The official list of the country's most stressful cities has just dropped courtesy of the analyst geeks over at Sperling’s Best Places, with it some grim news that things such as divorce rate, commute times, unemployment, violent crime, property crime, suicides, and the the number of cloudy days per year all contribute to the happiness (or, in this case, unhappiness) factor. (Especially in Florida, which counts three of the five biggest stress cases.) That's not to say there isn't calming real estate to be found therein. Take the Detroit metropolitan area, coming in No. 5 on the list. It ranks in the 100th percentile for violent crime and property crime, and in the 97th percentile for poor mental health days a month. Probably pretty difficult to think about that in this 1914 brick Colonial in the city's tony Indian Village neighborhood. Designed by architects Alpheus W. Chittenden and Charles Kotting, the seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home has 9,600 square feet of pleasing, if traditional, interiors, including a lovely little sunroom that's begging for a catnap. This slice of R&R is asking $499K.
? Coming in at No. 4 is Jacksonville, Fla., which hovers at a 10.4 percent unemployment rate and has 139 cloudy days a year. This 8,800-square-foot mansion, built in 1987, may be over the top in many, many, many ways—check out the living room and that opulent master bath—but among its many soothing features are an indoor/outdoor pool, an impressive porch overlooking the river, and five fireplaces. Ask? $6.9M.
? Sure, Miami Beach is known for its glitzy nightclubs and throngs of beautiful people, but the area also has an 11.5 percent divorce rate and 733.3 violent crimes per every 100,000 people. Overlooking it all: this "traditional Thai home in the sky," an ultra-posh penthouse in the Setai Resort and Residences. The unit, which belongs to Netscape co-founder Jim Clark, is basically a 6,200-square-foot glass box with a rooftop terrace, a private pool, and of course, ocean views from it all. Sounds relaxing, save for the $27M ask.
? It's probably no surprise that Las Vegas hits the list at No. 2, even though it has the fewest cloudy days per year of any of the cities analyzed. Which is probably why this four-bedroom, 5,400-square-foot listing only has exterior photos and no indication whatsover about what's happening inside. Regardless, enough said: the fenced-in property has riding paths, fountains, pretty landscaping, and a pool. The price for zoning out in the City of Sin? $5.25M.
? Last, but certainly not least, is Tampa, Fla., which takes the crown as the country's most stressful city: its average commute time is about a half an hour, its unemployment is 11.2 percent, and it has a divorce rate of 12.3 percent. Sited on 165 feet of open bay, this five-bedroom house is a respite from it all, with water views from many of the rooms and a pool and gazebo out back. It's asking $3.99M.
· Most Stressful Cities [CNBC]
· 1750 Iroquois Street, Detroit, Mich. [Realtor.com]
· 1235 Terrace Oaks Lane, Jacksonville, Fla. [Trulia]
· The Glassy South Beach Penthouse of Netscape's Co-Founder [Curbed National]
· 5795 S. Lamb Blvd., Las Vegas [Realtor.com]
· 50 Lagoda Ave., Tampa, Fla. [Realtor.com]
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