Today it seems there are lists for everything -- "Most Romantic Cities," "Pet Healthiest Cities" and even "America's Sweetest Cities."

While State College didn't make Purina's list, the town ranks 115 out of 117 small metropolitan areas on "America's Most and Least Stressful Cities" list, released last week.

State College Mayor Bill Welch, however, said he is skeptical of such surveys.

"It's nice to think that we are 115 out of 117, but if you are [a student] taking a heavy class load or have finals bearing down on you, then I don't think you care too much if the city you live in is No. 115," Welch said.

The survey was conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces, a demographic research firm in Portland, Ore. It was published in Money Magazine and ranked 331 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in three categories: small, mid-size and large regions.

The "Sperling Stress Index" used for the survey includes unemployment rate, commute time, violent crime, property crime, suicide rate, divorce rate, mental health, alcohol consumption and cloudy days.

"We found categories that were quantifiable and the most germane to the subject," said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's BestPlaces.

Sperling said the data is weighted; unemployment is the most significant stress indicator. Mental health, alcohol consumption and cloudy days were significantly less important than the other categories.

It's important to consider when people are surveyed in relation to the mental health component, said Mary Anne Knapp, clinical social worker and therapist at the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.

The data about mental health were gathered from people rating their own mental health in the last month.

"I think people use 'stress' more than they are comfortable saying 'mental health,' because fewer people are able to admit to having problems with mental health," Knapp said.

However, she said it's good they asked people directly because it adds a subjective piece to the data.

She added that other parts of the study might be subjective as well, making it less clear-cut.

Knapp said, for example, she commutes about 20 miles to campus, but her drive is probably less stressful than someone who lives right outside of Pittsburgh and works in the city.

Mel Fox (graduate-fuel science) said she thinks less vehicular traffic is a big factor for State College being less stressful.

"I like that the campus is pedestrian friendly," Fox said.

Of the top 100 cities listed on the large MSA list, the area of Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle tied with Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y., as the least stressful places.

Sperling said these two low-stress areas both contain state capitals, colleges and universities.

"Areas with institutions of higher learning have a very stable employment base. Recession can come and go, but they have a level of employment that doesn't go away or is susceptible to high swings," Sperling said.

Sperling said he thinks the presence of Penn State in Centre County is a major factor in its ranking.

"College towns are some of the best places to live overall; they have a vibrancy you can't find anywhere else or outside the ivy walls," Sperling said.

Welch said, "While stress is relative, the university inevitably equates to a different environment ... there's a reason why we call it Happy Valley."