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By Joe Edwards
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A newly released report from personal finance website WalletHub has revealed the hardest-working cities in America.
What To Know
WalletHub ranked Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the hardest‑working city in the U.S., citing its nation‑leading average workweek of 40.7 hours and a high share of residents holding multiple jobs. The report also notes that Cheyenne has the third‑lowest amount of daily leisure time and ranks in the top half of cities for employment levels.
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Anchorage, Alaska, placed second. According to WalletHub, it is one of the few places where the average workweek exceeds 40 hours, and it has an employment rate above 96 percent. The city also reports a relatively high share of people working multiple jobs and the second‑lowest average leisure time among the cities examined.
Washington, D.C., ranked third, driven in part by having the largest proportion of workers who leave vacation time unused. District residents also work the fourth most hours per week on average and face longer commutes. WalletHub adds that many residents volunteer outside of work and the area has one of the lowest rates of disconnected youth nationwide.
According to WalletHub, the top 10 cities overall were:
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Washington, D.C.
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Irving, Texas
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Dallas
- San Francisco
- Denver
- Austin, Texas
Conversely, WalletHub said the bottom-ranked cities were Burlington (Vermont), Detroit, Buffalo (New York), Newark (New Jersey), and Toledo (Ohio).
How It Was Calculated
WalletHub evaluated 116 of the nation’s most populated cities to determine where Americans work the hardest, using two broad categories: direct work factors and indirect work factors.
The analysis drew on 11 weighted metrics, each scored on a 100‑point scale, with higher scores reflecting more intensive work habits. Some measures were only available at the state level. Researchers calculated a weighted average for each city to produce an overall score and rank.
The study included at least one city from every state and assessed cities strictly within their municipal boundaries, excluding surrounding metropolitan areas.
What People Are Saying
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report: “Hard work is the backbone of America’s economy and a big reason why the country has become so successful, as Americans outwork people in many other developed economies. In addition, between 40 percent and 64 percent of Americans leave at least some of their allotted vacation time on the table, depending on the city.
“While working long hours, minimizing time off, and having side jobs all lead to increased productivity, they can also have negative effects on people’s physical and mental health. It’s important for people to figure out how to work hard without overworking.”
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