Nobody enjoys the feeling of stress. Unfortunately, we all deal with some type of stress daily. It can be something as small as being stuck in traffic, or something as large as the loss of a job.
Certain places in Alabama are far more stressful than others. The residents of these places must deal with things such as high rent, a long commute to and from work, and not having enough money to afford health insurance.
Recently, the website ZIPPIA measured stress in Alabama by following a list of six criteria: percentage of population with a long commute (over 30 minutes), unemployment rate, hours worked, population density, percentage of income spent on rent and percentage of population without health insurance. They specifically analyzed 105 places with a population of more than 5,000. All of the data they used came from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey for 2010-2014.
ZIPPIA ranked each of these places 1 to 105, with 1 being the most stressed place in Alabama. Next, these ranks averaged into a Stress Score. The place with the lowest overall score ended up being the most stressed place in Alabama.
According to ZIPPIA’s ranking, here are the 10 most stressed places in Alabama:
Prichard, located in Mobile County, tops our list for being the most stressful place in Alabama. High rent affects 51.9% of the city's population, while 32.9% struggle with a long commute to and from work. When it comes to health insurance, 22.3% of Prichard's population doesn't have any.
Chickasaw, located in Jefferson County, is Alabama's second most stressful place. A whopping 67% of the town's population is affected by high rent, and 18.9% doesn't have any health insurance. Approximately 30.7% of Chickasaw's residents struggle with a long commute to and from work. Chickasaw was incorporated in 1946 as a shipbuilding town.
Center Point, also located in Jefferson County, is the newest city on our list - having been incorporated in 2002. High rent in this newly incorporated city affects 62.9% of its residents, and 41.5% struggle with a long commute to and from work. Approximately 15.2% of Center Point's population doesn't have any health insurance.
Midfield is the smallest town on our list, and it's also located in Jefferson County. In this small town, 60.3% of its population is faced with high rent, while 34.2% face a long commute to and from work. An estimated 15.0% of Midfield's population doesn't have any health insurance.
In Bessemer, located in Jefferson County, high rent affects 53.5% of the city's population, while 34.7% struggle with a long commute to and from work. When it comes to health insurance, 17.3% of Bessemer's residents doesn't have any. Bessemer is nicknamed "The Marvel City."
Birmingham, "The Magic City," is the largest city on our list and the county seat of Jefferson County. In Alabama's largest city, 53.1% of its population must pay high rent, and 25.3% face a long commute to and from work. Approximately 17.1% of Birmingham's population doesn't have any health insurance.
Selma, the county seat of Dallas County, is best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches. When it comes to living expenses in this historic city, 55.9% of its residents must pay high rent. Because rent is high, 17.0% of Selma's residents can't afford health insurance. Approximately 15.1% of Selma's population struggles with a long commute to and from work.
Lanett, located in Chambers County, is a small Alabama city that's located on the Chattahoochee River. High rent affects 53.3% of Lanett's population, while 22.6% struggle with a long commute to and from work. When it comes to health insurance, 16.7% of Lanett's population doesn't have any.
Robertsdale, located in Baldwin County, is only a short drive from Alabama's beautiful Gulf Coast beaches. Approximately 49.7% of Robertsdale's population must pay high rent, and 40.9% face a long commute to and from work. When it comes to health insurance, 23.3% of Robertsdale's population doesn't have any.
Russellville, the county seat of Franklin County, is a small Alabama city that's situated in the northwestern part of the state. Russellville was incorporated on November 27 1819 - a couple of weeks before Alabama officially became a state (December 14, 1819). High rent affects 43.6% of Russellville's population. And because there aren't many places of employment in this small city, 39.3% face a long commute to and from work. Approximately 23.4% of Russellville's population doesn't have any health insurance.
Do you live in one of Alabama’s most stressed places?
For a detailed ranking of all 105 places that ZIPPIA analyzed, visit their website and scroll towards the bottom.
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