For the ranking, published Feb. 25, the personal finance website compared 116 of the most populated cities across two dimensions: direct work factors and indirect work factors.
WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 11 metrics, ranging from average workweek hours to average leisure time spent per day.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the “hardest-working.” WalletHub then calculated each city’s overall score using the city’s weighted average across all metrics. More information about the methodology is available here.
Note: Data for some metrics were available only at the state level. At least one city from each state was represented in WalletHub’s sample for the analysis.
The most hard-working cities, per the analysis:
1. Anchorage, Alaska — 80.15
2. Washington, D.C. — 77.94
3. Irving, Texas — 76.82
4. Dallas — 75.55
5. Cheyenne, Wyo. — 75.50
6. Austin, Texas — 74.69
7. Denver — 74.25
8. Virginia Beach, Va. — 73.71
9. San Francisco — 73.65
10. Arlington, Texas — 73.19
The least hard-working cities, per the analysis:
1. Burlington, Vt. — 34.48
2. Detroit — 40.73
3. Buffalo, N.Y. — 40.82
4. Newark, N.J. — 44.13
5. Bridgeport, Conn. — 48.28
6. Toledo, Ohio — 48.36
7. Cleveland — 49.63
8. Providence, R.I. — 49.96
9. Fresno, Calif. — 50.28
10. Columbia, S.C. — 50.55