Cheyenne, Wyoming Ranked as Hardest Working City in the US

New WalletHub study finds Americans work longer hours than other industrialized nations

Mar. 3, 2026 at 6:15am

According to a new study from WalletHub, the average U.S. employee logs more hours working per year than workers in several other industrialized nations, with the typical American putting in 1,796 hours annually - 179 more than in Japan, 284 more than in the U.K., and 465 more than in Germany. The study looked at key metrics like average work week hours, employment rates, and vacation time used to determine the hardest working cities in the country, with Cheyenne, Wyoming taking the top spot.

Why it matters

The findings highlight the strong work ethic of many Americans, who on average put in significantly more hours on the job compared to their counterparts in other developed economies. This data provides insight into the cultural and economic factors that drive longer work hours in the U.S. and could have implications for workforce productivity, work-life balance, and policy discussions around labor standards.

The details

To determine the hardest working cities, WalletHub analyzed metrics such as average work week hours, employment rates, and amount of vacation time used. Cheyenne, Wyoming topped the list with the highest average work week length at 40.7 hours. Anchorage, Alaska and Washington, D.C. rounded out the top 3 hardest working cities. On the other end, Burlington, Vermont, Detroit, Michigan, and Buffalo, New York were ranked as the least hard-working cities.

  • The average U.S. employee logs 1,796 hours per year, which is 179 more than in Japan, 284 more than in the U.K., and 465 more than in Germany.

The players

WalletHub

A personal finance website that conducted the study on the hardest working cities in the U.S.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

The city ranked as the hardest working in the U.S. according to the WalletHub study, with the highest average work week length of 40.7 hours.

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The takeaway

This study underscores the strong work ethic and long hours put in by many Americans, which could have both positive and negative implications for productivity, work-life balance, and labor policy. It provides a data-driven snapshot of which U.S. cities exemplify this hard-working culture the most.