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These Are The 10 Stressed Places In Arizona

By Chris Kolmar
Apr. 13, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on:

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Top 10 Most Stressed Places in Arizona for 2026

Feeling the weight of stress when starting a new job is all too familiar. However, in 2026, some areas in Arizona face stressors beyond just the first day jitters.

Current challenges include prolonged commutes, increased work hours, and a competitive job market. So, which locations in Arizona are experiencing the highest levels of stress?

According to recent evaluations, South Tucson has been identified as the most stressed city in Arizona, topping the list of the ten most stressed places in the Grand Canyon State:

  1. South Tucson
  2. Somerton
  3. San Luis
  4. Youngtown
  5. Glendale
  6. Tolleson
  7. Phoenix
  8. Apache Junction
  9. Eloy
  10. Guadalupe

Continue reading to discover the factors contributing to stress in these Arizona locations.

How We Measured Stress in Arizona

To assess stress levels, we analyzed six key criteria that reflect the primary contributors to stress for residents of Arizona’s cities. Our research encompassed the 59 locations in Arizona with populations exceeding 5,000, utilizing data from the American Community Survey:

  1. Percentage of the population with commutes longer than 30 minutes
  2. Unemployment rate
  3. Average hours worked per week
  4. Population density
  5. Percentage of income allocated to rent
  6. Percentage of uninsured residents

The higher the values for these criteria, the greater the stress experienced by the population.

Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, reflecting the most recent available statistics.

Each city was ranked from 1 to 59 (one being the most stressed) based on the six criteria. These rankings were averaged to create a Stress Score, where a lower score indicated higher stress levels.

Let’s explore the stress statistics for each of the top 10 most stressed cities and provide a detailed ranking of all 59 analyzed locations.

1. South Tucson

Population: 5,675 High Rent Residents: 56.1%
Long Commute Residents: 29.9%
Uninsured Residents: 29.8%

2. Somerton

Population: 14,679 High Rent Residents: 56.4%
Long Commute Residents: 32.9%
Uninsured Residents: 23.4%

3. San Luis

Population: 30,139 High Rent Residents: 45.8%
Long Commute Residents: 38.4%
Uninsured Residents: 29.2%

4. Youngtown

Population: 6,299 High Rent Residents: 54.5%
Long Commute Residents: 44.0%
Uninsured Residents: 13.2%

5. Glendale

Population: 231,978 High Rent Residents: 51.4%
Long Commute Residents: 38.8%
Uninsured Residents: 18.8%

6. Tolleson

Population: 6,707 High Rent Residents: 34.2%
Long Commute Residents: 48.4%
Uninsured Residents: 31.3%

7. Phoenix

Population: 1,490,758 High Rent Residents: 48.5%
Long Commute Residents: 34.7%
Uninsured Residents: 21.7%

8. Apache Junction

Population: 36,965 High Rent Residents: 48.0%
Long Commute Residents: 45.4%
Uninsured Residents: 16.9%

9. Eloy

Population: 17,062 High Rent Residents: 48.8%
Long Commute Residents: 40.5%
Uninsured Residents: 23.0%

10. Guadalupe

Population: 5,892 High Rent Residents: 51.3%
Long Commute Residents: 29.2%
Uninsured Residents: 15.1%

Detailed List of Stressed Places in Arizona

City Rank Population High Rent Residents Long Commute Residents Uninsured Residents
South Tucson 1 5,675 56.1% 29.9% 29.8%
Somerton 2 14,679 56.4% 32.9% 23.4%
San Luis 3 30,139 45.8% 38.4% 29.2%
Youngtown 4 6,299 54.5% 44.0% 13.2%
Glendale 5 231,978 51.4% 38.8% 18.8%
Tolleson 6 6,707 34.2% 48.4% 31.3%
Phoenix 7 1,490,758 48.5% 34.7% 21.7%
Apache Junction 8 36,965 48.0% 45.4% 16.9%
Eloy 9 17,062 48.8% 40.5% 23.0%
Guadalupe 10 5,892 51.3% 29.2% 15.1%
Mesa 11 452,091 50.5% 35.9% 17.2%
El Mirage 12 32,600 45.8% 51.9% 16.1%
Tucson 13 525,031 52.4% 26.3% 17.5%
Avondale 14 77,912 38.0% 40.3% 19.5%
Douglas 15 17,137 53.2% 16.6% 18.6%
Nogales 16 20,699 47.9% 13.9% 22.8%
Prescott Valley 17 39,575 54.2% 23.8% 16.5%
Surprise 18 121,648 46.5% 53.2% 9.3%
Yuma 19 93,078 49.8% 13.2% 17.9%
Maricopa 20 45,388 40.3% 62.0% 14.6%
Tempe 21 166,975 48.0% 23.5% 16.8%
Coolidge 22 12,058 56.9% 36.2% 14.2%
Cottonwood 23 11,358 46.7% 24.1% 20.4%
Winslow 24 9,570 42.4% 9.4% 18.9%
Buckeye 25 54,927 49.2% 55.5% 14.9%
Peoria 26 160,231 48.7% 41.3% 11.9%
Flagstaff 27 67,419 57.3% 10.3% 19.7%
Camp Verde 28 10,965 47.4% 35.3% 17.2%
Casa Grande 29 50,316 48.1% 25.0% 13.6%
Bullhead City 30 39,480 47.5% 12.2% 17.2%
Fountain Hills 31 23,051 45.8% 42.3% 6.6%
Lake Havasu City 32 52,827 49.8% 10.8% 14.3%
Gilbert 33 223,131 38.2% 39.6% 9.2%
Prescott 34 40,130 55.0% 13.0% 11.0%
Chandler 35 245,231 38.9% 30.6% 10.9%
Wickenburg 36 6,629 53.2% 30.2% 15.6%
Show Low 37 10,754 49.9% 15.5% 14.8%
Holbrook 38 5,003 34.1% 21.6% 21.1%
Litchfield Park 39 5,122 41.1% 40.1% 8.2%
Sedona 40 10,092 53.7% 10.3% 16.7%
Payson 41 15,234 48.1% 22.4% 14.0%
Kingman 42 28,381 40.4% 13.7% 14.2%
Scottsdale 43 223,519 42.1% 26.0% 8.8%
Bisbee 44 5,475 38.5% 32.8% 15.3%
Safford 45 9,574 34.6% 18.0% 8.3%
Goodyear 46 70,148 40.6% 46.7% 11.0%
Cave Creek 47 5,014 62.5% 43.7% 6.8%
Oro Valley 48 41,493 38.2% 40.3% 5.2%
Sahuarita 49 26,441 39.2% 45.6% 6.7%
Chino Valley 50 10,879 42.2% 40.8% 14.7%
Page 51 7,374 40.9% 6.3% 17.6%
Globe 52 7,463 51.2% 13.1% 13.6%
Queen Creek 53 28,529 37.9% 49.3% 4.6%
Paradise Valley 54 13,243 54.6% 20.7% 3.5%
Snowflake 55 5,595 50.7% 39.1% 14.5%
Marana 56 37,028 35.6% 46.9% 7.9%
Florence 57 26,513 34.7% 30.3% 8.8%
Benson 58 5,075 42.0% 32.9% 8.8%
Sierra Vista 59 45,365 40.5% 9.9% 8.9%

Conclusion

Understanding stress levels in various cities can help residents and policymakers address the underlying issues. With a focus on improving work-life balance, enhancing job opportunities, and ensuring adequate healthcare, these communities can work towards creating a less stressful environment for their residents.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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