Some people feel better during the stress-filled holidays than others, and part of that feeling of well being can be attributed to being able to stick to a reasonable budget, says WalletHub.com, an educational and research source on the economy and consumers.

It helps to live in an area where it is easier to make ends meet and where the environment is budget-friendly. To find out where these areas are and where people manage their money the best, WalletHub rated 150 cities in the United States on 12 economic and financial livability criteria.

Factors taken into consideration include credit scores, home ownership rates, foreclosure rates, the availability of affordable housing, median household incomes, average commuting time and ranking on the Gallup Well-Being Index, which includes the healthiness of the population. Following are the cities in reverse order where financial stress probably is lower and a few reasons why each ranked well.

No. 10

Austin, Texas

Austin ranked third for lowest foreclosure rates and fifth on the Gallup Wellbeing Index.

 

No. 9

Peoria, Ariz.

Peoria ranked fifth for home ownership rates and near the top for affordability.

 

No. 8

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln ranked near the top for affordability and fourth for foreclosure rates.

 

No. 7

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Scottsdale ranked third for highest median income and ranked well on both affordability and livability.

 

No. 6

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sioux Falls ranked well for affordability and livability and was third for the highest average credit scores.

 

No. 5

Overland Park, Kan.

Overland Park ranked fifth for average median income and fourth for affordability.

 

No. 4

Chandler, Ariz.

Chandler ranked second for median household income.

 

No. 3

Plano, Texas

Plano ranked second for median household income and second for affordability.

 

No. 2

Freemont, Calif.

Freemont ranked near the top for both affordability and livability.

 

No. 1

Gilbert, Ariz.

Gilbert was number one for highest median income and number four for homeownership rates.