WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND

San Antonio named Texas’ least hardworking city in 2026 report

San Antonians aren't buying into hustle culture.

Photo by Annie Spratt/ Unsplash

A new study ranking the hardest-working cities in America has ranked San Antonio dead last in Texas, and No. 61 nationwide.

WalletHub's annual "Hardest-Working Cities in America (2026)" report 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.

San Antonio previously ranked as the 47th most hardworking American city in 2025; now it's not even among the top 50.

The U.S. cities that comprised the top five this year include Cheyenne, Wyoming (No. 1); Anchorage, Alaska (No. 2); Washington, D.C. (No. 2); Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 4); and Irving, Texas (No. 5). Dallas and Austin also earned a spot among the top 10, landing as No. 7 and No. 10, respectively.

Based on the report's findings, San Antonio has the No. 41-best "direct work factors" ranking 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).

However, San Antonio lagged behind in the "indirect work factors" ranking, landing at No. 98 out of all 116 cities in the report. "Indirect" work factors include residents' average commute times, the share of workers with multiple jobs, the number of residents participating in local groups or organizations, annual volunteer hours, and average leisure time spent per day.

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."

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 Fort Worth (No. 13), Corpus Christi (No. 14), Arlington (No. 15), Plano (No. 17), Laredo (No. 22), Garland (No. 24), Houston (No. 37), El Paso (No. 43), and Lubbock (No. 46).

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.

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Nextdoor says these are San Antonio's friendliest neighborhoods

Two senior military veterans walking and talking in front of suburban home

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Want to live somewhere in San Antonio where neighbors actually know your name? Nextdoor crunched the data and found Heritage, Mission Del Lago, and Northwest Crossing are the friendliest corners of the city.

The neighborhood social app compiled the list by assessing various posts and responses. How often were people welcoming to new residents? Were local businesses regularly recommended? And, yes, how positive or negative the general tone was to a majority of posts.

That last one probably has at least a few people regretting harsh words about grass height, but worry not. The entire list is graded on a curve, with the top neighborhood getting a score of 100 and the rest ranked in relation to it.

"When people are considering where to live in San Antonio, they want to know more than just the statistics — they want to understand what it's really like to be part of that community," says Kelsey Grady, Chief Communications Officer at Nextdoor, via a release. "Nextdoor is uniquely positioned to analyze neighborhoods based on real neighbor interactions to shed light on traits that make communities truly thrive.”

Heritage, a large residential area on the West Side squeezed between Marbach and Potranco Roads, was the benchmark, followed closely by the master-planned Mission Del Lago community on the South Side and Northwest Crossing bordering Leon Valley. All ranked high in what seem to be the primary attributes of general neighborhood friendliness: quiet, walkable streets with dog-friendly neighbors and amenities.

A quick glance at the Heritage posts in Nextdoor does show a lot of folks talking about the nice weather, helping each other locate lost pets, and a few free/trade posts, in addition to the usual rants about porch pirates and loud kids you see in every Nextdoor neighborhood post.

The three lowest ranking on the list of twenty were North Central, Five Palms near Lackland Air Force Base, and Redbird Ranch, which spans both Bexar and Medina Counties. It's worth mentioning, though, that even these neighborhoods scored above 90 percent in the Nextdoor friendliness measurement. Older, central areas like Tobin Hill, Olmos Park, and King William were not mentioned in the ranking.

Here are the top 10 friendliest neighborhoods in San Antonio:

No. 1 — Heritage
No. 2 — Mission Del Lago
No. 3 — Northwest Crossing
No. 4 — Villages Of Westcreek
No. 5 — Timberwood Park
No. 6 — Dellview
No. 7 — Collins Gardens
No. 8 — Lorence Creek
No. 9 — Highland Park
No. 10 — Bridgewood

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Nextdoor says these are San Antonio's friendliest neighborhoods