Kentucky Ranks 46th for Work-Life Balance
A new OfficeRnD study scores 1,460 U.S. cities on work-life balance, placing Kentucky near the bottom of the states.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Remote Work
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OfficeRnD published a study ranking Kentucky cities for work-life balance, placing the state 46th of 50 with a score of 30.8 out of 100. Richmond ranks sixth in the state with a score of 31.7.
Why it matters
The ranking combines weekly hours, pay adjusted for local living costs, remote work share, commute length, off-hours commuting and state paid leave laws, showing how Kentucky workers fare across several measures at once. Kentucky's relatively low pay at local prices, the 11th-lowest in the country, shapes how far a standard workweek goes for residents.
Richmond's median full-time pay is $54,695, below the statewide median of $59,040, and workers there average a 23-minute commute each way versus 24 minutes statewide. The study does not explain how its six measures were individually weighted in the overall score.
The players
OfficeRnD
A workplace experts firm that conducted the study ranking U.S. cities on work-life balance.
The details
The study assessed 1,460 U.S. cities with populations of 20,000 or more, scoring each on average weekly hours, full-time earnings adjusted for local living costs, share working from home, average commute, share of commuters leaving in the evening or overnight, and state paid leave laws. Lexington ranks 841st nationally, while Radcliff ranks 1,445th.
Timeline
2025: 8.0% of Kentucky workers split hours between home and work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
October 1, 2026: Kentucky lacks paid family leave and statewide paid sick leave laws in force.
November 7, 2026: OfficeRnD published the study results on Kentucky work-life balance.
Remote Work Trends
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks how many workers split hours between home and the office, and the 8.0% Kentucky figure for 2025 places the state's hybrid work share within that national measurement. Kentucky's lower position in the OfficeRnD ranking suggests that where remote work is available, it has not yet translated into stronger overall work-life balance in the state.
For Kentucky workers, the gap between state and city scores shows that where you live affects weekly hours, commute time and pay at local prices. Residents weighing a move or a job change can use these measures to compare the work-life tradeoffs across Kentucky communities.
The takeaway
Work-life balance depends on several factors at once, including pay adjusted for living costs and commute length, so Kentucky workers may weigh those measures together when considering their next job or location.
Further reading
Explore more on Remote Work trends affecting Kentucky workers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Richmond Register.
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