Southerners are some stressed-out folks!

Atlanta and a few other Southern cities are among The Most Stressful Cities in the US.

April is National Stress Awareness Month. We’ve located compelling research that explores just how stress affects Americans by location. According to the Sperling’s Best Places, a research firm hailing from Oregon, Atlanta is the 15^th most stressful city in the US.

15/50 isn’t terrible but the South is representing more than its fair share of the list. Of the top ten most stressed cities, five of them are located in Florida. Tampa came in at #1, Miami at #3 with Jacksonville following close on its heels at #4. Not trailing too far behind is Orlando at #6 and West Palm Beach brings in the rear at #10.

To come to these ratings, Sperling determined each city’s stress level by taking into account the area’s suicide and divorce rates, unemployment, commute times, and other factors that could make people less than pleased with their lives.

At first, the South’s high concentration of stressed-out cities seemed unrealistic. Sure, Atlanta has been among the top 10 most congested cities in the nation for well over a decade now, so there is no surprise there, but that couldn’t have catapulted the rest of the South onto the list, too? We’re known for our laid-back demeanor, Southern drawl, and iced tea that helps to ease our minds and lull us to sleep while settling into a rocking chair on a spacious front porch. What the heck is everyone so stressed about?

Perhaps that is how it used to be. But during the real estate boom, our cities and businesses began to grow like weeds. The South reaped some of the biggest rewards from the boom and we also felt the hardest hit. Some of the noted stressors, such as unemployment, divorce and suicide, spiked in our region.

And by spike, we hope that it is only temporary.

 

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• Atlanta No. 15 on most-stressful cities list(ajc.com)

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