Most Stressed Cities in America: Philadelphia Shockingly High

Author Shannon Boyle

July 9th, 2024 11:04 AM

It’s not uncommon to be stressed out. Stress and anxiety are significant topics in today’s day and age, and the awareness of the importance of mental health continues to rise. Using metrics such as average weekly work hours, job security, median credit score, poverty rate, and even average hours of sleep per night, Wallethub divided stress levels into four categories: work stress, financial stress, family stress, and health and safety stress to rank the most stressed cities in America. Listed below are some intriguing statistics and ultimately where our local cities found themselves ranked.

How Stressed is Philadelphia?

Surprisingly enough, out of the 182 cities that were used in this study, Philadelphia placed 6th in the ranking of most stressed cities in America with a total score of 56.03. It ranked 12th in work stress, 12th in financial stress, 31st in family stress, and 9th in health and safety stress. After seeing Philadelphia’s high average ranking for all four of these categories, it makes sense why the city is nearly ranked in the top five. Hey, at least there’s nothing about sports-related stress on there, because we all know that would be #1.

The "Miles the Monster" statue at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware.

How About Other Cities in the Area?

Newark, New Jersey was not far behind coming in at 15th with a total score of 51.35. It ranked 9th in work stress, 15th in financial stress, 35th in family stress, and 92nd in health and safety stress. Newark is one of two cities in New Jersey to make the list, as Jersey City also made an appearance at 148th with a total score of 36.41. Jersey City’s only high ranking category is work stress, which sits at 16th, due in large part to the fact that it has the fourth lowest Job Security in the entire study.

Two Delaware cities not only cracked the list of the most stressed cities in America, but ranked in the top 40. Wilmington (49.05) came in at 25th, and Dover (47.28) ranked at 39th. One significant statistic for Wilmington is that it has the 5th highest Divorce Rate in the study.

Cleveland, Ohio was ranked as the most stressed city in the United States by WalletHub.

How the Rest of the Rankings Look

This is how the top 10 rounded out:

Cleveland, Ohio (60.37)
Detroit, Michigan (59.72)
Baltimore, Maryland (58.30)
Memphis, Tennessee (57.12)
Gulfport, Mississippi (57.12)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (56.03)
Birmingham, Alabama (55.96)
Akron, Ohio (54.86)
New Orleans, Louisiana (54.02)
Jackson, Mississippi (53.43)

Here’s where some major cities ranked:

18. Houston, Texas (50. 43)

24. Las Vegas, Nevada (49.11)

33. Chicago, Illinois (48.12)

36. New York, New York (47.59)

42. Los Angeles, California (46.76)

72. Miami, Florida (44.09)

77. Phoenix, Arizona (43.72)

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Shannon, the Assistant Producer for The Andie Summers Show and the Promotions Coordinator at 92.5 XTU, is a graduate of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Her journey with the station began as an intern for The Andie Summers Show and has worked her way through the ranks for the past 4 years. Shannon is known for her articles covering and recapping 92.5 XTU station events, delivering the latest in celebrity gossip and country news, and contributing to The Andie Summers Show's daily podcasts.

Contributor – Ryan Straub

Simple Habits of Millionaires, According to Experts

There are simple habits of millionaires, according to experts, that you can do now to help transform your finances. If you’ve been in the hole financially, then the idea of becoming a millionaire might seem out of reach. But, you can certainly learn from millionaires, and they can help you reach your financial goals. You really don’t have anything to lose by adopting these easy, simple habits of millionaires, so get ready to learn about what behaviors to change and cashing in.

Simple Habits of Millionaires from Financial Experts

Before we get to those simple habits of millionaires that you can do now, let’s look at some facts about millionaires. According to the Global Wealth Report 2023 by Credit Suisse, there were around 59.4 million millionaires in the world in 2022, a number that was down by about 3.5 million over the course of the year. What’s really wild is that most adults in the world were making less than $10,000 a year in 2022, according to the report, coming in at around 53% of all adults in the world. Adults making between $10,000 and $100,000 increased the most, so far, this century, as they more than tripled from 503 million in 2000 to 1.8 billion in 2022. Their average annual income was about $33,573, which accounts for around 40% of the global average wealth.

