2022’s Best Cities for Mental Wellness

A woman smiles while having a meditative moment sitting cross-legged in the grass.

Your surroundings can have a big influence on how you’re feeling. A bit of sunshine, green space, and accessible mental health resources can go a long way.

So, which cities have the optimal environment for mental well-being?

To mark World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, LawnStarter compared over 190 of the biggest U.S. cities to rank 2022’s Best Cities for Mental Wellness.

We considered 33 metrics based on mental, physical, social, financial, and environmental factors. These include factors like access to therapists, cost of living, average sleep levels, meditation classes, and urban gardening-friendliness.

See how your city is doing below, followed by our analysis and expert tips.

City Rankings
Highlights and Lowlights
Mental Wellness By the Numbers
Ask the Experts
Methodology
Take a Mindful Moment

City Rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

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Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	Overall Score	Mental Wellness and Access Rank	Physical Wellness Rank	Mindfulness and Social Wellness Rank	Financial Wellness Rank	Environment Rank
1	Naperville, IL	71.07	8	34	23	1	3
2	Pasadena, CA	70.81	1	27	1	132	85
3	Seattle, WA	68.72	9	8	12	12	149
4	Fremont, CA	68.16	15	1	22	41	46
5	San Francisco, CA	67.92	3	18	3	94	24
6	Bellevue, WA	67.54	5	11	16	24	116
7	Alexandria, VA	67.33	2	31	5	32	62
8	Irvine, CA	67.09	7	4	46	78	17
9	Fort Collins, CO	66.03	45	3	20	21	36
10	Santa Rosa, CA	65.58	34	9	11	90	8
11	Scottsdale, AZ	65.57	21	25	2	35	65
12	San Diego, CA	65.31	28	7	15	92	32
13	Oakland, CA	65.25	6	10	36	81	77
14	Salt Lake City, UT	64.70	92	2	7	25	117
15	San Jose, CA	64.50	12	6	60	51	88
16	Portland, OR	64.45	60	5	17	28	107
17	Huntington Beach, CA	64.15	19	26	9	56	39
18	Madison, WI	63.73	64	12	58	5	89
19	Minneapolis, MN	63.57	71	19	26	6	82
20	Atlanta, GA	63.03	16	42	4	63	138
21	Torrance, CA	62.78	4	21	73	102	54
22	Austin, TX	62.77	23	35	8	49	134
23	Frisco, TX	62.67	14	66	54	13	15
24	Sunnyvale, CA	62.51	10	13	101	52	47
25	Boise, ID	61.96	67	15	116	14	10
26	Overland Park, KS	61.62	32	65	69	3	43
27	Orange, CA	61.08	18	23	59	77	52
28	Raleigh, NC	60.90	30	41	34	27	120
29	Fullerton, CA	60.58	13	29	84	74	63
30	Olathe, KS	60.40	113	48	78	4	22
31	Denver, CO	59.64	36	58	21	62	80
32	Durham, NC	59.54	39	32	57	23	163
33	Plano, TX	59.51	24	59	65	53	40
34	Santa Clarita, CA	59.21	20	47	75	119	12
35	Lincoln, NE	59.10	75	53	91	9	31
36	Sacramento, CA	58.93	50	61	29	83	27
37	Colorado Springs, CO	58.87	143	16	77	44	29
38	Grand Rapids, MI	58.79	27	70	28	43	106
39	Denton, TX	58.61	52	56	48	31	90
40	Las Vegas, NV	58.50	115	36	33	139	6
41	Eugene, OR	58.48	124	14	35	71	123
42	McKinney, TX	58.43	29	95	55	33	18
43	Los Angeles, CA	58.41	25	28	37	174	114
44	Escondido, CA	58.33	93	30	25	120	50
45	Virginia Beach, VA	57.73	99	89	40	17	20
46	Chula Vista, CA	57.70	61	37	99	99	14
47	Tampa, FL	57.49	84	87	14	87	25
48	Elk Grove, CA	57.48	59	72	71	64	7
49	Glendale, CA	57.18	22	22	105	162	37
50	Orlando, FL	57.10	35	76	6	154	127
51	Long Beach, CA	57.06	17	43	79	158	91
52	Oceanside, CA	56.85	66	44	63	118	51
53	Lakewood, CO	56.83	74	38	88	30	98
54	Vancouver, WA	56.72	62	40	72	76	103
55	Sioux Falls, SD	56.67	57	92	119	2	81
56	Hayward, CA	56.47	37	20	130	101	60
57	Tempe, AZ	56.41	77	55	38	96	109
58	Washington, DC	56.41	11	86	93	50	150
59	Spokane, WA	56.41	117	24	104	42	84
60	Reno, NV	56.20	138	46	82	60	11
61	Albuquerque, NM	56.19	179	17	97	45	28
62	St. Paul, MN	55.95	85	33	173	15	66
63	Anaheim, CA	55.90	43	49	90	114	86
64	Riverside, CA	55.79	48	67	42	85	172
65	Tucson, AZ	55.77	152	51	41	122	16
66	Miami, FL	55.72	33	94	10	170	108
67	Pittsburgh, PA	55.66	47	90	51	26	180
68	Corona, CA	55.59	49	64	76	69	125
69	Boston, MA	55.34	69	45	95	133	42
70	Omaha, NE	55.16	73	79	114	16	72
71	Greensboro, NC	54.90	105	54	45	97	159
72	Richmond, VA	54.89	55	98	30	117	105
73	Jersey City, NJ	54.79	40	63	74	148	49
74	Charlotte, NC	54.71	68	75	68	57	141
75	Fort Lauderdale, FL	54.65	31	132	13	111	152
76	Santa Ana, CA	54.24	51	60	110	137	63
77	New York, NY	54.16	44	52	62	187	92
78	Oxnard, CA	53.78	53	68	113	140	23
79	Tallahassee, FL	53.51	128	82	27	79	165
80	Lexington, KY	53.42	145	108	52	20	110
81	Henderson, NV	53.31	114	81	141	104	1
82	Huntsville, AL	53.31	141	85	61	19	175
83	Garden Grove, CA	53.22	41	57	122	136	95
84	Phoenix, AZ	52.88	133	62	80	113	115
85	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	52.73	26	100	107	110	130
86	Chicago, IL	52.67	42	111	86	68	147
87	Aurora, IL	52.49	107	110	134	18	34
88	Yonkers, NY	52.35	56	78	176	82	21
89	Rochester, NY	52.14	129	97	32	125	131
90	Salem, OR	52.03	164	93	43	54	119
91	Chesapeake, VA	51.98	142	138	87	11	68
92	Salinas, CA	51.80	89	73	106	161	33
93	Midland, TX	51.76	111	183	67	22	4
94	Winston-Salem, NC	51.57	131	121	100	66	9
95	Anchorage, AK	51.52	166	39	145	36	140
96	Cincinnati, OH	51.51	137	113	18	88	186
97	Knoxville, TN	51.46	172	107	19	65	168
98	Joliet, IL	51.45	120	116	174	8	78
99	Peoria, AZ	51.32	159	102	109	29	30
100	Mesa, AZ	51.32	118	104	111	70	45
101	Modesto, CA	51.31	91	101	89	131	71
102	Providence, RI	51.06	119	84	108	103	76
103	St. Petersburg, FL	50.98	100	96	121	95	70
104	El Paso, TX	50.93	86	83	178	173	2
105	Pomona, CA	50.92	46	50	160	164	126
106	Chandler, AZ	50.87	79	142	118	47	35
107	Aurora, CO	50.86	135	74	167	48	59
108	Des Moines, IA	50.39	147	122	144	7	101
109	Palmdale, CA	50.37	58	71	165	153	75
110	Tacoma, WA	50.18	126	119	55	59	184
111	Chattanooga, TN	50.15	125	117	53	61	190
112	Ontario, CA	49.85	65	91	129	128	139
113	Thornton, CO	49.62	148	99	179	46	38
114	Fontana, CA	49.49	70	112	175	80	56
115	San Antonio, TX	49.46	98	77	123	157	142
116	Murfreesboro, TN	49.17	139	179	31	10	182
117	Pembroke Pines, FL	48.89	54	144	157	72	74
118	Nashville, TN	48.82	108	153	49	89	181
119	Springfield, MO	48.67	182	123	47	75	156
120	Bakersfield, CA	48.61	102	134	83	141	104
121	Dallas, TX	48.37	81	105	115	180	136
122	Houston, TX	48.19	76	109	70	184	189
