JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Life is more expensive and stressful for most Americans, but an annual WalletHub report revealed this to be the case especially for Mississippians.
For the website, the best indicator of overall stress is a person’s financial and physical health. Though living in Mississippi is not as stressful compared to previous years, it is still among the most nerve-racking places to be in the country. It was the second and fifth most stressful state nationwide in 2024 and 2025, respectively. WalletHub found that it was the ninth-most stressful state in the country this year.
Among states in the South, it is the sixth most stressful in 2026. The financial and health conditions of Mississippians largely explain why. Unchanged since 2024 is the state’s bottom ranking of residents’ median credit score and percentage of the population living in poverty. It also had the fifth-highest share of adults in fair or poor health, a marginal improvement over its third overall ranking in 2025.
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Relationship and mental health stability are still statewide issues for 2026. Mississippi still has the fewest psychologists and the fourth-highest divorce rate nationally. Getting enough rest remains an unchanged statistic, as Mississippians remain the 14th least likely to get enough sleep…