DC Among Least Stressed-Out Cities, Say Researchers Who Have Never Been to DC

We're having a hard time understanding this

I'd love to write this story about Washington being near the bottom of the list of Most Stressful Cities, but it's my 10th day of work in a row, and it's 4:30 p.m. and I haven't eaten lunch yet.

Also, I normally manage to not insert myself into stories, but... see above.

The Washington Business Journal reports:

Sperling’s BestPlaces 2012 list calculates its implied stress level among the nation’s largest cities by measuring the divorce rates, commute times, unemployment rates and crime rates, and it puts Washington at No. 44 on the list [of 50].

Sure, the divorce rate is a relatively low 8.6 percent, but who has time to date?

Unemployment here is well below the national average, at 6.2 percent. Nothing to mock there. That's great! (At least if you're in the other 93.8 percent, anyway.)

Only thing D.C. didn't do well on? The average commute time is 37 minutes one way, the longest among the 50 largest cities in the United States... as if we couldn't see that one coming.

In case you're wondering, Tampa, Fla., is officially the most stressed-out city, according to the study. More than 12 percent of the population is divorced. (Wouldn't they be less stressed now that they've extricated themselves from unhappy marriages?) Crime and unemployment are both high.

Meanwhile, I have some Easy Mac from the vending machine and am feeling a little better. Still not sure I agree with this study, though.

Please send reinforcements and/or real food. Soon.


Check Out the Scene: Keep up with what's happening in the D.C. area anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our e-mail newsletters.

Contact Us