Hard to Believe: Most Relaxed Places in USA Are Here in New England

It's a wonderful word: RELAX.  Just hearing or reading the word "relax" makes you feel calmer.  "Relax" conjures up vacations, a lack of stress, or carefree living, and that is something we could all use more of in our lives.

We've always heard "everything moves slower in the South", and while the pace of life may be slower, it doesn't mean southerners are more relaxed.

A new study by lawnstarter.com, says two of the most relaxed cities in America are actually in the frantic Northeast, and out of the top ten relaxed cities, none are in the South.

That's big news, but what's not surprising is that six of the top ten relaxed cities are in sunny California.  Is this because of the laid-back California attitude? Not entirely.

The study took 43 stress-related factors into account, including mental and physical  wellbeing, financial situations, work, environmental and social stressors and divorce rates.  That's not all.  The researchers also looked at housing affordability, and length of the workday for 500 cities in America.

A key finding in the study showed that affluent communities can afford to be the most laid-back because the average salary is $121,000 per year or more, as opposed to the national average of $75,000 per year.  Money relieves some types of stress.

Many in these communities also have a longer lifespan.

So which were the top cities in the Northeast?

Newton, Massachusetts, ranked #1 in the U.S as the least-stressed city, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, ranked #6.   All the other top 10 cities were in California, with one in Indiana and one in Illinois.

The study also adds that, "Spending time in nature is connected with better sleep, decreased negative thinking, and lower stress", so green is serene.