If you often feel burdened by significant stress, you might assume that's how everyone else feels, too. But many people carry a much lighter load, and some of that could have to do with where they live. Recently, the addiction specialists at Diamond Rehab Thailand, a luxury alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility, sought to discover how levels of stress change from state to state in the U.S. Through their study, they found major disparities in how relaxed people are depending on where they reside.
"It can be understood that most if not all people find stress at some point in their lives whether it be a big decision, finances or other causes," a spokesperson from Diamond Rehab Thailand said. "However, this data highlights where people are being hindered the most by stress, and it’s shocking to see the difference between the most relaxed and most stressed states considering it’s all in one single country."
The specialists analyzed data from the United Health Foundation's American Health Rankings in order to rank states in terms of relaxation. For each state, they combined the percentage of citizens reporting frequent mental distress with the percentage of citizens reporting frequent physical distress to determine a relaxation score. Read on to discover the five least stressed states in the U.S., based on this new data.
READ THIS NEXT: The 10 Most Naturally Beautiful States in the U.S., New Data Shows.
5 | Maryland
ShutterstockRelaxation score: 88.52
There must be a reason more than six million people have decided to find a home in one of the smallest states in the U.S. Maryland is the fifth-least stressed state in the country, beating out 45 others to make the list. According to data from Diamond Rehab Thailand, only 12.2 percent of this mid-Atlantic state's citizens report frequent mental distress and just 7.3 percent report frequent physical distress.
That's even more impressive considering that Maryland borders the most stressed state in the nation: West Virginia. Diamond Rehab Thailand's research indicates that 17.5. percent of citizens in West Virginia suffer from frequent mental distress and 15.8 percent suffer from physical distress.
4 | Alaska
ShutterstockRelaxation score: 88.952
To find the next least stressed state in the U.S., you'll have to travel northwest—like really northwest.
Alaska may be the most sparsely populated state, but that doesn't seem to bother those that live there. Only 9.9 percent of the Last Frontier's residents say they suffer from frequent mental distress, and even fewer people report frequent physical distress, at 8.8 percent.
READ THIS NEXT: 5 Easy Ways to Pamper Yourself Every Day, Experts Say.
3 | Illinois
iStockRelaxation score: 88.954
As it turns out, residents of Alaska are just slightly more stressed than those in Illinois. Ranking as the third-most relaxed U.S. state, Illinois sees just 10 percent of its citizens frequently suffering from mental distress and 8.7 percent struggling with frequent physical distress.
This might be surprising to some, because just a few years ago, Chicago ranked as one of the most stressed-out cities in the country. A 2019 survey from the tech company Zippia placed the Windy City eighth in terms of highest stress out of 306 different cities, The DePaulia reported.
2 | Hawaii
iStockRelaxation score: 93.93
On the other hand, it's no surprise that Hawaii has one of the highest relaxation scores in the country. After all, the Aloha State manages to regularly entice those that don't live there to visit for relaxation, with its beautiful beaches and lush greenery.
But it must really pay to live there permanently. Only 10.7 of citizens in Hawaii report frequent mental distress and 7.3 percent report frequent physical distress—which is "the lowest amount of any state," according to Diamond Rehab Thailand.
For more fun facts delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
1 | South Dakota
ShutterstockRelaxation score: 96.20
To find the most relaxing home in the U.S., you would have to move to the Great Plains. South Dakota might not have a lot of residents when compared to other states, but those that do live here have certainly found peace. Diamond Rehab Thailand's data has found that South Dakota is the least stressed state in the entire country.
The Mount Rushmore State has one of the lowest number of mentally stressed residents, with only 9.4 percent of citizens saying they experience frequent mental distress. At the same time, just 7.9 percent of citizens in South Dakota report frequent physical distress.
