Detroit, Michigan – The Motor City’s Perfect Storm
Detroit tops the list as the country’s most stressed city, and the numbers tell a brutal story. The Motor City has the highest unemployment rate in America at 11.4% and the lowest household income when accounting for living costs – just over $38,000 per year. Detroit faces similar safety challenges, creating a cycle where economic stress and public safety concerns feed off each other. The combination of financial hardship and violence creates an atmosphere where residents feel trapped between poverty and danger.
Cleveland, Ohio – Where Divorce and Despair Meet
Cleveland is the second-most stressed city in the U.S., due in part to the fact that it has one of the lowest median household incomes in the country after adjusting for the cost of living, at under $43,000. Low wages contribute to Cleveland also having the fourth-highest share of households that fell behind on bills in the last 12 months, the second-highest foreclosure rate, and the second-highest poverty rate. The city also has the highest separation and divorce rate in the country, at over 41%, along with the 19th-highest percentage of single-parent households. Over 22% of adults have 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month, and 45% of adults sleep less than seven hours per night. On top of that, Cleveland has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country.
Baltimore, Maryland – Housing Costs That Suffocate
Baltimore rounds out the top three, where housing costs devour family budgets. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment consumes nearly 40% of household income – the third-highest burden in America. Homeowners aren’t safe either, with the seventh-highest rate of mortgages where families owe significantly more than their homes are worth. It has one of the highest violent crime rates in the U.S., along with the sixth-most mass shootings between March 2020 and March 2025. This creates a double burden where residents pay premium prices to live in unsafe conditions.
Gulfport, Mississippi – Family Stress Capital
WalletHub found that Gulfport is the fourth-most stressed U.S. city while the capital of Jackson was scored as the tenth-most stressed. Gulfport was among the Top 4 most-stressed cities in the U.S., according to WalletHub. It ranked ninth for financial issues, 13th for health and safety, and was the least concerned about work, ranking 83rd. However, the Gulf Coast city was No. 1 in the nation for family stress. This creates a unique situation where work isn’t the primary concern, but broken families and relationship struggles dominate daily life.
Memphis, Tennessee – Where Safety Fears Rule
Memphis ranks first in health and safety stress, and it’s not hard to see why. Crime is a daily concern. Work and financial stress also rank high, with residents facing some of the longest hours and lowest rewards in the country. This year, three cities Memphis, TN, Oakland, CA, and Tacoma, WA tied for 1st place for cities with the highest crime rate, St. Lois, MO ranked 4th and Little Rock, AR was 5th in cities with the highest crime rate. The constant threat of violence makes every day feel like a survival test for Memphis residents.
Shreveport, Louisiana – Southern Struggles
Regional patterns emerge clearly from the data. Southern and Rust Belt cities dominate the most stressed rankings, with Memphis, Shreveport, and Birmingham all landing in the top 10. Shreveport represents the broader challenges facing Southern cities, where economic opportunities remain limited while traditional support systems continue to break down. The city’s inclusion in the top rankings reflects deep-rooted systemic issues that affect multiple generations of families.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The City of Broken Dreams
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania consistently appears in top stress rankings across multiple studies, indicating persistent problems that haven’t improved over time. The city struggles with a combination of high crime rates, economic inequality, and deteriorating infrastructure that creates daily frustrations for residents. Once known as the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia now represents how major urban centers can fail their citizens despite historical significance and cultural importance.
Toledo, Ohio – Family Pressures Breaking Point
Toledo also made the top 10, ranking at No. 8, primarily due to family stress. The city’s struggles mirror those of other Rust Belt communities where economic decline has torn apart traditional family structures. Toledo, Ohio faces challenges that go beyond just financial hardship, extending into relationship breakdowns and social support system failures that leave residents feeling isolated and overwhelmed.
Birmingham, Alabama – Southern Industrial Decline
Rounding out the top 10 most stressed cities are Baltimore (No. 3), Gulfport, Mississippi (No. 4), Memphis, Tennessee (No. 5), Shreveport, Louisiana (No. 6), Philadelphia (No. 7), Birmingham, Alabama (No. 9) and Jackson, Mississippi (No. 10). Birmingham’s position in the rankings reflects the ongoing challenges facing former industrial powerhouses in the South. The city struggles with the legacy of economic transformation while dealing with persistent social problems that compound daily stress for residents.
Jackson, Mississippi – Capital City Crisis
Jackson, however, is more concerned about money. It ranks fifth in financial stress nationwide. The city has one of the lowest median credit scores in the nation, ranking No. 5 behind San Antonio, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; and Memphis, Tennessee. It also ranked fifth for the highest poverty rate behind Detroit; Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; and Huntington, West Virginia. The capital ranked 10th in the U.S. overall. It ranked 14th for health and safety, 46th for family stress and 58th for work worries. The state’s capital city ironically cannot provide stability for its own residents.
Augusta, Georgia – Southern Stress Patterns
St. Louis · 10. Augusta, Ga. Augusta rounds out the top twelve most stressed cities, representing the broader pattern of Southern cities struggling with multiple stress factors simultaneously. The city’s challenges reflect regional issues including economic transition, social service gaps, and infrastructure problems that create compound stress for residents trying to maintain stable lives in an increasingly unstable environment.