6 of the Least Stressful U.S. Cities to Live In, According to Data
Many factors can affect how stressed you feel — relationships, money, illness and major life changes. But have you ever thought about how where you live might affect your stress levels?
The team at WalletHub has. They put together a list of over 180 U.S. cities, ranking them from most to least stressed based on four equally weighted dimensions: work stress, health and safety stress, financial stress and family stress. Each city was then rated on 39 key metrics that fall into one of those four categories.
For work stress, researchers looked at criteria like job security and unemployment. For health and stress, they considered crime rate, mental health and similar factors correlated with well-being. Family stress was measured by things like the share of single parent households and the cost of child care, while financial stress relied on city-level statistics around income (adjusted for cost of living), foreclosure rate, median credit score and so forth.
They are all factors that might influence your cortisol levels. Taken together, they paint a picture of how stressful — or stress-free — a city can be.
Looking for somewhere chill to call home? Consider these six low-stress cities.
In This Article
1. Fremont, California
Taking home the title as the least stressed city in America, Fremont enjoys a strong local economy, bolstered by plenty of tech employers in the region, and a dynamic urban-suburban mix with convenient access to the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Of all the cities in the list, Fremont has the lowest divorce rate and highest median credit score. So it’s no surprise that WalletHub also found it to be the happiest city in America this year, citing nearly 80% of households making over $75,000 a year as one of the top factors.
Along with low financial stress, residents can stay active (a key metric on the health stress index) at one of the 50-plus parks in town, ranging from golf courses to gardens. Go fishing on Lake Elizabeth or explore the 1,266 acres of grasslands and marshes at Coyote Hills.
2. Fargo, North Dakota
The largest city in North Dakota, Fargo, is a shoe-in for a low-stress town. It’s an affordable place to live, but it still has a robust job market, keeping both work and financial stress down. The cost of living in Fargo is lower than the national average. The median home value in Fargo is $273,770, and the average household income is $100,732. Major employers include household names like Microsoft, Amazon, Swanson Health Products and John Deere.
This Midwestern riverfront city also elevates your quality of life with lots of art — particularly its colorful and creative murals (ice cream angel wings, anyone?) — as well as city parks, three colleges and a historic, walkable downtown filled with restaurants, boutiques and nightlife.
Sure, it gets cold sometimes, but residents revel in the snowy landscape. Keep your good cheer all season long with over a half-dozen cross-country ski trails, the festive Christkindlmarkt and a truly epic celebration of winter, Frostival, complete with s’mores, ice sculptures, lumberjack games and sled racing. And, the cherry on top? It should come as no surprise that Fargo landed a spot on our 2025 Top 100 Best Places to Live ranking.
3. South Burlington, Vermont
South Burlington, a beloved New England city, came in second for least stressed cities, missing the No. 1 spot by less than three tenths of a point. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it performs best for low financial stress with a median household income of over $90,000.
Not to be confused with its neighbor, Burlington, to the northwest, South Burlington has a smaller population of just over 21,000. Locals love it for its great schools, suburban vibe and proximity to excellent outdoor recreation. There’s Mount Mansfield, the tallest peak in the state (less than an hour east), the panoramic views at Mt. Philo State Park (30 minutes south) and Red Rocks Beach right in town, where you can swim in one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the country.
Other claims to fame include the state’s largest indoor mall, one of the country’s top 10 best small airports, and the nationally known live music venue Higher Ground. South Burlington can also lay claim to having some of the most well-rested citizens. Out of all cities in WalletHub’s list, it has the lowest percentage of adults who get less than seven hours a night.
4. Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park not only ranks in the top 10 on WalletHub’s lineup of least stressful cities. It also appeared in the top 10 on this year’s Top 100 Best Places To Live. This growing suburb is part of the Kansas City metro area, so you can take advantage of the bigger city’s amenities, including the international airport, several professional sports teams and the world’s largest barbecue competition. But you’ll also get to enjoy a slower pace of life and a real sense of community. Overland Park fosters that strong community connection through farmers markets, programs to support local businesses and a focus on inclusivity that earned it a perfect score last year on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index.
It’s affordable, too, with budget-friendly housing (the average rent is only $1,293 a month, 17% below the national average) and has the lowest poverty rate of all 182 cities WalletHub analyzed.
5. Boise, Idaho
If an adventure-loving city offering outdoor activities, a rising tech scene and a bevy of cultural attractions sounds like your kind of place, you’re going to love Boise. Cosmopolitan and rugged, the Idaho capital combines some contrasts, but locals are cool with it. Go whitewater rafting on the Boise River in the morning, rock climbing on the Black Cliffs in the afternoon, and wind down your evening at the buzzing Warehouse Food Hall or at a touring Broadway show. It’s part of what makes Idaho’s Treasure Valley a great place to live.
Compared to other cities, Boise is especially low-stress when it comes to work and financial concerns. At 20 minutes, Boise has one of the shortest average commute times for a city its size. And salaries are on the rise, with the median family income now exceeding $100,000.
Fun fact: Boise is also home to the country’s largest population of Basque Americans. Celebrate with music, dance, food and sports at Jaialdi, a festival held once every five years — it’s on for summer 2025.
6. Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua is yet another city that earned a spot on our ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live, and it’s no surprise. This family-friendly city bordering Massachusetts is only 45 minutes north of Boston. Although a mid-sized city (population just over 91,000), Nashua punches above its weight on cultural amenities, including symphony, ballet, an internationally acclaimed drum and bugle corps, and a state-of-the-art performing arts center that just opened last year.
Finances and family are the categories where Nashua stands out as one of the least stressful cities in America. On the financial side, it has an average household income of $129,545 and no state income tax, which is a nice bonus for your paycheck. And there are plenty of options for families needing child care (a lack of child care workers is one of the five factors WalletHub identified as causing family stress). Along with dozens of licensed daycare centers, Nashua offers well-known providers like KinderCare, The Goddard School, Montessori, Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA.
Another thing that helps keep stress at bay? Nashua is a pretty safe place to live, with a crime rate over 60% below the national average. Combine this with a thriving Main Street and the beautiful scenery of the Granite State in your backyard, including Mine Falls Park — miles of trails flanked by the river and a canal — and it’s easy to see why Nashua is a great place to call home.