No. 1 Chicago, Ill.With 7.3% unemployment and a gallon of gas going for just under four bucks, the Windy City has some economic headwinds that result in a perfect storm for stress. Chi-town’s pollution problems (it ranked No. 7 in terms poor air quality) and lack of breathing room (it's No. 2 in terms of population density) couple to create a Midwestern Molotov cocktail of stress.
No. 2 New York, N.Y.New York City has the third least affordable housing when you look at local mortgages versus income, making it tough to get ahead. Whether you rent or own, you won’t have much space unless you are rolling in dough. The Big Apple is packed to the core, coming at No 1. in terms of population density with in 786 housing units per square mile. You can smell the ambition in this city, but you might smell something else. New York had the ninth worst air quality of the 40 major metro areas we looked at.
No. 3 Detroit, Mich.Michigan’s capital used to thrive as the epicenter of the American auto industry. But massive layoffs at Ford and General Motors contribute to a 9.4% employment rate, the highest in the e country. What's more, the industry that is now cutting jobs probably won’t offer to fix the pollution it created. Detroit was No. 9 on our ranking in terms of air quality. On the upside, the slack demand for homes has made housing cheap. Detroit has the second most affordable homes relative to income in the country.
No. 4 Los Angeles, Calif.Individuals living in the City of Angels deal with a 7.5% unemployment rate, the second least affordable homes relative to income in the country and the worst air quality in the country. Los Angelinos also have to fret about health concerns and often need to stay indoors when the smog gets really bad. Throw in expensive gas and this car-dependent city has a lot to stress about.
No. 5 San Francisco, Calif.There are 7.2 million residents in the City by the Bay, and they’ve got cause for stress. San Francisco ranks as the fourth least affordable city in terms of housing relative to income, and its citizens pay the more per gallon of gas than anywhere else in the country. Tack in 359.8 housing units per square mile, the ninth highest population density of the 40 major metro areas we looked at, and you’ve a recipe for anxiety.
No. 6 San Diego, Calif.The Southern California city known for its sunny Mediterranean climate, rich naval history and Latin flavor thanks to the border it shares with Mexico has got a problem: Its homes cost too much for those looking to buy, which makes it tough for residents to take out a mortgage and get ahead. This affordability issue has lead to a lot of buckled mortgages--a major source of stress for residents and local businesses. San Diego’s 6.4% unemployment rate, the tenth highest in our ranking, doesn’t help either.
No. 7 Cleveland, OhioClevelanders have to cope with the fourth worst air quality among cities we ranked and the tenth highest population density. Some might also have to worry about Seasonal Affective Disorder: Cleveland boasts the fourth fewest sunny days a year of the cities measured. If these environmental factors aren’t bad enough, this Rustbelt city also has a 7.2% rate of unemployment. The good news: The flight from this city has resulted in the third most affordable housing in the country.
No. 8 Salt Lake City, UtahUtah’s capital has the 13th least affordable housing on our list and the 8th highest price at the pump in an area where cars rule. The home of the Utah Jazz also has the 14th highest population density of areas surveyed with 281.7 housing units per square mile. Salt Lake does have a 5.9% unemployment rate, but as a Best Place to Be Unemployed, that may not be such a bad thing.
No. 9 Providence, R.I.This Rhode Island city has cause for stress with the second highest rate of unemployment overall with 7.9% of the population out of a job. And residents don’t have a lot of space to blow off steam. It also came in at No. 5 in terms of population density, with 432 housing units per square mile. The fact that Providence is an increasingly unaffordable city ought not to put its residents minds at ease either.
No. 10 Philadelphia, Pa.The City of Brotherly love has its citizens packed in tight--its 427.9 housing units per square mile make it our fifth most densely populated city. But buying a house will be tough on folks with smaller paychecks, because Philadelphia has the tenth least affordable homes relative to income of the 40 metropolitan statistical areas we looked at.
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