Stressed out? Speak for yourself! Most in NJ are not, study says

You’d think New Jersey would be the stress capital of America.

Between bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Turnpike, the constant population squeeze, sky-high property taxes, and the fact that half of us seem born with Type-A personalities, this feels like a place where a Xanax should come free with your driver’s license.

Yet somehow…we’re not nearly as stressed as you’d expect, according to a new report.

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A new WalletHub study comparing all 50 states across 40 indicators of stress, including work, money, family life, and health factors finds New Jersey sitting comfortably in the less-stressed half of America.

Wait…what?

This is the same state where a “short commute” means only one construction delay, where property taxes are higher than see states’ average mortgage payment, and where ordering a bagel is a high-pressure social interaction if you don’t know exactly what you want when you step up.

WalletHub looked at things like average commute times, unemployment, housing affordability, divorce rates, health, and even how much sleep people get.

And here’s where Jersey surprisingly shines.

SEE ALSO: What is the most relaxing place in New Jersey?

Despite our reputation for financial stress, New Jersey actually ranks among states with relatively low financial distress and strong incomes compared with much of the country.

Translation: We may complain constantly, but we’re doing better than we admit.

It may also help that New Jersey tends to rank well in education and income levels, factors that often go hand in hand with stability even if they don’t eliminate everyday annoyances like traffic or cost of living.

So maybe what looks like stress here is really just… intensity?

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We drive fast. We talk fast. We work hard. We argue about pizza like it’s constitutional law. But maybe that edge is just how Jersey operates, not any indication we’re falling apart.

Or maybe we’re just too busy to admit we’re stressed.

Overall, Jersey ranked 40th in most stressed-out states, meaning we're almost Samuel L Jackson cool and chill. The most stressed-out state is Louisiana. They're clearly not spending enough time in their own French Quarter.