Stressful Cities

Picture: Las Vegas Skyline, by Christopher Chan

Forbes.com had compiled ten most stressful cities in the United States for the year 2010. Dwellers in those cities often complain of irregular work hours that keep them away from their families, and tensions that result from family health crises.

Forbes found Las Vegas to be the most stressful city followed by Los Angeles and Houston. To identify the most stressful cities, researchers measured several key parameters that can either cause or be caused by stress such as high unemployment, long commute times, long work hours, limited access to health care, poor physical health and a lack of exercise.

High unemployment rate obviously causes any cities to be so stressful due to several fringe benefits associated with it such as increase in crime rate etc.

Long commute times also causes stressful life since everybody has to go to work very early in the morning and coming back from work late in the evening to avoid traffic jam. For those who are in the traffic jam have to spend hundred of hours lost in opportunity cost.

Long work hours is due to the twenty four hours day related to major metropolitan cities where employees are expected to work almost 24 hours a day to meet high demand.

Due to long working hours and long commute times, most metropolis dwellers spend less time on exercise activities. It has been proven that physical exercise can reduce stress.

For more information about America's most stressful cities for the year 2010, read HERE.