123	Miramar, FL	48.03	78	158	158	91	44
124	Buffalo, NY	48.02	173	69	154	105	113
125	Moreno Valley, CA	47.95	90	88	163	126	154
126	Bridgeport, CT	47.93	112	80	189	144	61
127	Worcester, MA	47.91	169	126	124	39	83
128	Savannah, GA	47.75	136	150	50	143	146
129	Fort Wayne, IN	47.72	162	135	126	37	79
130	Hollywood, FL	47.71	82	170	81	129	96
131	Lancaster, CA	47.65	63	103	169	151	133
132	McAllen, TX	47.63	38	131	171	181	48
133	Glendale, AZ	47.47	132	133	127	121	69
134	Indianapolis, IN	47.45	165	143	64	55	183
135	Lubbock, TX	47.42	150	136	131	130	19
136	Kansas City, MO	47.22	178	118	128	40	135
137	Birmingham, AL	47.11	146	127	39	169	187
138	Syracuse, NY	46.89	158	106	139	109	144
139	Port St. Lucie, FL	46.87	134	156	138	116	13
140	St. Louis, MO	46.64	83	163	102	124	167
141	Louisville, KY	46.52	188	124	96	34	164
142	Tulsa, OK	46.48	167	115	120	106	162
143	Little Rock, AR	46.46	121	161	85	98	169
144	Stockton, CA	46.39	96	139	172	135	58
145	Arlington, TX	46.24	94	129	161	147	132
146	Fort Worth, TX	46.20	127	130	149	134	122
147	Cape Coral, FL	45.95	123	165	135	123	41
148	Wichita, KS	45.63	184	137	140	38	111
149	Fresno, CA	45.61	87	160	150	150	67
150	Newport News, VA	45.38	160	159	117	67	121
151	Baton Rouge, LA	45.16	101	184	24	156	191
152	San Bernardino, CA	45.03	116	141	143	127	174
153	Columbus, OH	45.02	153	140	147	86	161
154	Oklahoma City, OK	44.89	163	146	152	58	151
155	Garland, TX	44.84	110	120	168	183	101
156	Grand Prairie, TX	44.80	106	148	151	159	87
157	Laredo, TX	44.78	72	125	188	188	26
158	Hialeah, FL	44.49	103	151	182	155	57
159	Rockford, IL	44.34	154	166	132	115	128
160	Irving, TX	44.16	80	167	159	167	100
161	Clarksville, TN	44.07	181	180	44	100	158
162	North Las Vegas, NV	43.94	174	128	191	168	5
163	Norfolk, VA	43.62	170	173	133	84	97
164	Philadelphia, PA	43.39	130	147	162	179	129
165	Dayton, OH	42.95	190	145	92	146	143
166	Amarillo, TX	42.79	180	172	137	107	55
167	Milwaukee, WI	42.52	168	149	185	112	118
168	Baltimore, MD	42.48	121	168	148	165	137
169	Macon, GA	42.14	187	155	98	145	153
170	New Orleans, LA	42.06	95	174	156	176	160
171	Mobile, AL	42.00	175	176	66	152	192
172	Corpus Christi, TX	41.80	171	157	146	177	99
173	Akron, OH	41.44	189	152	166	73	157
174	Springfield, MA	41.40	192	114	184	138	93
175	Jacksonville, FL	41.38	177	181	112	108	170
176	Mesquite, TX	41.09	140	162	170	182	145
177	Paterson, NJ	40.96	109	154	187	189	94
178	Columbus, GA	40.84	156	177	142	149	124
179	Newark, NJ	40.61	97	175	180	190	53
180	Fayetteville, NC	40.32	144	188	94	175	178
181	Brownsville, TX	39.74	88	189	164	192	73
182	Pasadena, TX	39.72	104	171	177	185	177
183	Toledo, OH	39.09	186	169	190	93	112
184	Montgomery, AL	38.94	151	190	136	166	166
185	Shreveport, LA	38.90	161	187	125	160	185
186	Augusta, GA	38.59	176	191	103	178	171
187	Memphis, TN	38.50	157	182	155	163	179
188	Killeen, TX	38.20	149	186	181	171	155
189	Jackson, MS	37.73	155	178	153	186	188
190	Kansas City, KS	36.89	183	185	183	142	173
191	Cleveland, OH	36.45	191	164	186	172	176
192	Detroit, MI	31.93	185	192	192	191	148

