Workin’ it

This Dallas neighbor clocks in as one of hardest-working U.S. cities

This is the fifth-hardest-working city in the U.S.

Photo courtesy of Visit Irving

A number of giant employers — including ExxonMobil, Fluor, Kimberly-Clark, Michaels, and NEC Corp. of America — call Irving home. Irving appears to be a giant when it comes to hard-working people, too.

A study released February 22 by personal finance website WalletHub ranks Irving the fifth-hardest-working city in the U.S. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows nearly three-fourths of Irving residents 16 and over are in the workforce; their average daily commute lasts 24 minutes. Around 240,000 people live in Irving.

Other Dallas-Fort Worth cities in the top 20 are Plano (No. 11), Dallas (No. 13), Fort Worth (No. 16), Garland (No. 18), and Arlington (No. 20). Other Texas cities in the top 20 are Austin (No. 7) and Corpus Christi (No. 9).

Anchorage, Alaska, tops the list.

To determine which cities outwork the rest of the U.S., WalletHub compared the 116 largest cities across 11 key metrics. Those metrics include average hours worked per week, employment rate, average commute time, and share of workers with multiple jobs.

The MetroTex Association of Realtors must have gotten the memo about Irving’s status as a hard-working city. The group plans to relocate from Dallas to new headquarters it plans to build in Irving.

In a similar move, Neighborly, the world’s largest franchisor of home service brands (such as Molly Maid and Mr. Handyman), said in October that it planned to open a second headquarters in Irving this year. By 2026, Neighborly plans to employ more than 200 people in Irving.

“Irving’s connectivity and accessibility to world-class talent make our community a top contender for business and were key factors in Neighborly’s real estate decision,” Beth Bowman, president and CEO of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and the Irving Economic Development Partnership, said in a release.

It's not surprising that Austin also secured a top-10 spot on the list. The Capitol City has become a magnet for relocation of technology companies and high-profile businesses like Tesla.

rankings lists wallethub

Homeless News

Downtown Dallas homeless service Stewpot lands bigger better space

The Stewpot

It's official: The Stewpot, a community program that serves the homeless, has a new home. According to a release, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas — the organization that oversees the Stewpot — has acquired the CitySquare Community Center building at 1610 S. Malcolm X Blvd. where the StewPot will soon reside.

“This new facility will allow us to better deliver our programs and continue to support the 12,000 people served annually by CitySquare’s Neighbor Resource Center and Food Pantry programs,” said Brenda Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot.

The Stewpot is a community ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Established in 1975, it began with a concerned group of church members who started preparing lunch for the congregation's homeless and hungry neighbors.

It serves those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Its programs have tripled in size in recent years, and the ministry has outgrown its current space at 1835 Young St. across from the church.

When CitySquare announced earlier this year that it would cease operations and sell its property by the end of the year, First Presbyterian leaped in to make a bid on the space. Members voted on Sunday, December 8 to approve the acquisition. The closing is scheduled for Friday, December 13. The Stewpot will begin moving into the new space later this month.

As a part of the acquisition, The Stewpot will continue two of CitySquare’s core programs: its Food Pantry and its Neighbor Resource Center, which helps people with housing options, SNAP, WIC, healthcare, financial assistance, and mental health services.

The property is a mile from The Stewpot’s current facility on Young Street, across the street from the church. With this acquisition, The Stewpot will move its operations and offices, while continuing to serve more than 1,000 meals daily at The Bridge downtown.

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