Most Stressful Cities for Workers

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the stress levels for workers.

According to our analysis, Texas cities dominate the list of most stressful places to work. Overall, the Lone Star State is home to 10 cities within our list of top 30. Three of those cities are ranked within the top five most stressful places to work.

Houston comes in at No. 1 on our list. Overall, workers in Houston clock in an average of 39.5 hours per week at work, which is above the national average of 38.7 hours. Houstonians also have an above average daily commute of 52.8 minutes roundtrip. One in three are on the road each morning before 7 a.m.

Along with long hours and commutes, many workers in Houston lack health insurance. The percentage of workers in Houston without health insurance (30.4%) is well above the national average (10.5%).

And when it comes to stressful financial factors, 46.6% of families in Houston are single-income families. Elsewhere, the income growth rate in Houston (4.5%) is below the national average (6.2%).

Workers in Houston also have limited flexibility in terms of remote work, according to Census Bureau data. Studies have shown that working remotely can reduce work-related stress, but only 15.6% of Houstonians work remotely, which is also below the national average (17.9%).

We head to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to find the second most stressful city for workers.

Arlington, Texas, which is located roughly 20 miles from Dallas ranks No. 2 due to its long average workweek (39.9 hours) and long commute (52.2 minutes roundtrip). Also, 29.5% of workers in Arlington start their commute before 7 a.m. each day. Nearly half (49.6%) of families in Arlington are single-income families, which is well above the national average (38.6%).

Elsewhere, the income growth rate in Arlington (3.4%) is nearly half of the national average (6.2%). These factors, combined with a low percentage of remote workers and high percentage of workers who lack health insurance led to Arlington being ranked at the No. 2 spot on our list.

Considering Dallas has one of the highest average workweeks, it’s probably no surprise why the city ranks so high on our list. Overall, workers in Dallas clock in an average of 40.2 hours per week, which is well above the national average of 38.7. Among the more than 170 cities within our analysis, Dallas ranks ninth for longest workweek.

Compared to Houston and Arlington, Dallas has a slightly lower average commute of 51.4 minutes roundtrip. Among commuters, one in three (30.8%) are on the road before 7 a.m. daily. Elsewhere, one-quarter work without health insurance, which is well above the national average (10.5%).

Memphis is the first city on our list located outside of Texas, but the stress levels don’t improve much for those working in Memphis.

Overall, the average workweek in Memphis is 39 hours, which is above the national average. And workers in the city find themselves with an average commute time of 43 minutes roundtrip. Nearly one in three begin their commute before 7 a.m. in order to get to work.

Memphis is home to one of the highest percentages of single-income families (52.6%). In fact, the city ranks No. 11 for the most single-income families on the list of more than 170 cities within our analysis.

With casinos open all day and all night, Sin City could easily be referred to as the “24/7 City.”

More than one-third (35%) of workers in Vegas and 44.3% of workers in North Las Vegas leave for work before 7 AM. In fact, nearly one-quarter (27%) of Vegas workers are on the road before 6:30 AM. Among workers in Vegas, 16.6% are employed without health insurance, which is above the national average of 10.5%. In nearby North Las Vegas, the number is slightly higher at 17%.

The income growth rate in Vegas (5.1%) is also trailing behind the national average (6.2%). It might be the Entertainment Capital of the World, but it’s certainly a stressful place for workers to keep it running, according to our analysis.