Dallas and neighboring Irving are proving their tenacity as some of the hardest-working American cities, so says a new study.
WalletHub's annual "Hardest-Working Cities in America (2026)" report ranked the two North Texas cities among the top 10 for 2026. Irving ranked No. 5 nationally, while Dallas came in seventh. Last year, the two cities claimed third and fourth place, respectively.
The personal finance website evaluated 116 U.S. cities 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.
The U.S. cities that rounded out the top five include Cheyenne, Wyoming (No. 1); Anchorage, Alaska (No. 2); Washington, D.C. (No. 2); and Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 4).
Based on the report's findings, Irving and Dallas have the third- and fifth-best "direct work factors" ranks in the nation, which analyzed residents' average workweek hours, employment rates, the share of households where no adults work, the share of workers leaving vacation time unused, the share of "engaged" workers, and the rate of "idle youth" (residents aged 16-24 that are not in school nor have a job).
"Irving, Texas, has the lowest share of households where no adults work, which is 3.6 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest," the report said.
Irving has also emerged as a popular destination for millennials, which make up about a third of the city's total population and a significant chunk of the workforce.
However, both cities lagged behind in the "indirect work factors" ranking. Irving ranked No. 72 in this category, while Dallas ranked 64th. "Indirect" work factors that were considered include residents' average commute times, the share of workers with multiple jobs, the share of residents who participate in local groups or organizations, annual volunteer hours, and residents' average leisure time spent per day.
Arlington, which ranked as the 10th hardest-working city in 2025, dropped five spots and now ranks 15th for 2026. Three more North Texas cities also appeared among the top 25 for 2026: Fort Worth (No. 13), Plano (No. 17), and Garland (No. 24).
Based on data from The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), WalletHub said the average American employee works hundreds of more hours than workers residing in "several other industrialized nations."
"The typical American puts in 1,796 hours per year – 179 more than in Japan, 284 more than in the U.K., and 465 more than in Germany," the report's author wrote. "In recent years, the rise of remote work has, in some cases, extended work hours even further."
Remote work flexibility is extremely prevalent in other Dallas-Fort Worth cities like Frisco and McKinney, which have the top-10 highest rates of remote workers in the nation in 2026.
WalletHub also tracked the nation's lowest and highest employment rates based on the largest city in each state from 2009 to 2024.
Other Texas cities that earned spots on the list include Austin (No. 10), Corpus Christi (No. 14), Laredo (No. 22), Houston (No. 37), El Paso (No. 43), Lubbock (No. 46), and San Antonio (No. 61).
The top 10 hardest working cities in America are:
- No. 1 – Cheyenne, Wyoming
- No. 2 – Anchorage, Alaska
- No. 3 – Washington, D.C.
- No. 4 – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- No. 5 – Irving
- No. 6 – Nashville
- No. 7 – Dallas
- No. 8 – San Francisco
- No. 9 – Denver
- No. 10 – Austin
Data for this study was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Travel Association, Gallup, Social Science Research Council, and the Corporation for National & Community Service as of January 29, 2026.
