Is Oceanside More Or Less Stressed Than Other Cities In America?

OCEANSIDE, CA — Feeling stressed or blessed to live in Oceanside? Among Southern California beach cities, Oceanside has a reputation for being a laid-back place where visitors come to hang with surfers and kayak in the harbor. But how relaxed is Oceanside?

Turns out Oceanside is far more relaxed than many other cities, based on the 41 stress factors in WalletHub's recent study '2021's Most & Least Stressed Cities in America'.

Cleveland, OH came in 1st as the most stressed city in America, while South Burlington, VT was ranked least stressful. In California, the most stressed city was San Bernardino at number six in the U.S., while Fremont, CA was the least stressed at #181.

The stress factors compared in WalletHub's study covered Work, Financial, Family and Health & Safety. A low score indicates more stress than other cities, while high scores indicate less stress.

Oceanside was ranked #123 overall with a ranking score for each stress factor of:

• Work Stress #64
• Financial Stress #114
• Family Stress #117
• Health & Safety Stress #152

Except for work stress, Oceansider's appear to be less stressed in most areas of their lives. But not all stress is bad according to the WalletHub study.

Stress is inevitable. Everyone experiences some type and level of it normally, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a much more stressful environment than usual. A recent study on stress by the American Psychological Association found that more than 6 in 10 adults have had undesired weight changes since the start of the pandemic, and 1 in 4 essential workers have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Stress is not always a bad thing, though. Certain kinds of stress can have positive effects on a person’s well-being, at least in the right doses. According to Psychology Today, “A little bit of stress, known as ‘acute stress,’ can be exciting—it keeps us active and alert.” When stress reaches an unmanageable level, however, it turns “chronic.” That’s when we become vulnerable to its damaging effects such as health problems and loss of productivity. By one estimate, workplace-related stress alone costs society more than $300 billion per year – and that’s not even taking into account the pandemic.

To determine the cities where Americans cope best, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 41 key metrics. Our data set ranges from COVID-19 cases to average weekly work hours to divorce and suicide rates.

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