This is what has New Yorkers more stressed than the rest, according to a senior director of the American Psychological Association

It’s no secret that New York can be a stressful place to live.

Noise, the high cost of living, and proximity can all contribute to people’s general sense of stress.

Now, clinical psychologist Dr. C. Vaile Wright, senior director of healthcare innovation at the American Psychological Association (APA), revealed that the answer comes down to one perennial factor: money.

Rising costs of basic necessities, combined with wages not rising to meet them, are putting more and more pressure on the average person in one of the most expensive cities in the US.

“Given that New York City has a very high cost of living, it’s likely that money, inflation and the rising cost of living may be of particular concern to New Yorkers,” Dr. Wright told Fox 5 .

The APA has not yet collected data for 2024.

But the professional organization knows that for most Americans, money and the economy are the biggest sources of stress.

And both of these factors have become stressful for more people over the past five years.

According to data from the APA’s 2023 Stressors in America survey, more adults aged 35 to 44 in New York City rated the economy, family responsibilities and personal safety as stressors in 2023 than 2019

In 2019, 51% said the economy was a stressor, but by 2023 that number had risen to 74%.

New Yorkers share these sources of stress with the rest of the nation.

In November, researchers found that Americans needed $11,400 more per year to enjoy the same quality of life as they had just two years earlier.

Therefore, inflation is a source of stress throughout the country.

Similarly, 59 percent of New Yorkers reported that family responsibilities were a major source of stress in 2019.

In 2023, 71 percent endorsed this statement.

Personal safety increased slightly less, but still increased: from 36% in 2019 to 49% in 2023.

New York City residents also have unique sources of stress compared to people in the rest of the United States.

For example, while 49 percent of Americans rated housing costs as a major source of stress in 2023, 66 percent of New Yorkers said the same.

Similarly, 60 percent of New Yorkers cited job stability as a source of stress, compared to the national average of 49 percent.

It’s not just the busy environment that makes people feel this way. New York City is actually more expensive than most of the rest of the country.

Rents are about 236 percent higher than the national average, and goods and services are about 19 percent more expensive. It’s not just money, though.

Crowding in public spaces can be a source of stress for some people.

For the 3.2 million people who travel on the subway every day, the lack of personal space can contribute to feelings of stress.

A 2024 study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that New Yorkers have the longest average commute time in the country: 33.2 minutes.

That’s an average, though, and some people can commute up to two hours from the outer boroughs to their jobs in Manhattan.

That said, New York City is famous for its public spaces, where anyone can go for free. Public parks, playgrounds and squares offer some space to relax.

And the research backs it up.

Urban parks help people feel less stressed and more connected, according to a study from March this year.

“Our findings revealed that spending time in urban parks provides significant benefits, particularly by improving stress management skills and community attachment,” the study authors wrote.

“In particular, park users’ perception of restorative effects was associated with increased levels of community attachment,” they added.

So being around other people isn’t just a stressor, it can also be a source of connection.

These researchers found that for people who don’t feel restored in urban parks, their ability to manage stress can be negatively affected.

New York City has 28,000 acres of public parks and 14 miles of public beaches.

In recent years, crime has topped the list of stressors weighing on the minds of New Yorkers.

Although crime has fallen year-on-year, people are still worried, research shows.

Last year, a poll found that 87 percent of New Yorkers thought crime was a serious problem and 61 percent worried about becoming a victim.

But according to the city’s crime statistics, there were fewer incidents of murder, robbery, burglary and motor vehicle theft in March 2024 compared to March 2023.

The total number of crimes also fell 5 percent from last year, NYPD statistics for the first quarter of 2024 showed.

So yes, New York is a uniquely stressful place for residents to live, and a lot of it comes down to money, but most Americans are also feeling the pinch of inflation.