So, Just How Stressed Out Are People Living in Illinois?

Sure, you may be stressing since we're into tax season once again. But once mid-April goes by, how's your overall stress level as a citizen of Illinois? It may be lower than you'd expect.

With the spate of bad news that we Illinoisans constantly hear about our state, I expected to see that we're an incredibly stressed-out state when I read the latest bit of numbers-crunching from personal finance site WalletHub. They took a look at all 50 states, along with the District of Columbia, to see where in the U.S. you'd have to travel to hang with the most stressed-out citizenry.

Here's what WalletHub was looking at to make their determinations:

WalletHub’s analysts therefore compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 33 key indicators of stress to determine the places to avoid and achieve a more relaxing life. Our data set ranges from average hours worked per week to personal bankruptcy rate to share of adults getting adequate sleep.

The good news is that we here in Illinois are not carrying around the biggest piles of stresses, but we're not the coolest and calmest in the bunch, either. Let's take a look at the top 5 most stressed states first. I've got to tell you that America's most stressed state took me by surprise:

1. Alabama
2. Louisiana
3. Mississippi
4. West Virginia
5. Kentucky

Actually, the entire top 5 list of the most stressed states surprised me. Maybe because I figured someplace in the Northeast would take the crown, not someplace that I consider to be far more laid back than anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard.

And, the 5 least stressed states:

1. Minnesota
2. North Dakota
3. Iowa
4. South Dakota
5. Utah

As for Illinois, we came in at the #32 spot. Here are Illinois' numbers, broken down:

Stress Levels in Illinois (1=Most Stressed, 25=Avg.):
31st – Avg. Hours Worked per Week
27th – Share of Adults Getting Adequate Sleep
24th ­– % of Adults in Fair/Poor Health
22nd – Job Security
23rd – Median Credit Score
26th – Housing Affordability
27th – % of Population Living Below Poverty Line
42nd – Divorce Rate
30th – Crime Rate per Capita
31st – Psychologists per Capita

Click here for WalletHub's full article on the most and least stressed states.