Portland, Maine Named One of America’s Hardest-Working Cities

We here in Portland and across Maine pride ourselves on having a good, strong New England work ethic.

We are the kind of people who can face down any issues, continue to be productive, and make society a better place.

While it's easy to claim this (especially coming from someone who lives here), there is a brand-new report that also backs up Portland's hardworking reputation.

Getty Images

Wallethub.com, a popular personal finance website, has published its new study on the hardest-working American cities. Not only can Portland be found near the top, but it's also the third hardest-working city in New England.

How Hard-Working is Portland, Maine, Compare to Other Cities?

Portland ranks as the 30th hardest-working city in America. That's out of a list of 116 cities that were included in Wallethub's survey. I would have to say that's a very reputable ranking for Portland, considering it's nearly in the top 25th percentile.

Portland scored a 68.41 out of a possible 100 points. The scoring system is based on two major categories: Direct Work Factors and Indirect Work Factors. These categories are further broken down into 11 subcategories to provide as much detail as possible. You can read more about the methodology here.

Portland finished with a ranking of 33rd in direct work factors. This category includes factors like employment rate, unused vacation time, and average workweek hours. Apparently, Portlanders are prone to working long hours and skipping vacation days (I CAN ATTEST TO THIS). While it may not be the healthiest lifestyle, it certainly supports the city's hardworking reputation.

Getty Images

The city slid much farther down the list in indirect work factors, with a ranking of 88th. This category includes average commute time, number of volunteer hours, and the share of workers with multiple jobs. This is a little surprising, considering Portland has a strong reputation in areas like volunteering and giving back to the community. I would have to say I challenge the validity of this ranking. It's difficult for me to believe there are 87 cities that would score higher in this category.

Even with the lower ranking in the indirect work factor category, Portland still managed a very good overall ranking of 30th. And, as someone who is part of that workforce, I can honestly say it's nice to get some appreciation for all the hours we put in.

What are the Hardest Working Cities in New England?

As I mentioned, Portland was the third highest-ranked New England city on this list. Here's a look at how hardworking the rest of the region is:

23. Manchester, NH
29. Boston, MA
109. Providence, RI
111. Bridgeport, CT
116. Burlington, VT - Yes, this is dead last. A lot of jokes can be made here. But, I'll just let them slide.

Congratulations to the city of Cheyenne, WY, for being named the hardest working city in America. I don't think many people will have an issue with this selection.

You can find the entire list here.