The Hardest-Working Cities in America, Ranked

When it comes to work-life balance, America tends to tip the scales, favoring overtime over free time. The average U.S. employee clocks nearly 1,800 hours a year—far more than counterparts in Japan, the U.K., or Germany. In some cities, the grind goes even further, with residents working from dawn till dusk, moonlighting, and passing up PTO. To find out where the hardest-working Americans live, WalletHub analyzed 116 major cities across 11 metrics—from weekly work hours and employment rates to the percentage of residents who hold multiple jobs—revealing the places where the hustle never stops.

The Cities That Don’t Clock Out

Cheyenne, Wyoming, leads the pack when it comes to sheer dedication. Residents average over 40 hours per week and rank fifth nationally for holding multiple jobs, keeping them constantly on the grind. That commitment comes with a trade-off: Cheyenne locals have the third-least leisure time in the nation. Still, strong employment rates show that most adults are actively engaged in the workforce, proving that Cheyenne knows how to balance productivity with persistence.

Anchorage, Alaska follows, where nearly all working-age residents are employed, many logging more than 40 hours per week. Some juggle multiple jobs, leaving less time for leisure: in fact, people in Anchorage have the second-lowest daily leisure time of the 116 cities studied. Between long hours and high employment, it’s clear that Anchorage takes work seriously.

Washington, D.C., rounds out the top three, where hard work extends beyond the office. Residents work the fourth-most hours per week, and over 60% leave vacation time unused. Commuting averages 30 minutes, adding to long days, yet nearly one-third participate in local volunteer organizations, showing that hustle doesn’t stop at the paycheck. With low youth disconnection, most young adults are engaged in school or work, cementing D.C.’s reputation as a city of ambition and drive.

The Anatomy of a Hustle

With so many kinds of jobs—from construction work to coding—it might seem tricky to measure hard work. To make sense of it, WalletHub compared the cities across two dimensions: “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors”—basically, the numbers that show just how hard people hustle.

Direct Work Factors track the obvious stuff: how many hours people work each week, employment rates, unused vacation days, idle youth, and even how engaged workers are in their jobs. If a city scores high here, it means residents aren’t just at their desks: they’re on the grind.

Indirect Work Factors capture the extras that keep the workday long: commuting, holding multiple jobs, and community involvement, such as volunteering or joining local groups.

Put it all together, and you get a picture of cities where the hustle isn’t an exception, it’s the expectation.

Here’s a closer look at the top 10 cities and how they rank across the Direct and Indirect Work Factors: