louisiana

At number 4, Louisiana receives a score of 58.52. Crime and financial instability create significant stress in Louisiana. With 629 violent crimes per 100,000 people, safety is a major concern. Residents also struggle with credit, averaging a score of 690 - well below the healthy benchmark of 720. Life expectancy reaches just 72.2 years, and 38.44% of residents report insufficient sleep - nearly 10 percentage points above better-performing states.

5. Mississippi 

The 5th most stressed state is Mississippi with a score of 59.26, which records the nation's lowest life expectancy at 70.9 years and lowest monthly wages at $3,949 - barely half of Massachusetts' leading figure.Physical health metrics are equally concerning: 36% of adults report no regular physical activity - the highest in the study, and the state's life expectancy of 70.9 years is the lowest in the nation.

6. Kentucky

With a score of 59.75, Kentucky contends with a perfect storm of health challenges. Depression affects 28.67% of residents - the highest rates nationwide, while 39.3% of residents get insufficient sleep. The 20.1% smoking rate and 34.77% physical inactivity rate reflect significant public health challenges.

7. Alabama 

Alabama is given a score of 60.51, making it the 7th most stressed state. Alabama's monthly wages average just $4,772, while 32.83% of residents report no regular physical activity. The state's life expectancy of 72 years falls well below the national average, and 40.44% of residents report insufficient sleep - among the highest rates nationwide.

8. New Mexico

As the 8th most stressed state, New Mexico faces safety concerns, warranting a score of 60.78. New Mexico records the nation's highest violent crime rate at 781 per 100,000 residents and a concerning suicide rate of 24.7 per 100,000 - triple New Jersey's nation-leading rate. The state's life expectancy of 73 years and monthly wages of $4,603 reflect broader socioeconomic challenges.

9. Tennessee 

Tennessee features at number 9, obtaining a score of 60.84 largely due to physical and mental health challenges. The state experiences 19.9% of adults smoking, a violent crime rate of 622 per 100,000 residents, and a depression rate of 28.53% - among the nation's highest rates - while life expectancy reaches just 72.4 years.

10. Missouri 

Rounding out the top ten most stressed states, life in Missouri has its share of challenges. 488 violent crimes are committed annually per 100,000 residents - nearly quadruple the safest state in the country - Maine's rate. Depression affects 25.27% of residents, while 30.59% report no regular physical activity, reflecting broader public health challenges

Top 5 States for mental well-being 

1. Nebraska 
2. California 
3. New Jersey 
4. Hawaii
5. Delaware 

Bottom 5 States for mental well-being 

1. West Virginia
2. Kentucky 
3. Tennessee
4. Louisiana 
5. Arkansas 

The contrast between Nebraska and West Virginia's mental well-being scores reveals striking disparities in state-level mental health. Nebraska leads with exceptional mental health metrics: just over 1 in 6 residents report depression, more than 7 in 10 get adequate sleep, and the state maintains a moderate suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people. In stark contrast, West Virginia's mental health challenges are significant, with more than a quarter of residents experiencing depression - nearly double Nebraska's rate. Sleep deprivation compounds these issues, as over 40% of West Virginians report insufficient rest, making it one of the most sleep-deprived states. With a suicide rate of 18.3 per 100,000, West Virginia's mental health struggles paint a concerning picture. This dramatic divide in mental well-being metrics suggests fundamentally different challenges in supporting population mental health.

Top 5 states with the highest physical well-being scores

1. Utah 
2. Hawaii
3. Connecticut 
4. Washington 
5. Massachusetts 

Bottom 5 states with the lowest physical well-being scores

1. Mississippi 
2. Louisiana
3. West Virginia 
4. Kentucky 
5. Arkansas 

Utah and Mississippi represent opposite ends of the physical well-being spectrum, with their health metrics revealing profound differences in lifestyle and outcomes. Utah leads with remarkable public health achievements, including the nation's lowest smoking rate at 7.2% and an impressive 80.36% of residents engaging in regular physical activity. The state's life expectancy reaches 78.2 years, reflecting these positive health behaviors. In stark contrast, Mississippi faces significant health challenges, with 35.74% of residents reporting no regular exercise - the highest physical inactivity rate nationwide. The state's life expectancy of 70.9 years, nearly eight years shorter than Utah's, underscores the impact of these behavioral differences. The disparity suggests that Utah's culture of outdoor activity and lower rates of harmful behaviours like smoking contribute significantly to better physical health outcomes.

