Seattle ranked among top 5 most relaxed cities in U.S., study finds

Seattle is the third most relaxed city in the country in regard to several factors, including residents’ mental well-being, finances, commute times, and access to outdoor and wellness amenities.

In a comparison of 500 different U.S. cities, Seattle landed in the “large cities” ranking, as it is home to more than 250,000 people, according to a LawnStarter study.

Seattle ranked No. 3 most relaxed large city in U.S.

Seattle received an overall score of 60.67, sandwiched between four California cities, San Jose (1), San Francisco (2), Irvine (4), and San Diego (5) to round out the top five.

A total of 42 different metrics were analyzed to determine the list of most relaxed cities in the U.S., though seven key factors were highlighted by the analysts.

Out of 91 large U.S. cities, Seattle’s best performance of all seven metrics was its physical well-being rank at No. 3 and its financial well-being rank at No. 4.

“Higher income helps keep stress in check. Out of the top 10 from each ranking (large, midsize, small), 26 of 30 earn a median income of $106,000 or more, well above the national median of $84,000,” LawnStarter stated. “Only 4 large cities landed at or below that income mark: Honolulu (No. 7 Large), Lincoln, Nebraska (No. 8 Large), Madison, Wisconsin (No. 9 Large), and Minneapolis (No. 10 Large).”

Seattle also had a strong recreation options ranking at No. 5 in the U.S. for large cities, and was just outside the top-10 with a mental well-being ranking of 11.

The worst rankings for Seattle were its environmental success ranking, 65th, its social stressors ranking at No. 37, and being ranked 35th in work stressors.

Notably, LawnStarter noted that Spokane and Eugene, Oregon, were two of the midsize cities with the highest depression rates, claiming that lack of sun and long cloudy seasons were to blame for their seasonal affective disorder.

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