Labor Day News

Texas ranks as 4th hardest working state in U.S., new study finds

Texas Capitol building, Texas flag, American flag

Texans are working harder than ever.

Photo by kel on Unsplash

It's no secret that Texans are hardworking people. Ahead of Labor Day, a new WalletHub study asserts that the Lone Star State is one of the five most hardworking states in America for 2025.

The report ranked Texas the fourth most hardworking state this year, indicating that its residents are working harder than ever after the state fell into seventh place in 2024. Texas previously ranked No. 4 in 2019 and 2020, slipped into No. 5 in 2021 and 2022, then continued falling into sixth place in 2023. But now the state is making its way back on top of the list.

WalletHub's analysts compared all 50 states based on "direct" and "indirect" work factors. The six "direct" work factors included each state's average workweek hours, employment rates, the share of households where no adults work, the share of workers leaving vacation time unused, and other data. The four "indirect" work factors consisted of workers' average commute times, the share of workers with multiple jobs, the annual volunteer hours per resident, and the average leisure time spent per day.

North Dakota landed on top as the most hardworking state in America for 2025 for another year in a row, earning a score of 66.17 points out of a possible 100. For comparison, Texas ranked No. 4 with 57.06 points. Alaska (No. 2), South Dakota (No. 3), and Hawaii (No. 5) round out the top five hardest working states.

Across the study's two main categories, Texas ranked No. 5 in the "direct" work factors ranking, and earned a respectable No. 18 rank for its "indirect" work factors.

Broken down further, Texans have the second-longest average workweek hours in America, and they have the 12th best average commute times. Texans have the 6th lowest amount of average leisure time spent per day, the report also found.

According to the study's findings, many Americans nationwide won't take the chance to not work as hard when presented with the opportunity. A 2024 Sorbet PTO report found 33 percent of Americans' paid time off was left unused in 2023.

"While leaving vacation time on the table may seem strange to some people, there are plenty of reasons why workers choose to do so," the report's author wrote. "Some fear that if they take time off they will look less dedicated to the job than other employees, risking a layoff. Others worry about falling behind on their work or are concerned that the normal workflow will not be able to function without them."

The top 10 hardest working states are:

No. 1 – North Dakota
No. 2 – Alaska
No. 3 – South Dakota
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – Hawaii
No. 6 – Virginia
No. 7 – New Hampshire
No. 8 – Wyoming
No. 9 – Maryland
No. 10 – Nebraska

texas wallethub reports

the golden years

Dallas rests easy on U.S. News' 2027 list of best big cities to retire

Cool Thursdays Concert Series at Dallas Arboretum

Photo courtesy of Dallas Arboretum

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Dallas is earning new acclaim on U.S. News and World Report's just-released list of the best U.S. cities for retirees in 2027.

The 2027 Best Places to Retire list evaluated over 850 U.S. cities based on six livability metrics that best serve American retirees: quality of life, affordability, health care, retiree taxes, job market, and population and migration. The top 250 finalist cities were then ranked nationally and by city size.

Midland, Michigan topped the list for the second consecutive year and is followed by Homosassa Springs, Florida (No. 2) and Weirton, West Virginia (No. 3).

Dallas ranked as the 21st best large U.S. city to retire for 2027, while neighboring Fort Worth ranked 7th nationally.

U.S. News said affordability is the "most considered factor" when it comes to picking the best place to live a low-stress retirement life, and that's what Dallas and its neighbors deliver. Affordable cities give retirees "a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years," according to Megan Wood, U.S. News assistant managing editor of home services and real estate.

"It’s no secret that affordability is top of mind for Americans this year, which is why U.S. News updated its weighting criteria to better align with what retirees prioritize," Wood said. "The 2027 rankings reflect key metrics used to highlight the places that
best suit retiree needs."

According to the city's profile on U.S. News, Dallas offers a lower cost of living compared to "similarly sized metro areas" and boasts a slightly lower home value compared to the national average.

"The national average home value is $359,870, while the median home value in Dallas is $354,396," the profile said.

Flower Mound is the only Dallas-Fort Worth city that appears among the overall top 50 best places to retire for 2027, ranking 43rd nationally. But it's a six-place drop from last year's ranking when the suburb last ranked 37th.

Eight more DFW cities ranked in the overall top 250:

No. 131 – McKinney
No. 174 – Allen
No. 190 – Little Elm
No. 203 – Frisco
No. 216 – North Richland Hills
No. 222 – Carrollton
No. 243 – Wylie
No. 246 – Plano

Elsewhere in Texas, Houston neighbors The Woodlands and Spring respectively maintained their standings as the No. 4 and No. 5 overall best cities for retirees for the second year in a row. The Woodlands topped the separate list of the best midsized U.S. cities to retire, while Spring landed 5th among the smallest U.S. cities.

These are the top 10 best large U.S. cities to retire for 2027:

No. 1 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 2 – Houston, Texas
No. 3 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
No. 4 – El Paso, Texas
No. 5 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 6 – Indianapolis, Indiana
No. 7 – Fort Worth, Texas
No. 8 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 9 – Albuquerque, New Mexico
No. 10 – Phoenix, Arizona

retirement best cities us news & world report fort worth dallas flower mound best retirement cities