Commentary
As the author Gudjon Bergmann previously noted, “There is no such thing as a stress-free life. No evidence has ever been presented which suggests that a stress-free life can ever be achieved.”
This fact isn’t lost on millions of Americans, all of whom are experiencing increasing levels of stress.
As the results of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) most recent Stress in America report clearly demonstrate, American citizens’ stress levels are worsening. A staggering 83 percent of respondents cited the rising cost of everyday necessities such as groceries, gas, and electricity as a significant cause of stress.
Furthermore, as homicide rates continue to rise, 75 percent of Americans reported that the threat of violence and crime in their neighborhoods weighs heavily on their minds.
With these statistics in mind, a new study conducted by analysts at WalletHub actually identifies the most stress-inducing cities in the United States.
The analysts compared 182 cities across 39 key metrics, analyzing everything from suicide rates and household income to divorce rates and the prevalence of crime.
According to the team’s findings, Cleveland is now the most stressed-out city in the United States. Home to the nation’s second-highest poverty rate, Cleveland also happens to have the highest divorce rate. Residents of The Forest City are among the most sleep-deprived in the United States. Research clearly shows that sleep loss triggers the body’s stress response system. This results in an elevation in stress hormones, most notably cortisol, which further affects the quality of sleep.
The inability to get good quality sleep in Cleveland is understandable. After all, the city’s rate of violent crime is incredibly high. With a crime rate 5.5 times the Ohio state average and 4.3 times the national average, Cleveland residents have a 1 in 59 chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime. After a recent mass shooting that left nine people badly injured, Justin Bibb, a Democrat serving as the 58th mayor of Cleveland, announced plans to beef up the city’s police force. Over the past two years, the city has lost nearly 400 officers to resignations, retirements, and transfers. At the same time, as rates of violent crime continue to soar, the city has struggled to fill the vacant positions.
The second-most stressed-out city in the United States is Detroit, home to dangerously high levels of crime. According to recent statistics, using a scale of 1 to 100 (100 being the highest level of crime), the violent crime rate in Motor City is 94.3 compared with the U.S. average of 22.7. Detroit residents are four times more likely to fall victim to violent crime than those living in other U.S. cities. Moreover, property crime in Detroit is 66.7 compared with the U.S. average of 35.4. Mike Duggan, the city’s mayor and a member of the Democratic Party, recently promised to cut crime rates, but it’s yet to be seen whether his promises will materialize.
The third-most stressed-out U.S. city is Baltimore, a crime-ridden place that averages one murder every 26 hours. On July 2, a mass shooting claimed the lives of Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, and Kylis Fagbemi, 20. Another 28 people were shot. One victim was just 13. With hopes of being reelected for a second term, the city’s mayor, Brandon Scott (another Democrat), could have a tough time convincing Baltimoreans that he has what it takes to address the rise in violent crime.
Rounding out the top five most stressed-out cities in the United States are Birmingham, Alabama, and Philadelphia. Although Alabama is a red state, the mayor of Birmingham is a Democrat by the name of Randall Woodfin. With a violent crime rate that’s five times higher than the national median, Birmingham is one of the most dangerous cities to live in. Philadelphia’s mayor, meanwhile, is Jim Kenney, who took office in 2016. The homicide rate in the city has soared by 84 percent since 2015. Despite boosted funding for anti-crime initiatives, it could be up to 20 years before they bear fruit.
The WalletHub study is a reminder that Democrats have a serious crime problem.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
