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These Are The 10 Stressed Places In Iowa

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

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Top 10 Most Stressed Places in Iowa – 2026 Update

Starting a new job can often bring a wave of stress. But in some parts of Iowa, the challenges extend far beyond the first day jitters.

Residents face longer commutes, extended work hours, high living costs, and the struggle to secure employment. So, which areas in Iowa are grappling with the highest levels of stress?

According to recent analyses, Anamosa has emerged as the most stressed city in Iowa, topping the list of the ten most stressed locations in the Hawkeye State:

  1. Anamosa
  2. Perry
  3. Red Oak
  4. Des Moines
  5. Ottumwa
  6. Council Bluffs
  7. Winterset
  8. Knoxville
  9. Newton
  10. Washington

Read on to discover the factors contributing to stress levels in these Iowa cities.

How We Measured Stress in Iowa

To assess stress levels, we identified six key criteria that capture the primary sources of stress for most residents. We then analyzed the 80 cities in Iowa with populations exceeding 5,000 based on the latest data:

  1. Percentage of the population with a long commute (over 30 minutes)
  2. Unemployment rate
  3. Average hours worked per week
  4. Population density
  5. Percentage of income spent on rent
  6. Percentage of the population without health insurance

A higher ranking in any of these categories indicates greater stress levels among residents.

Our data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2021-2022.

We ranked each city from 1 to 80 (with 1 being the most stressed) based on these criteria. The final Stress Score was calculated by averaging the ranks, where a lower score signifies a higher stress level.

1. Anamosa

Population: 5,526
People With High Rent: 45.1%
People With Long Commute: 44.3%
People Without Insurance: 7.4%

2. Perry

Population: 7,986
People With High Rent: 49.5%
People With Long Commute: 27.2%
People Without Insurance: 17.7%

3. Red Oak

Population: 5,644
People With High Rent: 44.7%
People With Long Commute: 24.4%
People Without Insurance: 12.0%

4. Des Moines

Population: 206,702
People With High Rent: 49.0%
People With Long Commute: 15.5%
People Without Insurance: 10.8%

5. Ottumwa

Population: 24,847
People With High Rent: 48.9%
People With Long Commute: 14.2%
People Without Insurance: 11.8%

6. Council Bluffs

Population: 62,261
People With High Rent: 45.1%
People With Long Commute: 19.0%
People Without Insurance: 13.0%

7. Winterset

Population: 5,165
People With High Rent: 38.9%
People With Long Commute: 38.7%
People Without Insurance: 11.3%

8. Knoxville

Population: 7,257
People With High Rent: 45.0%
People With Long Commute: 30.2%
People Without Insurance: 8.6%

9. Newton

Population: 15,139
People With High Rent: 47.9%
People With Long Commute: 24.7%
People Without Insurance: 9.7%

10. Washington

Population: 7,315
People With High Rent: 42.9%
People With Long Commute: 26.6%
People Without Insurance: 9.3%

