Employees want it, and sometimes change jobs hoping to find it. Yet, work-life balance remains elusive for many people.
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Business owners, meanwhile, find it difficult to implement policies that allow for better balance, as hours worked equate to revenue. Offering employees benefits that support work-life balance is especially challenging for small business owners.
Nevertheless, small business owners also recognize the many downsides to a poor quality of life that results in little sleep and leisure time, as well as mental fatigue.
So, what’s the answer?
It’s About Place
Analysis conducted by Fit Small Business, an online publication for small businesses, suggests a move may be in order, to another location.
Fit Small Business assembled publicly-available data from leading sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Gallup – and analyzed it to determine the best states for work-life balance.
The publication used eight categories which significantly influence a state’s environment and how well it facilitates work-life balance:
| Number |
Category |
Percent |
| 1) | Residents’ assessment of the quality of life | 15% |
| 2) | Well-being index | 15% |
| 3) | Residents’ economic confidence | 15% |
| 4) | Average hours worked per week | 12.5% |
| 5) | Average earnings per week | 12.5% |
| 6) | Mean commute time to work | 12.5% |
| 7) | Cost of living | 10% |
| 8) | Percent of residents who feel active and productive | 7.5% |
Best for Balance
Apparently, several Midwest states possess the magic ingredients to form the perfect recipe for work life balance – dramatically more so than other states. Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota all made the Top 10 while in the Northeast, Vermont, and Massachusetts also made the list. Also listed are the top cities within these states that offer the best work life balance.
Top 10 States and Cities for Work-Life Balance:
| Rank | State | City |
| #1 | Minnesota | Eagan |
| #2 | Hawaii | Honolulu |
| #3 | Colorado | Boulder |
| #4 | Nebraska | Omaha |
| #5 | Vermont | Burlington |
| #6 | North Dakota | Fargo |
| #7 | Massachusetts | Cambridge |
| #8 | Iowa | Des Moines |
| #9 | Montana | Missoula |
| #10 | South Dakota | Sioux Falls |
Room for Improvement
In case you’re wondering about the other end of the spectrum, where work-life balance is lacking, West Virginia is #50 on the Fit Small Business list. Louisiana and Alabama are #49 and #48, respectively.