Showing 1 to 192 of 192 entries

Infographic showing the Best Cities for Mental Wellness, a ranking based on access to therapists, cost of living, average sleep levels, meditation classes, and more

Highlights and Lowlights

Suburban Satisfaction

They say money can’t buy happiness — but it can pay for therapy. No wonder wealthy satellite cities landed at the top of our ranking.

Naperville, Illinois, takes first place overall and in Financial Wellness. A small share of adults with poor mental health and low divorce rates brought this city to the top. Similar rankings lifted Pasadena, California (No. 2), Bellevue, Washington (No. 6), and Alexandria, Virginia (No. 7). These cities are full of therapists, as well as healthy, financially stable, and well-rested adults.

Pasadena has the best access to mental health services, with more than 556 therapists per 100,000 residents. The City of Roses also boasts the most meditation classes. Naperville has the least crime (No. 1), while Alexandria is great for getting that extra boost of dopamine from biking and other exercise opportunities (No. 1).

West Coast Wellness

The laidback West Coast dominates our ranking, with Pacific cities taking up more than half of our top 20. Meditation, running, biking, yoga, and hiking are popular in this region. Movement and mindfulness can help balance hormones, reduce anxiety, and improve cognitive function.

In addition to their high scores in Physical Wellness and Mindfulness factors, Seattle (No. 3) and San Francisco (No. 5) impress with high access to therapy, green space, and sufficient sleep. Furthermore, California cities Fremont (No. 4), Irvine (No. 8), and San Diego (No. 12) have low divorce rates. Each of these five cities has low levels of poor mental health and unemployment.

However, not all that glitters is gold: Under the serene surface, long work hours, binge drinking, and drug overdose deaths put a strain on San Fran and Seattle.

Fit Minds

Outside of our top 10 cities, Grand Rapids, Michigan (No. 38), Atlanta (No. 20), and Pittsburgh (No. 67) have the next best access to local mental health providers.

Getting some exercise can help a lot when you can’t afford (or simply don’t have access to) mental health services. While Fort Collins, Colorado (No. 9), and Salt Lake City (No. 14) each have ample therapy access, they also have high rates of Physical Wellness (No. 3 and No. 2, respectively).

Working long hours and getting limited sleep can be detrimental to physical and mental health. Sometimes, the best thing for your body and mind is simply to slow down and rest. Fort Collins is also the most well-rested city, followed by Bellevue, Washington; Minneapolis; and Overland Park, Kansas. Meanwhile, New York cities Syracuse and Buffalo, along with Dayton, Ohio, have the lowest average weekly work hours.

Big-City Blues

Cities with large populations like Chicago (No. 86), Washington (No. 58), and Los Angeles (No. 43) did not fare as well as their top-ranking suburbs.

These three cities — and New York (No. 77) — have high rates of poverty and unemployment. Residents in Chicago and Washington also suffer from higher rates of binge drinking and drug overdoses, long work hours, and poor weather. Additionally, Chicagoans and Angelenos experience higher rates of poor health, and NYC is severely lacking in access to therapists (No. 192).

At the very bottom of our ranking lie less populated cities like Detroit in last place, followed by Cleveland and Kansas City, Kansas. Each of these cities has substandard scores across the board, with particularly low access to mental health support, financial frailty, and unappealing weather.

Mental Wellness By the Numbers

Infographic showing key mental health stats like how many Americans suffer from mental illness, substance abuse, lack of sleep, and more — ***Sources:*** *1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,* 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Ask The Experts

Improving mental well-being can be a daunting endeavor for some, especially with the current state of the nation’s mental health care. We contacted a panel of experts to learn more about how to improve mental wellness. Read what they had to say below.

With a psychiatrist shortage and limited mental health services available in many regions, what is one of the best free ways to boost your mental health?
What is one way employers can benefit their workers’ mental well-being?
What are three most common warning signs that someone is struggling with their mental health?
What are the best first steps for someone who is considering seeking mental health treatment? What is one thing they should keep in mind or watch out for?
More than 50% of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment. What is one way that cities can make therapy and other mental health treatments more accessible?

Jessica Borelli, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychological Science, Clinical director of Compass Therapy

Amanda S. Case, Ph.D., LP

Assistant Professor

Jessica Borelli, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychological Science, Clinical director of Compass Therapy

University of California, Irvine, Department of Psychological Science

Jessica Borelli, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychological Science, Clinical director of Compass Therapy

University of California, Irvine, Department of Psychological Science

With a psychiatrist shortage and limited mental health services available in many regions, what is one of the best free ways to boost your mental health?

I think exercise is the single best free way to boost your mental health. Exercise reduces anxiety and stress, improves mood, and yields physical health benefits. People who do not exercise already often lack the motivation to start, so if you are one of these people, I recommend starting small and removing all barriers to getting started.

For example, you might want to sleep in your exercise clothes and put your shoes next to your bed (if you want to exercise first thing in the morning). Telling yourself that any amount of exercise is better than no exercise can also be helpful.

A lot of times people trip themselves up by telling themselves it isn’t worth it if the exercise does not meet a certain predetermined and arbitrary metric (e.g., 30 minutes of cardio, 10,000 steps), but the reality is that something is almost always going to be better than nothing, especially when we are talking about mental health benefits.

What is one way employers can benefit their workers’ mental well-being?

Employers can normalize mental health difficulties –– mental health problems are common. Most of us will struggle ourselves or will have someone close to us struggle with mental health difficulties during our lives.

Acknowledging that fact and encouraging employees to speak openly about mental health difficulties and emotions will help to destigmatize mental health challenges. The stigma associated with mental health difficulties adds a whole other layer of stress.

What are the three most common warning signs that someone is struggling with their mental health?

Negative mood: When a person is sad, irritable, or emotionless.
Social withdrawal: When a person retreats socially, doesn’t join in or want to be a part of social events or conversations, or stops attending gatherings.
Functional Impairment: When a person fails to live up to their responsibilities in their work or personal life, such as showing up late to work or missing work entirely, failing to turn in assignments, missing or forgetting about major work or personal obligations, or behaving unsafely or dangerously.

What are the best first steps for someone who is considering seeking mental health treatment? What is one thing they should keep in mind or watch out for?

Many mental health providers do not accept insurance but rather generate something called Superbills. The clients are asked to pay for services upfront and then submit the Superbills to their insurance company for reimbursement (these funds go directly to them).

This approach only works for clients who have PPOs, not HMOs. If you want to go through your insurance, it will save you time to call your insurance company directly and request a list of names of mental health providers from them. You can then contact these providers to see if they have openings for new clients.

If you try to seek therapy by reaching out to therapists you find through word of mouth or therapist directories, it can be frustrating because many of these will not accept insurance or will not accept your insurance.

Many therapists have long waitlists, so it may behoove you to get on multiple waitlists at the same time. And it may be helpful to prepare for the fact that you may need to pay out of pocket if you cannot find a provider who accepts your insurance.

More than 50% of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment. What is one way that cities can make therapy and other mental health treatments more accessible?

They can provide more funding for training programs for mental health professionals. There is a huge demand for students who want to gain access to the field and become mental health professionals, but entrance into Ph.D. programs is extremely competitive (between 1-5% acceptance rates), and many students need to wait between 1-5 years post-undergraduate education in order to be competitive enough to gain admittance.

These programs are funded, while master’s level programs (MSW, LMFT, LPCC) programs typically are not funded. These unfunded master’s programs pose challenges to students who wish to become mental health providers but will have difficulty funding their education. If we as a society believe we need more mental health providers, we should help fund the graduate training of these students (through grants, fellowships, and the creation of new programs).

Amanda S. Case, Ph.D., LP

Assistant Professor

Purdue University, Educational Studies Department, College of Education

Amanda S. Case, Ph.D., LP

Assistant Professor

Purdue University, Educational Studies Department, College of Education

With a psychiatrist shortage and limited mental health services available in many regions, what is one of the best free ways to boost your mental health?

One of the most important things we can do to maintain or improve our mental health is to pay attention to it — in the same way we attend to how our bodies feel, we also need to take time to consider how we are doing emotionally and psychologically. An easy way to do this is to ask yourself how you’re feeling and then give yourself a moment or two to reflect on your response.

What is one way employers can benefit their workers’ mental well-being?

As the American Psychological Association has noted, a key way employers can support workers’ mental well-being is by instituting organizational policies and practices that encourage employees to “unplug.”

These policies and practices could look like separating paid vacation days from paid sick time, encouraging workers to use all of their vacation days, and having upper management model and normalize work-life balance by taking time off themselves.

What are the three most common warning signs that someone is struggling with their mental health?

Mental health challenges can manifest in an unlimited number of ways that differ from person to person, which makes it hard to identify universal indicators of mental health concerns. Given that, a useful thing to look for is any noticeable changes in people’s behavior, appearance, or demeanor.

For example, if someone typically enjoys interacting with colleagues but becomes withdrawn, it would be worthwhile to check in with them to see how they’re doing. Even if the person is not experiencing any mental health challenges, knowing people are looking out for you can help you feel cared for and connected with others.

What are the best first steps for someone who is considering seeking mental health treatment? What is one thing they should keep in mind or watch out for?

If you’re considering getting mental health treatment, way to go! Most of us can benefit from getting support at one or many points in our lives. But know that the first provider you find may or may not be a great fit for you.

Effective mental health treatment is largely about the relationship between provider and client, so don’t be afraid to shop around. If you’re able to, go to initial appointments with more than one provider and then pick the person who you feel can best support your mental health needs and goals.

Methodology

For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below.

We then grouped those factors into five categories: Mental Wellness and Access, Physical Wellness, Mindfulness and Social Wellness, Financial Wellness, and Environment.

Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category.

Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories. We eliminated 8 cities lacking sufficient data in a single category, resulting in a final sample size of 192 cities.

The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Best” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Worst” (No. 192). (Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be 192 due to ties among cities.)

Metric	Weighting	Min. Value	Max. Value	Best
Mental Wellness and Access
Therapists per 100,000 Residents	5	7.79	556.98	Max. Value
Share of Adults with Poor Mental Health Over 2 Weeks	4	9.3%	21.2%	Min. Value
Suicides per 100,000 Residents	3	5.7	26.7	Min. Value
Deaths from Mental and Behaviorial Disorders per 100,000 Residents	3	5.8	85.2	Min. Value
Physical Wellness
Share of Adult Population in Poor Health	3	10.1%	35.8%	Min. Value
Insufficient Sleep Rate	3	27.2%	51.4%	Min. Value
Average Weekly Work Hours	2	34.5	41.6	Min. Value
Drug Overdose Deaths per 100,000 Residents	3	5	124	Min. Value
Binge Drinking Rate	2	11.1%	22.9%	Min. Value
Yoga-Friendliness	2	1	86	Min. Value
Runner-Friendliness	2	1	181	Min. Value
Biking-Friendliness	2	1	200	Min. Value
Hiking-Friendliness	2	1	200	Min. Value
Access to Exercise Opportunities	2	44%	100%	Max. Value
Premature Deaths per 100,000 Residents	1	194	684	Min. Value
Child Deaths per 100,000 Residents	1	25	105	Min. Value
Mindfulness and Social Wellness
Separation and Divorce Rate	2	6.3%	19.4%	Min. Value
Meditation Classes/Centers per 100,000	3	0	10.6	Max. Value
Urban Gardening-Friendliness	2	1	196	Min. Value
Dog Lover-Friendliness	2	1	174	Min. Value
Cat Lover-Friendliness	2	1	200	Min. Value
Financial Wellness
Food Insecurity Rate	3	5%	18%	Min. Value
Housing Affordability Index	3	36	99	Max. Value
Cost of Living Index	2	75	204	Min. Value
Poverty Rate	1	1.8	26.2	Min. Value
Unemployment Rate	1	1.7%	8.1%	Min. Value
Health Insurance Coverage Rate	2	69.8%	98.2%	Max. Value
Environment
Access to Green Space	1	10%	100%	Max. Value
Historical Average Amount of Sunshine	2	42%	85%	Max. Value
Historical Average Monthly Rain (in Inches)	1	0.45	5.4	Min. Value
Median Air Quality Index	2	25	101	Min. Value
Crime Index	3	0	86	Max. Value
Natural Hazards Index	1	9	20	Min. Value

Showing 1 to 38 of 38 entries

Sources: Areavibes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, Lawn Love, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Neighborhood Scout, Other LawnStarter Studies, Psychology Today, Trust for Public Land, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Yelp

Take a Mindful Moment

Social isolation, post-pandemic stress, and inflation have left the nation riddled with depression and anxiety.

Fortunately, more people are getting access to mental health services than in previous years, thanks to reduced stigma and increased support. Yet many are still without access due to the current shortage of mental health professionals.

Getting access to mental health counseling can be difficult, especially if your metro is lacking in therapists. Thankfully, there are plenty of online options available for you to attend a telehealth therapy session from the comfort of your home.

There’s no simple fix to improving your mental health, but there are still some things you can do to feel better:

Meditate

Mindfulness meditation can help with managing stress, depression, and anxiety. Evidence shows that meditation can help relieve pain, decrease blood pressure, and improve sleep quality. Itching for a relaxing trip? Sign up for a mindfulness retreat.

Grow a garden

Get some plant friends to help cultivate your mental wellness, even if you live in a city. If you don’t have the time, energy, or will to grow a garden of your own, strolling through romantic gardens around your city can be a reviving way to spend your afternoon.

Cook something

Slowing down and taking the time to cook a meal from scratch can be a relaxing way to boost focus, confidence, and emotional well-being. Crafting a tasty, nutritious meal from ingredients in your kitchen can make you feel better physically, too.

Rest up

It’s important to get some sleep and reset your brain. Rest is important, and lack of sleep could even worsen your mental health.

Volunteer

Find an organization in your city that matters to you, and see if they’re taking on any new volunteers. By volunteering with them, you’ll likely meet new people, learn new skills, and gain a sense of purpose.

Try something new

Get a dopamine boost by learning something or having a new experience. For inspiration, you could study a language, eat at a new brunch spot, or learn how to craft a DIY project.

Move your body

Whether you prefer walking, running, hiking, biking, recreational sports, or yoga, there are numerous benefits to being active. Regular exercise can alleviate depression and anxiety, improve sleep, and reduce stress. With many people working from home these days, it’s especially important to prioritize physical activity and get outside.

Mow the lawn

Yes, even mowing the lawn can improve mental well-being. Spending time in your yard getting fresh air, moving your body, and smelling freshly cut grass can help boost your mood (unless you have a grass allergy). If the yard chores are piling up and adding to your stress, hire a local LawnStarter pro to take care of them instead.

Main Photo Credit: Shutterstock