It’s no secret that New York can be a stressful place to live.
The noise, the high cost of living, and the close quarters can all contribute to people’s overall feelings of stress.
Now, clinical psychologist Dr. C. Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation for the American Psychological Association (APA), has revealed the answer comes down to one perennial factor: money.
Rising costs of basic necessities, combined with wages that aren’t rising to meet them, are putting more and more pressure on the average person in one of the US’s most expensive cities.
Crowding in public spaces can be a source of stress for some people. For the 3.2 million people who ride the subway each day, the lack of personal space may contribute to feelings of stress.
It can be difficult to find a moment of peace and quiet in New York City, which is home to more than 8.3 million people.
‘Given that New York City has a very high cost of living, it’s likely that money, inflation and the rising cost of living could be of particular concern for New Yorkers,’ Dr. Wright told Fox 5.
The APA has not compiled data on 2024 yet.
But the professional organization knows that for most Americans, money and the economy are major sources of stress.
And both of these factors have become stressors for more people over the past five years.
According to the APA’s 2023 Stressors in America survey data, more adults aged 35 to 44 in New York City rated the economy, family responsibilities, and personal safety as stressors in 2023 than in 2019.
In 2019, 51 percent said the economy was a stressor, but in 2023 that number rose to 74 percent.
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 they had just two years prior.
So inflation is a source of stress nationwide.
Similarly, 59 percent of New Yorkers reported family responsibilities were a major source of stress in 2019.
In 2023, 71 percent endorsed that statement.
Personal safety rose a little less, but it still rose: from 36 percent in 2019 to 49 percent in 2023.
New York City residents also have unique sources of stress compared to people in the rest of the US.
For example, whereas 49 percent of Americans rated housing costs as a major source of stress in 2023, 66 percent of New Yorkers said the same.
The American Psychological Association surveyed New Yorkers about their biggest sources of stress in 2023, and compared the results to 2019.
The National Guard has been deployed in New York City subways, a move that Governor Kathy Hochul acknowledged was more about making people feel safe, and less about any actual rise in crime.
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 indeed 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. t’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 ride the subway each day, the lack of personal space may contribute to feelings of stress.
A 2024 study from the US Department of Energy found that New Yorkers have the longest average commute time in the country: 33.2 minutes.
This is an average, though, and some people can commute up to two hours from the outer boroughs into their workplaces in Manhattan.
That being said, New York City is famous for its public spaces – where anyone can go for free. Public parks, playgrounds, and squares provide some breathing room to de-stress.
And research backs this up.
Urban parks help people feel less stressed and more connected, according to a study from March of this year.
‘Our findings revealed that spending time in urban parks offers significant benefits, notably enhancing stress management abilities and attachment to the community,’ wrote the study authors.
‘In particular, park users’ perception of restorative effects was associated with increased levels of community attachment,’ they added.
New York City has 28,000 acres of public parks and 14 miles of public beaches. Research shows that urban parks are sources of stress relief and social connection.
An aerial view shows Central Park, an 843-acre public park in the heart of Manhattan. It is surrounded by dense housing and commercial buildings.
So being around other people is not 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 past years, crime has topped the list of stressors that weigh on the minds of New Yorkers.
Even as crime has fallen year over year, people are still worried, research shows.
Last year, a survey found that 87 percent of New Yorkers thought crime was a serious problem and 61 percent worried about becoming a victim themselves
But according to the city’s crime statistics, March 2024 saw fewer incidences of murder, burglary, grand larceny, and motor vehicle theft compared to March 2023.
The total number of crimes fell by 5 percent from last year, too, NYPD statistics from the first quarter of 2024 showed.
So yes, New York is a uniquely stressful place for residents to live, and much of it comes down to money, but most Americans are feeling the inflation pinch, too.
