Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
Not every city is built for peace of mind, so where can Americans catch a break?
To mark National Relaxation Day (which was Aug. 15), LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Most Relaxed Cities.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 42 stress factors and stress relievers. More specifically, we factored in metrics like depression rates, the average length of a workday, and access to spas and massage therapists.
See how chill (or tense) your city is in our ranking. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology at the end.
1. Sunnyvale, CA
- Overall Score: 68.83
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 1
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 81
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 1
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 6
- Work Stressors Rank: 87
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 13
- Social Stressors Rank: 2
- Recreation Options Rank: 76
2. San Francisco, CA
- Overall Score: 68.36
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 5
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 3
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 25
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 38
- Work Stressors Rank: 156
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 12
- Social Stressors Rank: 15
- Recreation Options Rank: 1
3. Alexandria, VA
- Overall Score: 67.51
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 11
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 2
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 17
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 25
- Work Stressors Rank: 149
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 6
- Social Stressors Rank: 101
- Recreation Options Rank: 8
4. Naperville, IL
- Overall Score: 67.29
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 3
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 9
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 7
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 1
- Work Stressors Rank: 185
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 168
- Social Stressors Rank: 3
- Recreation Options Rank: 105
5. Fremont, CA
- Overall Score: 66.80
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 4
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 109
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 2
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 10
- Work Stressors Rank: 140
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 21
- Social Stressors Rank: 1
- Recreation Options Rank: 60
6. San Jose, CA
- Overall Score: 66.13
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 2
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 92
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 6
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 18
- Work Stressors Rank: 75
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 22
- Social Stressors Rank: 8
- Recreation Options Rank: 57
7. Seattle, WA
- Overall Score: 64.37
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 79
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 7
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 9
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 22
- Work Stressors Rank: 107
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 161
- Social Stressors Rank: 39
- Recreation Options Rank: 5
8. Overland Park, KS
- Overall Score: 64.28
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 15
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 56
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 8
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 4
- Work Stressors Rank: 133
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 96
- Social Stressors Rank: 21
- Recreation Options Rank: 127
9. Bellevue, WA
- Overall Score: 64.10
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 47
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 15
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 4
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 7
- Work Stressors Rank: 131
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 144
- Social Stressors Rank: 9
- Recreation Options Rank: 55
10. Irvine, CA
- Overall Score: 63.61
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 7
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 58
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 3
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 50
- Work Stressors Rank: 113
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 68
- Social Stressors Rank: 4
- Recreation Options Rank: 43
11. Olathe, KS
- Overall Score: 62.98
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 22
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 168
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 19
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 2
- Work Stressors Rank: 54
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 92
- Social Stressors Rank: 51
- Recreation Options Rank: 154
12. Torrance, CA
- Overall Score: 62.68
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 16
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 6
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 5
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 69
- Work Stressors Rank: 89
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 71
- Social Stressors Rank: 17
- Recreation Options Rank: 50
13. Oakland, CA
- Overall Score: 62.67
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 17
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 12
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 35
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 72
- Work Stressors Rank: 104
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 16
- Social Stressors Rank: 135
- Recreation Options Rank: 12
14. Pasadena, CA
- Overall Score: 62.65
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 24
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 1
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 13
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 119
- Work Stressors Rank: 124
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 113
- Social Stressors Rank: 22
- Recreation Options Rank: 15
15. Madison, WI
- Overall Score: 62.19
- Mental Well-Being Rank: 43
- Mental Health Boosters Rank: 98
- Physical Well-Being Rank: 51
- Financial Well-Being Rank: 37
- Work Stressors Rank: 7
- Environmental Stressors Rank: 123
- Social Stressors Rank: 26
- Recreation Options Rank: 22
Behind the Ranking
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Most Relaxed Cities. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into eight categories:
- Mental Well-Being
- Mental Health Boosters
- Physical Well-Being
- Financial Well-Being
- Work Stressors
- Environmental Stressors
- Social Stressors
- Recreation Options
Here are the factors:
- Share of Adults Reporting Frequent Mental Distress
- Average Number of Poor Mental Health Days per Month
- Depression Rate
- Suicide Rate (Past 5 Years)
- Inadequate-Sleep Rate
- Mental Health Providers per 100,000 Residents
- Beauty and Spa Businesses per Square Mile
- Stoner-Friendliness
- Life Expectancy
- Leisure Physical Activity Rate
- Average Leisure Time Spent per Day in Hours (in State)
- Drug Overdose Deaths per Capita
- Share of Adults With High Blood Pressure
- Share of Adults Who Have Had a Stroke
- Share of Adult Binge Drinkers
- Share of Adult Smokers
- Purchasing Power Index
- Housing Affordability
- Insured Rate
- Poverty Rate
- Food Insecurity Rate
- Average Workday Length in Hours
- Average Commute Time in Minutes
- Transit Score
- Natural Hazards Index Score
- Historical Annual Number of Very Cold Days
- Historical Annual Number of Very Hot Days
- Historical Average Monthly Percentage of Sunshine
- Historical Median Air Quality Index
- Traffic Fatalities per Capita
- Sex Offenders per 100,000 Residents
- Unintentional Gun Shootings per 100,000 Residents
- Separation and Divorce Rate
- Walk Score
- Bike Score
- Share of Population Within a 10-Minute Walk of a Park
- Share of Land Used for Parks and Recreation
- Number of Trails
- Public Gardens per 100,000 Residents
- Average Yard Square Footage
- Artsiness
- Nightlife Options per Square Mile
For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Most Relaxed” (No. 1).
