on the clock

3 Dallas-area cities hustle as top 10 hardest-working places in U.S.

Dallasites are the fourth most hardworking Americans, the report said.

North Texas residents living in Irving, Dallas, and Arlington are truly some of the most industrious Americans in the country, according to a new WalletHub study ranking the "Hardest-Working Cities in America" in 2025.

Irving and Dallas land at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, and Arlington comes in at No. 10 out of the 116 U.S. cities included in the report.

Three more Dallas-Fort Worth cities also rank among the top 25: Plano (No. 13), Fort Worth (No. 16), and Garland (No. 21).

WalletHub evaluated each city based on 11 key indicators across "direct" and "indirect" work factors, such as an individual's average workweek hours, average commute times, employment rates, and more.

Anchorage, Alaska (No. 1) and Washington, D.C. (No. 2) were the only two U.S. cities that outperformed Irving and Dallas, and Cheyenne, Wyoming rounded out the top five.

The report's findings show Irving has the smallest share of households where no adults are employed – at just 12 percent – which is the lowest rate nationwide. The city also has the third-highest percentage of committed workers that are enthusiastic about their jobs. That's a huge plus for the local community because it means residents are happy with their careers and their employers.

"Hard work is the backbone of America’s economy and a big reason why the country has become so successful, as Americans outwork people in many other developed economies," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

In 2024, Texas proved its tenacity on WalletHub's top 10 list of the most hardworking states in America.

The nearby techy Dallas suburb of Frisco has also shown its diligence as the No. 1 hotspot for remote workers in the U.S.

But being a hard working American can have its downsides, such as less time at home with families and less time for winding down after a long day. Irving workers know that feeling all too well, according to the study.

"One consequence of Irving residents’ hard work is the fact that they have a much lower amount of leisure time compared to people in most cities, the sixth-least in the nation," the report says. "While Irving workers should be applauded for their dedication, it’s also important to avoid overwork and take some time to relax."

Between 40 and 64 percent of Americans don't use all of their allotted vacation time, Lupo added, which can negatively affect an individual's mental and physical health.

Other industrious cities in Texas
Austin also worked its way into WalletHub's top 10 list of the most hardworking American cities, landing in the No. 6 spot.

Six additional Texas cities that earned spots in the report include Corpus Christi (No. 14), Laredo (No. 15), Houston (No. 28), Lubbock (No. 38), El Paso (No. 39), and San Antonio (No. 47).

The top 10 most hardworking cities in America for 2025 are:

No. 1 – Anchorage, Alaska
No. 2 – Washington, D.C.
No. 3 – Irving, Texas
No. 4 – Dallas, Texas
No. 5 – Cheyenne, Wyoming
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – Denver, Colorado
No. 8 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
No. 9 – San Francisco, California
No. 10 – Arlington, Texas

dallas irving wallethub rankings reports

less money, more problems

Making $100K in Dallas in 2025 doesn't stretch as far as it used to

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

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Dallas' increasing cost of living means making six figures isn't going as far as it used to, according to a just-released income study by personal finance website SmartAsset.

An annual $100,000 salary in Dallas is worth only $77,197 after taxes and when adjusted for the city's cost of living, the annual report revealed. That's nearly $900 less than what six-figure-earning Dallasites were bringing home in 2024.

North Texans living in Plano are taking home even less: The study says a Plano resident's six-figure salary is only worth $71,372 in 2025.

In the report's rankings of U.S. cities where $100,000 is worth the least, Plano ranked at No. 26, while Dallas ranked 38th.

Manhattan, New York is the No. 1 place where a six-figure salary is worth the least, where a New Yorker's take-home pay is only worth $30,362 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living.

The report warns a six-figure salary may seem comfortable at first, but it may not stretch as far depending on where an individual lives, any applicable tax obligations, and the rate of inflation.

"Earning $100,000 places an individual tax filer at the upper limit of the 22 percent federal tax bracket," the report's author wrote. "But taxes aren’t the only factor. The cost of living varies widely across the country, affecting how much purchasing power remains after necessary expenses."

Cities a $100,000 salary goes the furthest
The U.S. city where a six-figure salary goes the furthest is Oklahoma City, where residents come away with $89,989 after all expenses.

Despite a six-figure salary not stretching very far in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas cities actually dominated the top 10 list of U.S. cities where a $100,000 is worth the most. Texas doesn't impose state or local income taxes, which likely boosted its statewide six-figure salary value.

Six-figure earners living in El Paso see the greatest amount in take-home pay statewide, according to SmartAsset, with residents making $89,114 annually after taxes and expenses in 2025. That's $274 more than 2024's take-home pay.

The four other Texas cities where a $100,000 salary goes the furthest after taxes and expenses are:

No. 3 – Corpus Christi ($88,015)
No. 6 – Lubbock ($86,846)
No. 7 – San Antonio ($86,084)
No. 9 – Houston ($83,343)

SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to apply federal, state and local taxes to an annual salary of $100,000 in 69 of the largest American cities, which was then adjusted for the local cost of living (which included average costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services).

smartasset study finance salaries six figures

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