Detailed List of Stressed Places in Iowa

City Rank Population People With High Rent People With Long Commute People Without Insurance
Anamosa 1 5,526 45.1% 44.3% 7.4%
Perry 2 7,986 49.5% 27.2% 17.7%
Red Oak 3 5,644 44.7% 24.4% 12.0%
Des Moines 4 206,702 49.0% 15.5% 10.8%
Ottumwa 5 24,847 48.9% 14.2% 11.8%
Council Bluffs 6 62,261 45.1% 19.0% 13.0%
Winterset 7 5,165 38.9% 38.7% 11.3%
Knoxville 8 7,257 45.0% 30.2% 8.6%
Newton 9 15,139 47.9% 24.7% 9.7%
Washington 10 7,315 42.9% 26.6% 9.3%
Maquoketa 11 6,064 53.8% 25.6% 9.5%
Indianola 12 15,014 48.4% 38.4% 6.3%
Centerville 13 5,480 40.9% 17.5% 13.4%
Burlington 14 25,559 45.2% 9.7% 10.8%
Keokuk 15 10,742 44.0% 14.0% 13.7%
Davenport 16 101,316 44.8% 12.9% 11.4%
Ames 17 61,276 59.0% 15.7% 6.4%
Fort Dodge 18 24,846 44.9% 9.1% 11.4%
Sioux City 19 82,719 47.0% 12.2% 12.9%
Fort Madison 20 10,929 35.2% 17.2% 13.5%
Muscatine 21 23,857 47.9% 13.9% 10.1%
Boone 22 12,619 41.8% 18.8% 10.3%
Mount Pleasant 23 8,682 50.2% 22.3% 10.8%
Estherville 24 6,177 50.4% 10.9% 13.7%
Iowa City 25 70,597 60.6% 13.3% 8.0%
Denison 26 8,370 40.7% 12.5% 16.2%
Marshalltown 27 27,749 39.5% 11.9% 10.5%
Creston 28 7,846 47.6% 11.0% 9.2%
Waterloo 29 68,392 50.7% 8.2% 9.3%
Oskaloosa 30 11,555 40.0% 14.9% 7.8%
Dubuque 31 58,068 50.6% 8.8% 7.2%
Cedar Rapids 32 128,009 42.3% 14.6% 7.7%
Oelwein 33 6,321 41.8% 26.8% 9.5%
Marion 34 35,809 41.1% 15.9% 7.1%
Webster City 35 7,905 47.6% 14.8% 11.7%
Charles City 36 7,562 36.2% 24.4% 8.3%
Fairfield 37 9,615 39.1% 6.0% 15.6%
Nevada 38 6,794 34.1% 19.0% 6.6%
Vinton 39 5,211 38.0% 33.8% 4.7%
Clive 40 16,246 46.8% 11.8% 7.5%
Cedar Falls 41 40,009 55.0% 5.6% 6.1%
De Witt 42 5,297 38.7% 34.2% 6.8%
Altoona 43 15,317 36.0% 23.1% 4.0%
Spencer 44 11,177 46.1% 14.7% 9.5%
Harlan 45 5,047 48.6% 16.1% 9.2%
Coralville 46 19,677 45.1% 18.1% 5.0%
Storm Lake 47 10,743 29.2% 5.4% 12.7%
Glenwood 48 5,253 25.8% 38.0% 6.4%
Shenandoah 49 5,079 30.9% 14.9% 13.5%
Clinton 50 26,611 45.3% 13.8% 8.8%
Eldridge 51 5,908 47.9% 16.8% 5.2%
Hiawatha 52 7,109 29.7% 13.5% 8.4%
Urbandale 53 41,157 38.1% 12.0% 5.7%
Mason City 54 27,775 40.6% 11.8% 9.5%
Grinnell 55 9,136 46.7% 8.5% 5.9%
Bettendorf 56 34,247 44.2% 10.3% 5.3%
Carroll 57 10,051 50.5% 9.3% 4.5%
Ankeny 58 49,488 32.4% 22.5% 3.7%
North Liberty 59 14,503 36.5% 20.1% 4.2%
Waukee 60 15,944 44.5% 17.8% 5.5%
Manchester 61 5,126 33.0% 20.1% 4.9%
West Des Moines 62 59,815 34.8% 8.9% 5.5%
Clarinda 63 5,490 28.5% 10.1% 9.0%
Waverly 64 9,998 41.4% 15.6% 2.7%
Iowa Falls 65 5,193 25.1% 8.3% 9.1%
Pleasant Hill 66 9,011 36.5% 18.3% 6.9%
Le Mars 67 9,783 36.5% 16.7% 5.4%
Independence 68 5,955 31.8% 21.4% 5.7%
Sheldon 69 5,047 42.4% 8.4% 7.5%
Algona 70 5,513 39.1% 11.2% 5.7%
Atlantic 71 6,983 34.6% 14.4% 9.5%
Norwalk 72 9,444 29.6% 19.9% 4.5%
Johnston 73 18,874 33.2% 14.4% 4.6%
Pella 74 10,343 44.1% 7.5% 3.5%
Cherokee 75 5,203 31.4% 8.4% 8.0%
Sioux Center 76 7,218 34.1% 7.2% 9.0%
Orange City 77 6,130 25.8% 6.5% 6.3%
Clear Lake 78 7,718 26.5% 14.6% 6.4%
Decorah 79 8,058 35.8% 4.5% 5.1%
Grimes 80 9,037 26.7% 17.1% 2.4%

In conclusion, stress levels in various Iowa cities can significantly impact residents’ well-being. Understanding these stressors is crucial for developing strategies to improve quality of life in these areas.

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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