LA #1 on list of most stressed US states

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A comparison of all 50 states using 40 indicators of stress — including work, money, family and health factors — found that densely populated states with major metro areas did not top the list, according to a new WalletHub study.

Instead, states across the South and southwest ranked among the most stressed overall.

Louisiana ranks as the most stressed state in the country for 2026, followed by Kentucky, New Mexico, West Virginia and Arkansas, WalletHub found. Rounding out the top 10 were Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Mississippi and Alabama.

Experts say the findings indicate that stress isn’t just tied to fast-paced city life but is often linked to broader economic and health challenges.

"Where we live can shape how much stress we experience," Cassandra D. Chaney, a professor at LSU who studies family stress, said in a WalletHub news release.

In Louisiana, factors such as high poverty rates, limited access to health care and mental health services and job insecurity contribute to elevated stress levels, Chaney noted.

About 16% of residents skipped medical care due to cost, and the state ranks among the worst for poor mental health and depression while also having relatively few psychologists per capita, according to the report. It also recorded the eighth-highest average unemployment rate last year and the lowest job security of any state.