Study: California Is 8th Most Stressed State

Nevada is the No.1 most stressed state in 2021

With April being Stress Awareness Month and America’s biggest stressors in 2021 being money problems and the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Most & Least Stressed States.

To determine the states with the highest stress levels, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 41 key metrics. The data set ranges from average hours worked per week to the personal bankruptcy rate to the share of adults getting adequate sleep.

Stress Levels in California (1=Most Stressed, 25=Avg.):

27th – Share of Adults Getting Adequate Sleep
21st – % of Adults in Fair/Poor Health
5th – Job Security
1st – Housing Affordability
20th – % of Population Living in Poverty
13th – Crime Rate per Capita

The biggest source of stress for Americans in 2021 is money problems, according to a recent WalletHub survey. The COVID-19 pandemic, which took first place last year, has slipped to second, which makes sense considering the progress the U.S. has made with vaccination and reopening. Overall stress levels are not uniform across the country, though, and certain states worry more than others about specific issues, according to Adam McCann of WalletHub.

WalletHub compared the 50 states across 41 key indicators of stress to determine the places to avoid and achieve a more relaxing life. Our data set ranges from average hours worked per week to the personal bankruptcy rate to the share of adults getting adequate sleep.