Where are California’s most stressed cities? Here’s what 2 new studies say
Are you stressed about work, family and finances? You’re not the only one.
Two new studies identified the most stressed cities in the United States in 2026 — and some of the top culprits are in California.
Two California cities ranked among the top 10 cities for stress in the nation, according to Elevate, a management evaluation company.
“Long commutes, rising housing costs, family expenses, public safety and access to healthcare all play a role in how people experience daily life,” Elevate said in a June 8 article. “For many Americans, these pressures overlap, making it harder to stay healthy and maintain a sustainable rhythm between work and home.”
Your location can also play a role, according to personal finance platform WalletHub.
“Where you live can play a big role in how stressed you are,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a July 6 article.
“Cities with high crime rates, weak economies, less effective public health and congested transportation systems naturally lead to elevated stress levels for residents,” Lupo said.
Here’s where California residents have the most stressful lifestyles:
Why is Fresno the most stressed city in California?
Fresno was the No. 4 most stressed city on Elevate’s list of the top U.S. cities for stress, with “employment, childcare and safety metrics contributing to its ranking.”
Fresno had the highest unemployment rate of the 10 most stressed cities — 8.9% — with a labor force participation rate of 70.6%, Elevate said.
Childcare costs in Fresno account for 17.1% of median household income, the highest share among the top five most stressed cities.
The city sees about 40.88 violent and property crimes per 1,000 residents each year, according to Elevate.
Fresno also landed on WalletHub’s list of the top U.S. cities for stressful lifestyles, albeit lower down.
It ranked No. 66 overall, with higher scores for financial stress, family stress and health and safety stress.
Did any other California cities make the list?
Stockton took fifth place on Elevate’s list of most stressed cities due in part to its high cost of living, relatively high unemployment rate and low labor force participation rate.
Stockton also has one of the longest average commutes among cities on the list: 31.1 minutes.
Elevate included a top of 16 California cities in its stress-centered ranking of 100 cities across the United States.
Riverside and Long Beach tied for 12th place, whle Los Angeles was No. 13 on the list and Anahem was No. 20.
Santa Ana just escaped the top 20 cities for stress, landing at No. 21.
Of the remaining California cities in the ranking, Sacramento was No. 28, San Francisco was No. 40, San Diego was No. 51 and San Jose was No. 64.
WalletHub included a total of five California cities in its ranking of the nation’s most — and least — stressed-out cities.
Modesto ranked the highest, at No. 38, followed by San Bernardino at No. 40 and Los Angeles at No. 55.
Stockton was No. 80 on WalletHub’s list.
Where are 10 most stressed cities in the US?
According to Elevate, these were the 10 most stressed cities in the county in 2025:
- Newark, New Jersey
- Hialeah, Florida
- Paradise, Nevada
- Fresno
- Stockton
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Philadelphia
- Las Vegas
- New York City
- Detroit
Many of the same spots appeared on WalletHub’s top 10 list of the U.S. cities with the most stress, albeit in a different order:
- Detroit
- Baltimore
- Cleveland
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Gulfport, Mississippi
- Philadelphia
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Akron, Ohio
- St. Louis
What are US cities with lowest stress levels?
According to Elevate, the top 10 cities with the least stress in 2026 were:
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Chandler, Arizona
- Arlington, Texas
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Boise, Idaho
- Wichita, Kansas
How did Elevate and WalletHub rank cities?
To rank the 100 most populous cities in the United States based on stress levels, Elevate looked at four key categories:
- Employment stress: Unemployment, commute times, labor force participation and median household income
- Financial stress: Rental housing affordability, single-family home affordability, cost of living
- Family stress: Childcare costs, separation and divorce rates
- Health and safety: Work life balance, crime rates, doctor costs
WalletHub scored a total of 182 cities based on work, financial, family and health and safety stress levels, looking at everything from debt, food insecurity and foreclosure rates to income growth, traffic congestion and mental health.
Data used in the two rankings came from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
