Baltimore Is 2025’s 3rd Most Stressed City in America – WalletHub Study

With 77% of Americans feeling stressed about the future of our nation, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025‘s Most & Least Stressed Cities in America, as well as expert commentary.

In order to determine where Americans cope best with their stress, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 39 key metrics. The data set ranges from average weekly work hours to the unemployment rate to divorce and suicide rates.

Stress Levels in Baltimore (1=Most Stressed; 91=Avg.):

• Overall Rank: 3^rd
• 89^th – Avg. Weekly Hours Worked
• 12^th – Traffic Congestion
• 32^nd – Poverty Rate
• 9^th – Divorce Rate
• 68^th – Job Security
• 32^nd – % of Adults with Inadequate Sleep
• 83^rd – Unemployment Rate

For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-stressed-cities/22759

Key takeaways and WalletHub commentary are included below in text and video format.

“Some stress is out of our control, due to issues with family, friends or employers. However, where you live can play a big role in how stressed you are. Cities with high crime rates, weak economies, less effective public health and congested transportation systems naturally lead to elevated stress levels for residents. When moving, it’s important to consider how a certain city may impact your mental health – not just your financial opportunities.”
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“Detroit is the most stressed city, due in part to the fact that it has the lowest median household income in the country and the highest unemployment rate, at 11.4%. In addition, Detroit has the highest poverty rate in the country, residents are physically active at low rates, too, and the city has the sixth-highest obesity rate. On top of that, Detroit has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country.”

– Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Expert Commentary

How can employers reduce work-related stress?

“I think flexibility in the workplace is one important aspect for reducing work-related stress. Personal issues often require flexibility in remote options or time off. As long as the work gets done at some other point, the employers could allow more flexibility to help employees. In addition, not placing too much burden on a single employee would also be good, as well as providing the appropriate resources for employees to succeed. For example, if they need to learn how to use a new piece of software, there should be appropriate training and transition time. For good employees, micromanaging also creates unnecessary work-related stress. Finally, an appropriate pay structure can alleviate some stress if it aligns with the company’s overall mission, regular increases/bonuses are attainable by employees, and is distributed fairly.”
Rachel Wu, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, University of California – Riverside

“The two major drivers of employee work-related stress are demand – control imbalances, and effort – reward imbalances. In demand-control imbalances, an employee’s level of control (decision making, independence and autonomy) does not match the demands of their job. This occurs when an employee is not allowed to make decisions about how to do their job or have no control over the pace and demands placed upon them to do their job. It can also occur when a supervisor micromanages an employee – imposing themselves into that person’s work processes and responsibilities. In effort-reward imbalances, an employee does not receive sufficient reward for the amount of effort they put into their work. An employee who goes the extra mile, works overtime, or makes sacrifices to get things done should receive some reward for their labor. Employees who do quality work and put forth demonstrable effort in their work should receive appropriate and commensurate rewards. Rewards can be in the form of increased pay, bonuses, perks, recognition, awards, promotions, etc. When effort is not commensurate with reward, employees become significantly stressed. When a person has both demand-control, and effort-reward imbalances then that person is fertile for high levels of stress, along with increased risk for cardiovascular, musculature, and psychological ill-health, including some forms of cancer. Employers who structure jobs in a way that allow employees to have control over their work and provide mechanisms for rewards for effort given can greatly reduce the amount of stress workers experience.”
Michael Peterson, Ed.D. – Professor; Director, Social Marketing and Health Communication Lab; HBS Internship Director, University of Delaware

What tips do you have for a person who finds managing finances to be stressful?

“If the source of the stress is that your income is not keeping pace with your expenses, then make a budget. See what you can cut from your expenses. If this seems too overwhelming, get help doing this. There are many free tools on the internet to help you tackle your finances. If the problem is bigger than financial tools to manage, there are also free financial counseling in most areas. The most important issue is to make a plan that will move you into a better financial situation and stick to it.”
Joanne H. Gavin, Ph.D. – Professor, Marist College

“If managing finances seems stressful, reframe the process to make it less threatening. One way to do that is to tell yourself it’s going to be an adventure that will help you get what you want in life. Think first about what matters to you so you have a visual of what you want your life and finances to look like. You can even make a Pinterest board so you can visualize the life you want. Often, we want less chaos and more control in our lives, so follow pages that inspire you like ‘Becoming Minimalist’ on social media. Visualizing the life you want gives you the motivation to look at your finances and come up with a plan to get you to the life you are envisioning.”
Suzie Duff, PhD, LMHC – Professor; Department Co-Chair, Human Services, Palm Beach State College

What tips do you have for a person who wants to relax on a budget?

“The beauty of relaxing is that most options for relaxation operate on a spectrum of FREE (for instance, the library might have a lending program for some hobbies, like a seed bank for those who want to start gardening, or free services, such as a free DVD/movie services); to AFFORDABLE (perhaps you can buy used or second-hand materials or take a staycation instead); to quite COSTLY (the ‘dream vacation’ or ‘Cadillac’ of experiences). There will be times when you will splurge but, other times, you can be very cost efficient so you can be judicious about how much you want to invest each time. To make your choices, balance and budget. When doing so, keep in mind that a lot of times we emphasize saving money to do recreational activities but also do not forget about earning extra income. A trip to the craft store, for instance, is a great reward after earning the needed amount by filling out paid surveys online. Or, maybe your hobby might even be something that could earn money, such as furniture restoration. I also want to encourage researching free events in your local area (for instance, Facebook has an Events page) because there are a lot of great organizations hosting community events where you can make social connections (e.g., festivals, book clubs, talks, volunteer days). Healthy social connections can improve well-being and are valuable for stress-coping.”
Alisia (Giac-Thao) Tran – Associate Professor, Arizona State University

“Sit down and make a list of what makes you feel relaxed and at peace. Maybe it’s being in nature, or being on the water, or reading, or spending time with friends and family. All it takes now is creativity. How can I do these things that bring me peace for little money? If you love being in nature, maybe check out local state or regional parks close by. If you live near a beach – that’s a great option because usually they are free! If you love reading, create a book exchange with friends or go to the library. If you love having company over but feel like entertaining is expensive, have a Sunday afternoon ice cream get-together instead of a fancy dinner party. Being smart with money involves being intentional. For example, I live in Florida and love to paddle board. Investing in a board is expensive at first but provides endless free hours on the water. That’s a great way to relax on a budget.”
Suzie Duff, PhD, LMHC – Professor; Department Co-Chair, Human Services, Palm Beach State College