These Are the Most (and Least) Hardworking Cities in the U.S.

One of the best things about living in the United States is how different each city truly is. Some parts of the country prefer deep dish pizza to traditional, some feature major cities while others offer country living, and some work significantly harder than others. There’s no shame in either approach -- some people are all about getting this bread, while others are focused on working smart, not hard. There’s value in both approaches, and we promise not to tell your boss which you favor.

A recent study from WalletHub, released on Monday ranks the biggest cities across the country from most to least hardworking, complete with a map to really drive the point home… and prevent you from having to work any harder to figure out where your city falls on the list. Perhaps the most surprising finding in this study is that the cities you may associate most with hustle and bustle, like New York and Los Angeles, didn’t even make the top 10.

1. Anchorage, Alaska
2. San Francisco, California
3. Irving, Texas
4. Virginia Beach, Virginia
5. Plano, Texas
6. Denver, Colorado
7. Aurora, Colorado
8. Austin, Texas
9. Cheyenne, Wyoming
10. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Burlington, Vermont
3. Buffalo, New York
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Newark, New Jersey
6. Columbia, South Carolina
7. Providence, Rhode Island
8. Bridgeport, Connecticut
9. Fresno, California
10. Toledo, Ohio

Anchorage, Alaska took the ranking’s top spot, with the most hours spent working and fewest enjoying… well, all that Alaska has to offer in terms of leisure. That’s definitely a bummer, but hey, at least you’re number one, Anchorage. Meanwhile, the rest of the top five literally spanned the continent with San Francisco taking second place, followed by Irving, Texas; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Plano, Texas.

WalletHub compared the 116 biggest cities in the US, comparing employment rates, average weekly work hours to share of workers with multiple jobs, and more important metrics. Each city was compared based on two key factors: Direct Work Factors and Indirect Work Factors. Those categories were broken into several weighted metrics, and graded on a 100-point scale before being added up into overall scores. Direct Work Factors include things like Average Workweek Hours and Employment Rates. Indirect Work Factors, on the other hand, include things like Share of Workers with Multiple Jobs and Average Leisure Time Spent per Day.

The study also found that the average worker in the US puts in 1,780 hours a year. That’s about 70 hours more than the averages in Japan, 266 more than the UK, and 424 more than Germany. So while you’re city may not have been the most hardworking, your long hours and dedication to all your projects didn’t go unnoticed. You can take some solace in knowing that you’re working at least a little harder than most.

If your city landed in the top of these rankings, perhaps consider taking a break. If you landed in the bottom, maybe it’s time to start pushing yourself a little more at work or consider taking your lax attitude to one of these cities.