Hardest-Working Cities in America

Many Americans see hard work as the key to achieving the American Dream. In fact, we work so much that the average U.S. employee logs more hours on the job than workers in several other industrialized nations. The typical American puts in 1,796 hours per year – 179 more than in Japan, 284 more than in the U.K., and 465 more than in Germany. In recent years, the rise of remote work has, in some cases, extended work hours even further.

Some U.S. cities exemplify the strong work ethic that has helped build the world’s largest economy better than others. To identify which cities work the hardest, WalletHub analyzed the 116 largest cities using 11 key metrics. Our dataset includes factors ranging from the employment rate to average weekly work hours to the share of workers with multiple jobs.

“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% and 64% 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.”
Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

In-Depth Look at the Hardest-Working Cities

Cheyenne, WY

Cheyenne, WY, has the most hardworking residents in the country, in large part because it  ranks highest for average workweek length, with employees averaging 40.7 hours per week. In addition, Cheyenne also has the fifth-highest share of workers holding multiple jobs.

One consequence of Cheyenne residents’ hard work is the fact that they have a much lower amount of leisure time compared to people in most cities, the third-least in the nation. While Cheyenne workers should be applauded for their dedication, it’s also important to avoid overwork and take some time to relax.

Finally, Cheyenne ranks in the top half of cities for employment rates, which means a large proportion of the population is actively engaged in the labor force.

Anchorage, AK

Anchorage, AK, residents are the second-hardest workers in the country, due largely to the fact that it’s one of only four states where the average person works more than 40 hours per week. Anchorage also has a high employment rate, at over 96%, so almost all working-age residents are busy with a job – or even multiple jobs. In fact, 6.4% of workers have multiple jobs, placing the city among the top 25 of our sample.

To top things off, the average amount of leisure time that Anchorage residents have in a day ranks as the second-lowest among the 116 cities in our study.

Washington, D.C.

Our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., is the third-most hardworking city, in part because it has the highest share of workers who leave vacation time unused, at 64%. Residents of D.C. also work the fourth-most hours per week on average.

People in D.C. are willing to take relatively long commutes to work, at 30 minutes on average, which adds on to their workday. And outside of work, nearly 31% of the District’s residents are members of local volunteer groups or organizations, places where they put in time without being paid.

In addition, D.C. has the eighth-lowest percentage of disconnected youth in the country. Disconnected youth are people ages 16-24 who are neither in school nor working.

Employment Rate Over Time

Note: Each state is colored based on the employment rate of its largest city. 

Methodology

In order to determine where the hardest-working Americans live, WalletHub compared 116 of the most populated cities across two key dimensions, “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 11 key metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the “hardest-working.” Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. For our sample, we ensured that at least one city from each of the 50 states was represented. Each city refers to the city proper and excludes the surrounding metro area.