Conclusion 

As our comprehensive analysis of America's most and least relaxed states in 2024 reveals, the factors contributing to well-being vary dramatically across the nation. The most relaxed states, led by Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, demonstrate how a balanced combination of strong mental health support, physical well-being, and environmental quality creates thriving communities. These states showcase how factors like ample sleep, high levels of physical activity and robust financial health work together to reduce resident’s stress. 

Conversely, states facing more challenges, such as West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, highlight how interconnected factors like physical health, economic pressures, and environmental stressors can impact overall well-being. Despite these challenges, many of these states show strengths in specific areas - such as affordable housing or shorter commute times - that could serve as building blocks for improvement.

Methodology

Data Acquisition and Normalization:

We collected data from multiple trusted sources relevant to each category to comprehensively evaluate family-friendliness across states. To enable fair comparison between states, we applied a normalization technique to transform the data points within each category to a standardized scale of 40 to 100, preserving the relative differences between them. This process ensures that all metrics are on the same scale, allowing for a balanced comparison.

Scoring and Weighting:

Each state’s relaxation score is determined by multiple categories of data, each with specific metrics that contribute to the overall evaluation. We assign weights to each metric based on its relative importance in assessing how "relaxed" a state is. For example, in the Work Stressors category, factors like the unemployment rate and average commute time may hold more weight than other environmental indicators, reflecting their direct impact on relaxation and stress.

Calculating the Final Score:

• We first calculated a score for each category by:
• Normalizing the individual data points within the category.
• Multiplying each normalized value by its corresponding weight.
• Summing the weighted values.
• We then further normalized the category scores themself (50 to 80) to create a final score for each state for that category.

• Final ranking based on this average of all category's final scores

Data Sources

Note: Missing data for certain states (e.g., Florida) for features - Prevalence of Current Smoking Among Adults ≥18 Years of Age and Prevalence of Life-Long Depression Among Adults ≥18 Years of Age was replaced with the average value from other states in the same category to ensure consistency in the rankings. 

1. Mental Well-Being:

• Prevalence of Lifelong Depression Among Adults: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Latest Available Data. 
• The percentage of adults having less than 7 Hours of Sleep on Average: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Latest Available Data.
• Suicide Mortality by State 2022: CDC Data Explorer.

2. Physical Well-Being:

• Prevalence of Current Smoking Among Adults ≥18 Years of Age: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  latest Available Data.

• Percentage of Adults with No Physical Leisure-Time Activity: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2018-2020.

• Average Life Expectancy at Birth ( Latest Available Data): CDC Life Expectancy Data.

• Percentage of Binge Drinking Adults: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2018-2020.

3. Financial Well-Being:

• Average Monthly Wage ( Latest Available Data): U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Rent-to-Income Ratio ( Latest Available Data): Calculated by dividing the median monthly rental value by the average monthly income. Rental data is from the United States Census Bureau.

• Median Home Price: Taken from The Mortgage Reports, which is compiled from Redfin and Zillow.

4. Work Stressors:

• Unemployment Rate (Percentage of Labor Force, April 2024): Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Average Debt-to-Income Ratio Q3 2023: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

• Average Commute Time 2021 (Minutes): United States Census Bureau.

5. Environmental Stressors:

• Disaster Rate (Per 1M, Federally Declared Disasters Since 1953): World Population Review.

• Annual Peak Hours Spent in Congestion Per Commuter, 2020: 27th Annual Highway Report by Reason Foundation.

• Annual Average PM2.5 Concentration (Air Quality): CDC Data Explorer.

6. Social Stressors:

• Reported Violent Crime Rate per 100,000: Statista.

• Relative Value of $100: Tax Foundation.

• Average Credit Score (FICO) in 2023: Business Insider

Methodology: Further Details

Weight Distribution

1. The actual scores are padded to 50-80 for more realistic scores.
2. Weights for each feature are as below and are taken to be a bit more subjective: