#1 Western Suburb for Mental Wellbeing in the US

Today is World Mental Health Day and a new study has identified a western suburb as the optimal environment for mental well-being.

LawnStarter researchers compared more than 190 US cities and ranked Naperville as the top 2022 cities for mental wellbeing.

The cities were rated on 33 metrics such as mental, social, physical, environmental and financial, including factors such as access to therapists, mediation classes, average sleep levels, cost of living and friendliness of urban gardening.

Naperville was first overall and first in financial wellness.

Researchers say his ranking was boosted by the fact that there is a small proportion of adults with poor mental health and a low divorce rate.

The suburb also ranked first for lowest crime, fourth for most therapists per 100,000 population, and third for highest rate of health insurance coverage.

Chicago landed 86th on the list, and researchers said it has higher rates of binge drinking, drug overdoses and long working hours compared to high-ranking suburban populations.

Two other Illinois cities also made the list, with Joliet at #98 and Rockford at #159.

Experts say accessing psychological counseling is difficult when there aren’t therapists in your area, but add that there are plenty of online options.

They also suggest trying mindfulness meditation to relieve stress, anxiety, or depression.

Strolling through a romantic garden or taking time to cook can also promote mental well-being.

Experts also recommend volunteering, learning or experiencing something new, or being active.

The Cities Rounding Out the Top 5 Best Cities for Mental Wellbeing Pasadena, CA is second behind Naperville, Seattle is third, Fremont, CA is fourth and San Francisco is fifth.

The bottom five cities are Killen, TX, Jackson, MS, Kansas City, KS, Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI.

Here’s a look at the top 10 best cities for mental wellbeing:

1. Naperville
2. Pasadena, CA
3. Seattle, WA
4. Fremont, CA
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Bellevue, Washington
7. Alexandria, Va
8. Irvine, CA
9. Fort Collins, CO
10. Santa Rosa, CA