This just may be the best reason to live in Johnson County that we’ve heard yet: According to a new study, Overland Park, Kan., is one of the least-stressed areas in the United States.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, surveyed 182 cities, including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The study ranked the cities according to stress levels for work, finances, family, and health and safety. Each city was surveyed for each type of stress, so the higher the number, the lower the stress level.
Wichita ranked No. 79 overall for high stress levels, Kansas City came in at No. 49, and St. Louis ranked 10th in the nation. Kansas City ranked 12th in health and safety stress, 33rd in work stress, 72nd in financial stress and 132nd in family stress. Wichita placed 51st in health and safety stress, 87th in work stress, 84th in financial strain and 128th in family stress. St. Louis placed in the top-20 in finan
cial and health and safety stress, 28th in work stress and 50th in family stress. St. Louis had the third-highest crime rate in the nation, with only Charleston, W.V., and Springfield, Mo., ranking higher.
Maybe those cities can learn something from Overland Park, whose residents know how to keep their stress down, according to the WalletHub study. Johnson County’s largest city ranked as the fourth least-stressed city in the country. Overland Park scored highest in average hours of sleep per night and sits in the top five in most affordable housing, lowest poverty rate and the highest median credit score.
Overland Park was listed among the 10 lowest stress levels in three categories. The study found that in all the negative stress categories (work, finances, family, and health and safety), Overland Park placed around 170th for all except work, where the city took 77th place.
This isn’t the first time Overland Park has received high marks from WalletHub. Last year, a WalletHub study named the city among the happiest in the country. Overland Park ranked No. 17 on WalletHub’s list, which surveyed 150 of the largest U.S. cities from most to least happy. WalletHub also previously awarded Overland Park the top spot on its list of 2016’s best cities for families.
In case you’re wondering, the WalletHub study found that the five most-stressed U.S. cities are: 1. Detroit; 2. Newark, N.J.; 3. Cleveland; 4. Birmingham, Ala.; and 5. Toledo, Ohio. The least-stressed cities are: 182. Fremont, Calif.; 181. Bismarck, N.D.; 180. Sioux Falls, S.D.; 179. Overland Park; and 178. South Burlington, Vt.
To view the complete survey results, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-stressed-cities/22759/#methodology
If you currently own a Johnson County home, what do you think about WalletHub’s ranking? If you’re currently shopping for a new home, a low stress level is certainly a compelling reason to consider buying a Johnson County home! If you’re looking for a low-stress buying or selling experience in the greater KC area, call Team Real Estate, your local team of real estate professionals. We can help you buy the Johnson County home of your dreams and move to one of the least-stressed cities in the country! Visit us at www.teamre.com or call 913.451.5711.