Study: Most Stressful Cities in Massachusetts

Finding a comfortable groove in the fast-paced cities of Massachusetts might seem like a daunting task. Massachusetts is one of the most densely populated states. Even though its cities are in close proximity to each other, each one has its own distinct culture. Read on to find the 10 most stressful cities to live in Massachusetts

Mention the name Massachusetts and various connotations will come to mind, like the American Revolution, Harvard University, or the Boston Red Sox. Locals who move away never seem to shake their loyalty to the Commonwealth, and many newcomers grow to love its New England charm.

Study Methodology

1. Odds of being a victim of violent crime
   
2. Commute time
   
3. Average hours worked per week
   
4. Percentage of divorcees
   
5. Percentage of income spent on housing

First, we used crime statistics from the FBI to calculate the likelihood of being a victim of violent crime. There’s nothing more stressful than worrying about your physical safety while out walking the dog or getting a drink with friends. Feeling safe is imperative to feeling at home in a new city.

Long work hours are also bound to cause some stress, but that stress is compounded when combined with a long daily commute. We looked at U.S. Census data to find the average number of hours worked per week and average time spent commuting to work every day.

Anyone who has been through a divorce can tell you that stress from a failed marriage can be the worst kind. Whether your marriage is at its breaking point or you’re dealing with the aftermath, it’s a bad feeling to be stressed about a relationship that should have been a sanctuary. That’s why we considered the percentage of divorces in each city when calculating the most stressful cities.

Lastly, we looked at the percentage of income that people spend on housing. If you’re working long hours and commuting five hours a week to make a living, you want that paycheck to cover all your basic necessities and then some. A shortage of cash at the end of the month due to high housing costs is bound to be stressful.

Considering these 5 factors, we compiled this list of the 10 most stressful cities in Massachusetts.

10 Most Stressful Cities to Live in Massachusetts

10. Taunton

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 211 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 27.5 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.6
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 10.2% of males, 12.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 25.2%

Taunton is a small city that sits on the Taunton River, just 40 miles from Boston. It isn’t a beautiful city by any means, but its low crime rate and relatively cheap housing make it a good city for people looking for a relatively slower pace of life. Without much industry aside from manufacturing, many residents commute to neighboring communities for work. Lucky for them, the average commute time is a modest 27.5 minutes. What gave this city its ranking as the 10th most stressful city is the high number of divorcees, which indicates that marital stress is a problem for Taunton residents.

9. Lynn

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 122 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 27.5 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 8.8% of males, 10.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 31.7%

Although Lynn is in a prime waterfront location just 11 miles from downtown Boston, it still can’t beat its bad reputation. As an industrial city, some parts are in dire need of a facelift. Its violent crime rate is low, but drugs and property crimes continue to be problems. In fact, one of its claims to fame is that it was regularly featured on the crime show Cops. Housing is also expensive in comparison to the median household income, which is only $43,741. Residents spend 31.7% of their meager salary on housing, which doesn’t seem worth the stress considering Lynn’s reputation.

8. Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 120 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 28.7 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.4
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 6.2% of males, 8.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 32%

No one can deny that Boston is an exciting and beautiful city, rich with culture and history. It earned its place on our list of stressful cities because of its high cost of living compared to its low median household income. Bostonians spend 32% of their income on housing, and most households only make $53,136 – not very impressive for a self-proclaimed center of higher learning and innovation. While paying rent and making ends meet might be an everyday concern for residents in Boston, marital stress doesn’t seem to be as much of an issue here compared to other cities on this list. Boston has the lowest number of divorced women and the second lowest number of divorced men in our ranking.

7. Malden

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 216 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 33.4 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.8
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 5.4% of males, 9.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 29.7%

With a low violent crime rate, diverse population, and a low percentage of divorcees, it’s no surprise that Malden was voted the “Best Place to Raise Your Kids” in past years by Bloomberg Businessweek. Cheap housing and its close proximity to Boston also make it ideal for people wanting to avoid big city problems while still enjoying the nightlife of downtown Boston. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to avoid big city stress – Malden scores higher in stress than Boston because of the long work hours and long commute that residents have to endure.

6. Everett

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 250 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 30.3 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.2
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 7.5% of males, 13.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 31%

Everett is a close neighbor to both Malden and Boston. Because housing prices are considerably cheaper in Everett, it’s become a haven for people priced out of their homes from surrounding cities. Despite that fact, most residents pay a higher percentage of their income on housing because the median income is considerably lower. The cost of living may be a source of stress for Everett’s residents, but violent crime is one thing they don’t need to stress over, compared to their neighbors, as Everett has the lowest violent crime rate on our list.

5. Chelsea

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 54 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 29.2 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 7.9% of males, 10.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 33.2%

Chelsea is like the bad boy little brother of Boston. Located across the Mystic River from Boston, the working class industrial city has fought its bad reputation for years. Locals claim it’s improved since the ’90s, when corruption was rampant and the city was on the verge of bankruptcy. However, the likelihood of being a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 54 people, the highest crime rate out of all 10 cities. The median income is also below average, and residents spend 33.2% of their income on housing. When there are so many cities in close proximity with safer neighborhoods and better housing, dealing with the stress in Chelsea doesn’t seem worth it.

4. Quincy

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 234 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 32.3 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.6
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 6.6% of males, 10.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.6%

If you remember your American history lessons, you’ll recognize Quincy as the birthplace of U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Because of its importance to U.S. history, the local government works hard to keep Quincy beautiful and maintain its unique historical buildings. Quincy is picturesque, relatively safe, and affordable. The violent crime rate is one of the lowest on our list, as is the percentage of income spent on housing. Quincy might not have even made our list had it not been for the long commute that residents suffer through each day (despite access to the public bus system and the subway), as well as the long working hours. Would-be residents should be prepared to work 38.6 hours and sit in traffic for 5.4 hours a week in order to live there.

3. Brockton

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 88 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 29.3 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 36.6
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 9.7% of males, 12.7% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 30.3%

As the birthplace of Rocky Marciano, the inspiration for Rocky Balboa, Brockton is known to be rough around the edges. Its violent crime rate came in a close second to Chelsea at 1 in 88 inhabitants. Locals advise newcomers to stick to the outskirts of the city, where neighborhoods are safer and property is more expensive. Aside from stressing about safety, the high percentage of divorcees also indicates that romantic relationships may be another source of angst for locals.

2. Haverhill

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 148 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 28.4 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.4
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 10.5% of males, 15% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 25.6%

Haverhill is a quaint factory town located in northern Massachusetts. Salaries are higher here, violent crime is low, the commute is reasonable, and housing is cheap in relation to the median income. However, residents work hard for the higher standard of living, 38.4 hours on average. And just because residents don’t stress over safety or money doesn’t mean that life is perfect in Haverhill. Many marriages don’t seem to last in this town, and the percentage of divorcees is the highest out of all 10 cities.

1. Revere

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 197 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 30.1 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.9
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 10.4% of males, 14.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 33%

Just eight miles outside of downtown Boston sits Revere, the #1 most stressful city in Massachusetts. Revere doesn’t dominate in any of our categories, but it has the perfect storm of attributes that make it a stressful place to live. The likelihood of being a victim of violent crime is 1 in 197 inhabitants, but locals cite drugs and robberies as quite common during the summer. Residents work nearly 38 hours a week, spend five hours commuting to and from work, and spend 33% of their income on housing. In short, safety, money, long work hours, and marital problems abound in Revere, and those looking for a peaceful place to call home should look elsewhere.

Massachusetts cities are as diverse as its residents, as our data has demonstrated. It’s important to keep in mind that every city has its share of fans and detractors, and qualities that repel some people are what give a city character to others. Similarly, things that are considered stressful to one person may be par for the course to others. Crime, long commutes, and high housing costs are sometimes the tradeoff we make in order to live where we want.