FL's Least-Stressed City, Known as "Sunshine City," Also Called The Best Place To Live In The State

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Many Floridians chose the Sunshine State in part because it offers a more laid-back lifestyle where one can enjoy fewer stressors such as cold winters and long commutes of large cities. Still, one would think that some of Florida's cities would be more stressful than others. And a national publication has just identified Florida's most and least stressed cities. It turns out that St. Petersburg, Florida's least stressed city, has also been called the best place to live in the state.

About The Study And What It Measured: In July of 2024, the website WalletHub released what it felt were the least and most stressed cities in the nation. To do that, it looks at metrics such as work stress, family stress, financial stress, and health and safety stressors.

Florida's Least-Stressed City, St. Petersburg: This city, located in the central part of the state, is also known as "Sunshine City." It scored best in the categories of financial and family stressors.

St. Petersburg arguably offers something for everyone. It is smaller than nearby Tampa with a population of around 258,000, but with its proximity to Tampa and Clearwater, one can enjoy the amenities and sports teams from those cities.

Beach lovers can access St. Pete Beach, which TripAdvisor reviewers named the best in 2021. Art lovers can enjoy 8 different art districts and the Dali Museum. And St. Pete has an up-and-coming food scene, with offerings like Brick & Mortar and Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish.

Niche gives St. Petersburg an A for livability and residents give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. While many praised the lifestyle in St. Petersburg, some lamented the growing traffic. One reviewer wrote:

"The diversity within the city is fantastic. This is a very pet-friendly community. There is a lot to do with parks, beaches, and both indoor and outdoor activities. The real estate market has really gone up in price and the wages are not in keeping with an average lifestyle. Traffic is getting very congested."

The Best City To Live In For The State Of Florida: In the fall of 2023, the website Livability.com named St. Petersburg as Florida's best state to reside in among small and mid-sized cities. The site noted that St. Petersburg offered a positive work-life balance and plenty of choices for amenities.