Study: Most Stressful Cities in New York

Look beyond the smog that wafts from New York City, and you'll see signs of stress around the state of New York. In certain parts of the Empire State live New York residents who are always worrying about crime, long commutes and housing costs.

Some residents have it easier than others, and in this case we focused on those who are likely to have it the worst. It all depends on where they live. The CreditDonkey research team has come up with a list of the most stressful cities in the state of New York. Read on to find if yours made the list.

10 Most Stressful Cities in New York

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

We started by looking at crime statistics from the FBI to find out which cities have a higher violent crime rate. Daily life can be stressful enough without having to worry about physical security. A lower crime rate means that safety is one less thing to be concerned with during the day.

Second, we looked at U.S. Census data to calculate the daily commute and average number of hours worked per week to get a sense of which cities have a higher incidence of work-related stress. Even the most relaxing jobs can feel stressful if you don’t have time for a personal life.

We also factored in the percentages of divorcees in each city to see which ones have more evidence of failed romantic relationships. Marriages are usually a source of emotional support, but in the worst-case scenarios, they can be the source of a lot of stress and worry.

Lastly, we researched the percentage of income that residents spend on housing in each city. The more money you spend on housing, the less money you have for other expenses, which will add extra pressure at the end of the month when bills are due. Talk about a stress-bender.

With those five factors in mind, we compiled a list of the 10 most stressful cities in New York.

10. Yonkers

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 175.2 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 32.9 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.3
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 6% of males, 9.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 27.4%

Sometimes referred to as “the backyard of the Bronx” or “the 6th borough of New York,” Yonkers is just north of the Bronx between New York City and the Hudson Valley. Because of its highly rated schools and revamped waterfront, Yonkers was rated one of the “Top 100 Best Places to Live” by Liveability.com in 2014. Like most cities, there are varying reports about safety in Yonkers – some say it can be dangerous, others claim it’s one of the safest cities in the U.S. Our numbers show that although its crime rate is on the higher end of the spectrum, it isn’t the highest for the cities we reviewed. Because of its location, the commute and housing costs are what make Yonkers a stressful place to live. Locals travel more than 30 minutes to get to work and spend 27.4% of their income on housing.

Did you know: For those who like to rock out to relieve stress, the bands Anthrax and Immolation, as well as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, hail from Yonkers.

9. Beacon

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 237.1 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 32.9 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.7
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 9.4% of males, 11.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 25.9%

Previously known as a manufacturing city, Beacon has earned its reputation as the “gem of the Hudson Valley” mostly because of the museums and galleries that now inhabit its industrial buildings. Beacon is often lauded as the perfect weekend getaway for New Yorkers because of its small-town charm and convenient location on the Metro-North commuter line. With a population of only 15,346, Beacon is small, relatively safe, and relatively cheap. Locals spend the lowest percentage of their income on housing and work the shortest amount of hours per week. However, although locals need not worry about crime or high housing costs, the percentage of divorcees indicates that marital stress is quite common here.

Did you know: Pete Seeger, folk singer and environmental activist, was a longtime resident of Beacon. He took on the stressful work of fighting to rid the Hudson River of contaminants that were causing health problems among locals.

8. White Plains

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 625.7 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 26.7 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 39.6
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 6.5% of males, 11.3% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.6%

White Plains, a suburb 25 miles north of Manhattan, is a residential and retail hub of Westchester County. While non-native New Yorkers may not have heard of White Plains, it played an important part in New York’s history as the meeting place where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and New York officially became a state. Because of the quantity of retail stores and commercial properties, government sources estimate that its population balloons to nearly four times its regular size during the average weekday as many people travel to White Plains for work, business, or pleasure. Despite this, the average commute is only 26.7 minutes, the shortest on our list. Safety and housing costs are both in the median range, but residents endure long work hours each week. You can bet that by the time the weekend comes around, White Plains residents are looking for a break from their hectic schedules.

Did you know: The Heineken USA headquarters is located in White Plains. Employees can unwind every Thursday at 4 p.m. at the onsite bar that’s stocked with Heineken’s brands.

7. Mamaroneck

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 1,198.1 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 29.7 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 39.9
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 7% of males, 8.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 26.9%

Mamaroneck is a small city that sits at the mouth of the river and harbor of the same name. It’s one of the first settlements in Westchester County, and some of the current residents can trace their lineage to the original families that made Mamaroneck their home in 1698. It’s the safest city on our list, and the combination of its security, beauty, and family-friendly atmosphere may have inspired the paintings of Normal Rockwell, who grew up in Mamaroneck. Residents commute only 29.7 minutes to work, but our data shows that residents in Mamaroneck work harder than other New Yorkers. Locals work on average 39.9 hours a week, which goes to show that even living in a quaint oceanside town isn’t without its stress.

Did you know: Successful businesses are built with blood, sweat, tears, and loads of stress. Imagine what went into the startup phase of Walter’s Hot Dog Stand, which was opened by Walter Warrington in 1919 in Mamaroneck. It’s been voted the #1 hot dog in America by Gourmet magazine in past years and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

6. Mount Vernon

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 111.2 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 29.9 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.4
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 6.9% of males, 10.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 30.8%

Mount Vernon is a suburb conveniently located between the Bronx and Yonkers. With a population of 67,896 and only 4.4 square miles in size, it’s one of the most densely populated and diverse cities in Westchester County. It’s also the most dangerous city on our list. If a high crime rate doesn’t stress out would-be residents, the cost of housing might. Locals spend 30.8% of their income on housing, and while that isn’t too high above average, it’s higher than most of the cities on our list.

