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

Settling Down

Dallas named one of the 50 best places to retire in the U.S. in 2026

Visit Dallas/Facebook

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Dallasites getting ready to give up the daily grind are already living in the right place for their next chapter in life. Dallas has just been named the third-best city to retire in Texas, and it lands as the 50th best city in the U.S. for retirement living, according to a new WalletHub report.

The study examined 182 U.S. cities and ranked them based on 45 "retirement-friendly" livability metrics across four categories: affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Florida dominated the top 10, with Orlando, Miami, and Tampa locking in the top three spots and Fort Lauderdale ranking eighth on the list.

Dallas fared best in the categories for "activities" and "affordability," respectively ranking 39th and 69th. The activities category analyzed attractions and entertainment venues for seniors, like the number of per capita museums, theaters, book clubs, senior centers, and bingo halls; whereas the affordability rank encompassed the local cost of living, taxpayer-friendliness, the costs for in-home services, and other factors.

Costs were a significant factor in the rankings, as many retirees live on a fixed income. Finances and affordability also play a huge part in determining where to live once it's time to put up those work boots, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

"As a result, the best cities for retired people are those that minimize taxes and expenses, as well as have good opportunities for retirees to continue paid work for extra income, if they choose to do so," he said. "In addition, the top cities provide high-quality health care and offer plenty of enjoyable activities for retirees."

Dallas fell behind in the "quality of life" (No. 119) and "health care" (No. 130) rankings, but it wasn't enough to tank the city's overall performance.

In fact, Dallas is the Metroplex's No. 1 city for retirees, with six more DFW neighbors earning spots on the list:

No. 75 – Plano
No. 78 – Fort Worth
No. 91 – Grand Prairie
No. 101 – Garland
No. 107 – Irving
No. 124 – Arlington

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin topped the list as the No. 1 best place to retire statewide, and it ranked No. 23 nationwide. San Antonio claimed the No. 2 spot statewide and was the only other Texas city to rank among the national top 50.

wallethub reports retirement dallas city life rankings