If you live in Kansas, there’s another reason why you should love being here. The Sunflower State is one of the least-stressed ones in the country. This is according to the newly released annual report by Wallet Hub.
It’s not because people here are more laid-back, or there’s not much to do here (although that’s not entirely true, either). The state scored low when it comes to money, family, and work.
Why Kansas People Are More Relaxed
For the report, the team identified the four significant stressors in the country. These are money, family, work, safety, and health. Each of these has its metrics, which totaled more than 35. Each state then received a score with 100 as the maximum based on the criteria.
Kansas ranked 35th about money-related stress and 46 when it’s about family-related stress. It took the 19th place as far as work-related stress is concerned.
One of the possible reasons is affordable housing. Granted, property values in the state had gone up by 6.5% since 2018. It can increase by 4.2% within 12 months, according to Zillow. But on average, houses cost less than $150,000.
Meanwhile, property prices in Colorado, a neighboring state, already reached more than $375,000. Missouri is also cheap, but it’s still pricier than Kansas at $161,000. Overall, the cost of living in the Sunflower State is 90, based on Best Places data. In other words, it’s lower than the national average.
Divorce rates are also low in Kansas. In 2017, it dropped to 2.6 for every 1,000 persons. It means there were no more than 8,000 divorces, which was the lowest it’s ever been for the past 50 years.
The easy access to the outdoors also allows families to bond. During the weekend, they can head to a lodge in Wichita, KS for some downtime. At springtime, families tend to visit the parks, gardens, and markets, as well as participate in many festivals.
The unemployment rate is also falling. In 2018, it was less than 3.5%, about 0.5 percentage points lower than the rest of the country.
The Need to Be Less Stressed
Study after study points out the real deal about stress: it can kill. It can increase health risk factors such as type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disorders. One research suggested that it could boost the risk of breast cancer metastasis.
High levels of stress can also affect the mind. Individuals who experience it almost daily are more likely to feel anxious or depressed. A 2011 study by Brown University revealed panic symptoms could increase after a person experiences a stressful event.
This isn’t to say that stress isn’t significant. It is so essential to human existence that it is already part of people’s nature. Stress activates your flight-or-fight response, helping you decide the better course of action when you are facing danger or threat.
Balance, therefore, is vital. Living in Kansas, or at least being inspired by what makes it less stressed than other states, may be one of the best ways to achieve that.
