The Cities to Visit if You’re Looking for Less Stress

brought to you by The Castles by Chrissy Team

Wyngate at Spalding
7155 Roswell Road, #51

$320,000

• Looking for a home but not wanting the maintenance?
• Wanting to be close to town but not pay Atlanta city taxes?
• Here is your chance!
• Beautiful community in the heart of Sandy Springs
• It’s a townhome with more square footage than most homes in this price range!
• Four bedrooms plus a two story family room, dining room and full basement!
• The kitchen is open and bright with newer appliances and white cabinets
• The deck out back overlooks total tranquility and peacefulness
• Gorgeous hardwood floors throughout the first floor – this home is ready for you!
• View the property at www.castlesbychrissy.com 

****If you know a friend, family member, or coworker who would like their home featured
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Tuesday’s Tip

America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities

Between international terrorism and a struggling economy, today's Americans are faced with more stress than ever. In this new study, America's favorite research gurus at Sperling's BestPlaces have identified the most and least stressful U.S. cities.

Which U.S. cities provide an environment that can help make our life more relaxed and enjoyable? Are there certain U.S. cities where residents regularly face particularly stressful conditions?

Our "Sperling Stress Index" is comprised of nine different factors which are associated with stress: unemployment rate, divorce rate, commute time, violent and property crime rates, suicide rate, alcohol consumption, self-reported "poor mental health", and number of cloudy days.

Study Highlights

• Tacoma, Washington ranks as the most stressful city of the 100 largest metro areas. Galveston, Texas earns the dubious honor in the mid-size category, and Yuba City, California is the most stressful among the smallest metro areas.
• On the brighter side, Albany, New York is the least stressful large metro area, while Provo, Utah anchors the top spot among the mid-size cities. Among the smallest metro areas, Bismarck, North Dakota in number one in a low-stress environment.
• "Most of the top-ten stress cities are grappling with high unemployment," said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's BestPlaces. "It affects the entire community, whether you personally have a job or not. Rising unemployment has been tied to increased crime, and declining tax revenues force reductions in social services that affect young and old alike."
• Las Vegas has a robust economy, but had the highest percentage of divorced residents and the highest rate of suicides. And despite Miami's #2 stress ranking, they maintained a positive mental attitude, with one of the lowest rates in residents reporting poor mental health.
• Among the low-stress cities, there appears a common theme of state capitals and institutions of higher learning. "Government and universities provide a solid economic base to smaller cities, lessening the stress caused by economic cycles," reported Sperling.
• There appears to be something special about Honolulu. In our studies, it seems that they have a unique attitude that allows them to be less affected by the stresses of today's busy lifestyle. A recent Sperling's BestPlaces study on the Best Cities for Sleep found Honolulu residents reporting the highest scores for restful and relaxing sleep. In this study, Honolulu also reported the lowest number of days that they felt anxious, tense, stressed or depressed.
• An interesting footnote to this study was the discovery of a strong correlation between the rates of suicide and divorce. In the great majority of the cities we investigated, those areas with a high percentage of divorced residents was matched with a high suicide rate. And the opposite was true as well... places with few divorces also had few suicides.
• This study will be updated regularly, and we have identified new categories for consideration in the next study. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

 Sperling's BestPlaces ranks 331 Metro Areas with a New Stress Index
Portland, Oregon, January 9, 2004