Thursday, September 10, 2009
(graphic: Anxiety Disorders Association of America)
Chicago is not only the Windy City but also the most stressed out. This finding is according to Forbes’ annual survey for 2009 ranking the top cities in America where stress is overflowing. The magazine took into consideration several quality-of-life factors, such as local unemployment, home prices, cost of living, air quality, and the number of sunny days.
Using the metropolitan statistical areas defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Forbes concluded that the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet region ranked No. 1 in stress for the second year in a row, thanks to “crowding, poor air quality, a high 11% unemployment rate and free-falling home values” that have produced “a cocktail of constant worry affecting many in the Windy City.”
The complete top 10 most stressed cities are:
1. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
3. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island
4. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor
5. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River
6. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
7. Detroit-Warren-Livonia
8. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy
9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
10. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
-Noel Brinkerhoff
America's Most Stressful Cities (by Sarah Lynch, Forbes)
Full List: America's Most Stressful Cities (by Sarah Lynch, Forbes)
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