This map, via Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao, shows the U.S. states that work the hardest, as scored out of 100 by a Wallethub study conducted in July 2024.

Naturally trying to measure and compare “hard-work” requires a little bit of data analysis.

Here’s what Wallethub did. First they analyzed all states on 10 indicators and assigned them different weights.

These indicators are then divided into two categories. The main one, “Direct Work” contributes 80 points to the total score.

Meanwhile, “Indirect Work” indicators help the state achieve the last 20 points.

Clearly, states that score better on higher-weighted indicators end up with a higher overall score, as seen below.

Wallethub states North Dakota is the hardest-working American state, giving it a rounded score of 67/100. The state’s 98% employment rate helped in securing first place.

Overall RankStateState CodeTotal Score1North DakotaND672AlaskaAK643NebraskaNE604WyomingWY605South DakotaSD606MarylandMD587TexasTX578ColoradoCO559New HampshireNH5410KansasKS5311VirginiaVA5212OklahomaOK5213GeorgiaGA5214HawaiiHI5115TennesseeTN4916MississippiMS4917IowaIA4818AlabamaAL4719LouisianaLA4720MissouriMO4621MinnesotaMN4622MaineME4623North CarolinaNC4524IndianaIN4525MontanaMT4426South CarolinaSC4427IdahoID4428UtahUT4429ArkansasAR4330FloridaFL4331VermontVT4332ArizonaAZ4133WisconsinWI4134PennsylvaniaPA4035WashingtonWA4036DelawareDE4037KentuckyKY4038MassachusettsMA3939CaliforniaCA3840IllinoisIL3841OregonOR3842OhioOH3743New JerseyNJ3744Rhode IslandRI3745NevadaNV3746ConnecticutCT3747New MexicoNM3548MichiganMI3449New YorkNY3450West VirginiaWV32

Note: Figures rounded.

Meanwhile, Alaska ranks second with 64 points, due to its average workweek crossing 41 hours. It’s the only state in the study which crossed the standard 40-hour metric.

And Nebraska comes in third with 60 points. Wallethub states that more than 7% of its workforce has multiple jobs, the third-highest of all states.

A quick overview of the map reveals that the strip of states in the center of the country are the hardest-working, with scores falling as one moves east and west respectively. Interestingly this is also America’s farming country, a demanding sector that requires long hours.

Another interesting phenomenon is how Alaska and North Dakota have high direct work ranks but are bottom of the pack for indirect work.

Overall RankStateDirect Work
Factors RankIndirect Work
Factors Rank1North Dakota1412Alaska2343Nebraska554Wyoming625South Dakota3266Maryland747Texas4318Colorado979New Hampshire12910Kansas102511Virginia161212Oklahoma84413Georgia113214Hawaii142915Tennessee153616Mississippi134617Iowa182418Alabama174819Louisiana193820Missouri242021Minnesota26822Maine33123North Carolina233024Indiana252825Montana272226South Carolina214227Idaho30628Utah35329Arkansas205030Florida224731Vermont311432Arizona283933Wisconsin294034Pennsylvania361635Washington391336Delaware323737Kentucky343538Massachusetts401539California372740Illinois421941Oregon461042Ohio432143New Jersey451744Rhode Island442345Nevada384346Connecticut491147New Mexico414548Michigan483349New York501850West Virginia4749

However, Nebraska performs equally well in both categories. The Cornhusker state has a low share of idle-youth, and has the fifth-highest volunteer hours per capita in the country.

Interestingly, many of America’s hardest-working states have much lower cost of living requirements. See how the data shakes out in The Income an Individual Needs to Live Comfortably in the States.