Did you know: Immigration is a stressful ordeal, but it’s even harder when one has to support a family in their home country. Mount Vernon is home to a large Brazilian community, most of whom are from Poços de Caldas. It’s estimated that the Brazilian community in Mount Vernon has sent millions of dollars in remittances to Poços De Caldas, helping to build that area’s economy by funding new businesses.

5. Hempstead Village

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 117.2 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 30.8 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.3
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 7.4% of males, 9.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 33.3%

On the south shore of Long Island, Hampstead Village is a historic settlement that was the backdrop to many important events during the Revolutionary War. People have differing opinions about Hempstead Village, but what is certain is that each of its neighborhoods has its own distinct character. The city has one of the highest crime rates on our list, and our research shows that residents pay the highest percentage of their income on housing.

Did you know: The year 1664 seems like a stressful time to be alive but even more so in Hempstead Village. That’s when this community adopted the Duke’s Laws, a strict set of laws that were used as a blueprint by other colonies. One of the laws was that those who killed a wolf would be compensated by the constable if they delivered its head.

4. Freeport

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 206.9 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 31.3 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 37.9
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 8.7% of males, 12.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 29.4%

Freeport, a close neighbor to Hempstead Village, was once a center of commercial oystering and a vacation spot for boating enthusiasts. Tourists still flock to the Nautical Mile during the summer to eat at local seafood restaurants or float along the canal. Although Freeport is safer than Hempstead Village and has cheaper housing in relation to the median income, Freeport ranks high on our list because residents suffer through a longer daily commute. There is also evidence that locals have more marital stress, as shown by the higher percentage of divorcees in Freeport.

Did you know: Some jobs are so stressful, they need a person with steel nerves to get them done. One such job is that of a Prohibition-era rumrunner, who smuggled in alcohol from overseas. The Freeport Point Shipyard was known to build boats for rumrunners and boats for the U.S. Coast Guard, which was often in pursuit of such smugglers.

3. Peekskill

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 645.5 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 32.8 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.9
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 5.4% of males, 14.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 30%

Peekskill is an historic city on the east side of the Hudson River in Westchester County. Once known as an industrial city, Peekskill is now known for its thriving art scene. In its efforts to revitalize the downtown area, the city created live/work spaces that attracted artists who were being priced out of Manhattan. With a violent crime rate of 1 in 646 inhabitants, Peekskill is definitely safe. However, even if residents are able to avoid the stress of high housing costs and crime, our data shows that some residents’ love lives are far from harmonious. Peekskill has the highest percentage of divorced women than all other cities on our list.

Did you know: If you think regular car accidents are stressful, imagine being hit by a meteorite. On October 9, 1992, a meteorite fell out of the sky onto the trunk of a parked car in Peekskill. It is 1 foot in diameter and is estimated to be 4.4 billion years old.

Related: Marriage Statistics

2. New York City

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 156.4 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 39.1 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 39.4
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 6.3% of males, 9.5% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 28.8%

There are countless phrases used to describe New York City. “The city that never sleeps,” “the concrete jungle,” and “a beautiful catastrophe” come to mind, but none really do it justice. All paint a picture of a fast-paced city that’s glamorous and stressful at the same time. Despite its reputation as having an overinflated housing market, our data shows that housing costs aren’t that expensive compared to the median annual income of its residents. They spend on average only 28.8% of their income on housing, which is below many cities on our list. As the center of finance, fashion, journalism, and culture, New Yorkers have to work hard in order to keep their highly coveted jobs and apartments. New Yorkers work 39.4 hours a week and commute 39.1 minutes each day to get to work, which is what earned it the second place on our list.

Did you know: Those who suffer from necrophobia would be nervous to know that many of New York’s parks were previously cemeteries. It’s estimated that there are more than 20,000 bodies buried under Washington Square Park alone.

Related: Public Transportation Statistics

1. Long Beach

• Odds of being a victim of violent crime: 1 in 746.1 inhabitants
  
• Commute time: 40.1 minutes
  
• Average hours worked per week: 38.9
  
• Percentage of divorcees: 9.7% of males, 13.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 27.3%

Long Beach is a small city on Long Island nestled in-between the Atlantic Ocean and Reynolds Channel. The 3.5-mile beach and moderate climate make it a popular vacation spot for New Yorkers wanting to escape the humidity of downtown Manhattan in the summer. While it might be used for fun and relaxation by outsiders, the true locals are living a different reality. Long Beach residents work an average 38.9 hours a week and spend 6.68 hours in traffic getting to work each week, which is the longest commute time on our list. Devoting so much time to one’s job must be stressful, and perhaps that shows in the relationships here. Long Beach has the highest percentage of divorced men and second highest percentage of divorced women on our list. Long Beach earned the top spot as the most stressful city in New York because of the long workweek, the long commute residents suffer through each day, and the evidence of marital stress.

Did you know: Casual observers may think the builders of the original Long Beach boardwalk didn’t have to break a sweat in 1914 because it was claimed that elephants were used for its construction. In reality, the elephants were used as a publicity stunt and the boardwalk was manmade.

Tip: Is the long commute costing you a fortune in gas? Consider using a gas credit card to save money at the pump.

New York City has a bad rap when it comes to stress, but as our data shows, not all the cities in the state are cut from the same cloth. Some cities made our list because of traffic and a long daily commute; others had a high percentage of relationships gone wrong. Stress is inevitable wherever one lives, but hopefully the residents of the above cities have their own coping mechanisms to deal with the tension they encounter in their hometown.