Minnesota Ranks as a Top 3 ‘Zen’ State for 2026

If you've ever experienced a beautiful day near one of Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes, this finding won't be too surprising to you. WalletHub's annual study reveals that, for 2026, Minnesota is the 3rd least stressed state in the US.

ALSO READ: Why Minnesota's 'Grandparents Happy Hour' Bill Has Gone Viral

How Minnesota is One of the Least Stressed States

Things like work-related stress, money-related stressed, and family-related stress are just a few examples of how WalletHub determined their rankings.

For us specifically in Minnesota, we did well in the following metrics:

• Some of the highest average hours of sleep per night.
• Some of the lowest percentage of adults in fair or poor health.
• The best credit scores.
• Some of the lowest percentage of people living in poverty.
• Some of the lowest rates of divorce.

However, it's not always rainbows and butterflies. There are still things that stress we Minnesotans out. I wrote an article about this back in January.

What Stresses Out Minnesotans

Even though we're pretty zen, some of the things that do stress us out, according to a study from iSelect, are general financial stress, coming in at number two, and health-related financial stress being our top stressor.

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Which States Are the Least Stressed

As for the rest of the states that are the least stressed according to this WalletHub study...

Second place goes to Utah.

And the least stressed state is South Dakota.

Which States Are the Most Stressed

The top three most stressed states include:

3. New Mexico

2. Kentucky

1. Louisiana