Bundles of Stress: Does Virginia Have the Most Stressed-Out Locals?

Fact Checked by Thomas Leary

Between the incessant buzz of freeway traffic in the state’s northern reaches and the flutter of millions of residents trying to make their way through overstretched portions of the downstate regions, it’s no wonder many Virginia residents find themselves stressed out on a daily basis.  

It’s likely of little surprise then the Old Dominion ranked among the national leaders in search interest surrounding ways to reduce their stress levels, ranking second in the nation behind Mississippi with a score of 38.  

April is National Stress Awareness Month. With that in mind, BetVirginia.com, home to all things Virginia sports betting, used Google Trends to see what states were most actively seeking “stress reducing,” to create a list of the top 10 states most stressed out.

Based on this research, Mississippi has the most stressed-out residents, while Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and South Dakota all have the most relaxed locals.  

Note: Search was between Feb. 25 and March 25, 2024.

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Most Stressed States

Rank State Search Interest Score
1 Mississippi 100
2 Virginia 38
3 New Jersey 26
T4 Delaware 16
T4 Texas 16
6 California 13
7 Florida 12
8 North Dakota 11
9 Alaska 10
10 Wisconsin 8

Where Virginia Ranks Nationally

Nationally, Virginia residents had the second highest search interest score when it came to topics surrounding stress reduction, coming in at 38 and ranking behind Mississippi, which had a score of 100. 

Overall, Virginia ranked ahead of other stressed out states like New Jersey (26 search interest score), Delaware and Texas (16 search interest score each), Florida (12 search interest score), North Dakota (11 search interest score), Alaska (10 search interest score) and Wisconsin (8 search interest score).  

On the flip side, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Idaho all were tied for the title of being the least stressed out states in America, as each of the four had search interest scores of zero, while Massachusetts was the next closest, with a score of four.  

As summer approaches and Americans seek to unwind, it seems like Virginians could take a page out of the playbook that a quartet of western states have in place, as they’ve seemed to corner the market on stress reduction.  

Check out other lifestyle pieces from BetVirginia.com such as: Top Things to Do in Virginia: Attractions for All Ages.

USA Today photo by Geoff Burke.

Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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