So, what about billionaires? According to Forbes.com, “There are now more billionaires than ever: 2,781 in all, 141 more than last year and 26 more than the record set in 2021.” They added, “They’re richer than ever, worth $14.2 trillion in aggregate, up by $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record, also set in 2021.” The No. 1 richest person in the world surprised me, and it may surprise you, too. According to Forbes, it’s Bernard Arnault & family, with a net worth of $233 Billion. They’re in France, and their industry is fashion and retail. “Bernard Arnault oversees the LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton and Sephora.” I had no idea that when I shopped at Sephora, I was helping out the richest man in the world. Coming in at No. 2 is Elon Musk, who’s worth around $195 billion. He lives in the United States. “Elon Musk cofounded six companies, including electric car maker Tesla, rocket producer SpaceX and tunneling startup Boring Company,” Forbes states. Finally, No. 3 on the tally is Jeff Bezos, who’s net worth is $194 billion. He founded e-commerce website Amazon in 1994. Now, let’s get into some simple habits of millionaires that you can do now, according to financial experts interviewed by CNBC.com, Finance.yahoo.com and more.

Habits of Millionaires That You Can Do Now:

They Buy Their Cars (Instead of Leasing) and Keep Them As Long As Possible
Cars lose their value quickly. That’s why buying a used car is usually much less expensive than a new car. The second that car is off the lot, it’s considered used and drops in value thousands, even with just another mile on the car. That said, according to CNBC.com, wealthy people buy, don’t lease, their cars and keep them long-term. That way, they can save money between car purchases.

Getty Images / stefanamer
They Buy Their Cars and Keep Them
They Delay the Pleasure of Having the Finer Things in Life
According to RamseySolutions.com, “Millionaires spend most of their lives sacrificing temporary pleasures for long-term success. They have no problem buying an older used car, living in a modest neighborhood, and wearing inexpensive clothes. They don’t care about keeping up with the Joneses.” So, instead of picking up all the hot, expensive new stuff, wait it out.

Getty Images / Vasyl-Dolmatov
They Delay Pleasure
They Educate Themselves on Money
If you’re a newbie to financial planning, listen to some podcasts on the subject or find a helpful book. Finance.yahoo.com says, “knowing how to become a millionaire isn’t innate, even for most wealthy people.” Research from certified financial planner and CPA Tom Corley shows that “63 percent of wealthy people listen to audio books during their commute to work versus 5 percent of poor people,” says Finance.yahoo.com.

Getty Images / SIphotography
They Educate Themselves on Money
They Network and Meet New People
In the same Finance.yahoo.com story, Corley says that networking is huge when it comes to becoming a millionaire. “On his Rich Habits blog, Corley revealed 79 percent of wealthy individuals network at least five hours per month, compared with only 16 percent of poor people,” they explain. So, get out there, and meet new people who could make up your network.

Getty Images / Caiaimage-Paul-Bradbury
They Network
They Live Below, Not Within or Above, Their Means
Millionaires are frugal. They don’t splurge like you might expect. According to RamseySolutions.com’s The National Study of Millionaires, nearly half of millionaires in their poll said they save at least 16% of their monthly income. They often use it for an emergency fund or liquid cash.

Getty Images / Lucky7trader
They Live Below Their Means
They Make Use of Their Money By Investing
CNBC.com’s Select asked Faron Daugs, certified financial planner, founder and CEO at Harrison Wallace Financial Group, “about the financial habits his wealthiest clients all share that could apply to the average person.” One big thing he mentioned was building up emergency funds and then investing. “Daugs says his clients have organized investment plans, whether its in stocks, bonds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs),” CNBC explains. He also recommends having a “monthly or bi-monthly automatic transfer of cash from your checking account into an investment account.”

Getty Images / tadamichi
They Invest
They Invest in Particular Things
According to Fool.com, the wealthy “invest in stocks, real estate, and their own businesses.” They add that, “Millionaires put their money into appreciating assets (assets that can grow in value).” Also, “people with net worths of $1 million or higher tend to have more of their money” in stocks and mutual funds; real estate; and business interests.

Getty Images / Jacob Wackerhausen
They Invest in Specific Things
They Look at the Bright Side
Whatever your financial situation, look at the bright side. Look for opportunities for working with what you have and growing your nest egg. Reach out to experts in the financial field if you’re really stumped and see how they can make your financial dreams come true.

Getty Images / Light Field Studios
They Stay Positive
Don't Give Up
Wherever you are on your financial journey, don’t give up. It can be temping to just throw everything to the wind, but if you take a more level-headed approach, you’ll have a better chance of coming out successful. Good luck on your financial journey.

Getty Images / Aaron Amat
They Keep Trying