Washington State’s Tiniest County Crowned #1 Most Stressed Out

Washington State's Tiniest County Crowned #1 Most Stressed Out

Anxiety levels are at an all-time high and I was surprised by a recent article that said my home county in Washington State is one of the highest in the nation.

Asotin County Washington's Stress Levels Have Risen By 7% Over The Years

I grew up in Clarkston Washington and imagine my surprise when tiny Asotin County was named one of the most anxiety-ridden places. If you don't know, the total population of Asotin County is 22,000 so it making the list was a shocker.

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I will say growing up there was quite the experience. It wasn't until after I had moved away that I realized that Asotin County is much more impoverished than you might think from appearances.

So let's break down this study:

A Mission for Michael conducted a comprehensive study to analyze anxiety and stress levels over the past five years to determine if Americans are becoming more or less anxious. Utilizing County Health Rankings data, they identified specific counties experiencing significant changes during this period.

The study revealed that the average percentage of frequent mental anxiety increased from 12% in 2019 to 17% in 2024 across all counties in America.

On a state level, Louisianans are experiencing the most significant increase in anxiety levels, with a 7% rise compared to 2019. The top five most anxious states over the five years were:

#1 Louisiana: +7%
#2 Texas: +6%
#3 Nevada: +6%
#4 Kentucky: +6%
#5 Utah: +6%

Looking at Washington specifically, anxiety levels have increased by 5% since 2019

Asotin County has experienced the greatest rise in anxiety levels - a 7% increase. On the other hand, Columbia, Kitsap, and Pacific counties saw the lowest increase in anxiety levels of 4%.

I'm not exactly sure what's going on in Asotin County but I'd say the rising costs of food and real estate might be a few of the causes of the heightened anxiety state of my home county.