Seeking Peace And Tranquility: Ranking The Most Relaxed Cities South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota’s Most Relaxed Cities
We're all looking for a good reason to kick back and chill out.
To point you in the right direction, Lawnstarter has compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on these eight categories to find 2024's Most Relaxed Cities:
MENTAL WELL-BEING
Depression Rate
Suicide Rate
MENTAL HEALTH BOOSTERS
Mental Health Providers
Beauty and Spa Businesses per Square Mile
PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
Life Expectancy
Leisure Physical Activity Rate
High Blood Pressure, Stroke, Binge Drinking, Smoking Rates
FINANCIAL WELL-BEING
Purchasing Power
Housing Affordability
Poverty Rate, Food Insecurity Rates
WORK STRESSORS
Average Workweek, Commute
Unemployment Rate
ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS
Weather Extremes
Air Quality
Traffic Fatalities
SOCIAL STRESSORS
Crime Index
Separation and Divorce Rate
RECREATION OPTIONS
Share of Land Used for Parks and Recreation
Number of Trails
Public Gardens
Yoga Studios
There is no shortage of 'chill places' in our next of the woods, including three Minnesota cities that landed in the Top 50:
16. Woodbury (Highest score: #6 nationally in Financial Well-Being)
27. Plymouth (Highest score: #5 nationally in Financial Well-Being)
48. Rochester (Highest score: #24 nationally in Work Stressors, #25 in Financial Well-Being)
Two other cities in the North Star State are among the Top 100 most relaxed in America.
96. Bloomington (Highest score: #49 nationally in Financial Well-Being)
97. Minneapolis (Highest score: #19 nationally in Recreation Options)
In South Dakota, the state's largest city made the cut.
60. Sioux Falls (Highest score: #20 nationally in Mental Well-Being)
Iowa was shut out of the Top 100, narrowly missing by one spot
101. Iowa City (Highest score: #6 nationally in Work Stressors)
Overall, 86 California cities kick back in the top half of the rankings, including six of the top ten.
2024's MOST RELAXED CITIES
- Newton, Massachusetts
- Sunnyvale, California
- Santa Clara, California
- Milpitas, California
- Naperville Illinois
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- San Ramon, California
- Carmel Indiana
- Redwood City, California
- San Mateo, California
As for the most stressed places in America, Michigan has the two at the top with Ohio placing three in the Top Ten.
2024's MOST STRESSED CITIES
- Flint, Michigan
- Detroit, Michigan
- Dayton, Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Toledo, Ohio
- Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Memphis, Tennessee