NerdWallet, a financial literacy and consumer advocacy website, has compiled a list of the best places for work-life balance in a nationwide study, and the Goleta-Santa Barbara-Santa Maria metro area is in the top 20.

According to the United Nations, 85.8 percent of males and 66.5 percent of females in the United States work more than 40 hours per week. NerdWallet wanted to learn where in the United States people work hard but also have time for other things, as a healthy work-life balance can lead to reduced stress levels and increased life satisfaction, among other benefits.

The Goleta-Santa Barbara-Santa Maria area was ranked as the 18th best place for work-life balance after assessing the area’s median hours worked per week, average commute time and median earnings for full-time, year-round workers.

Workers in this area work 36.4 hours a week and have an average commute of 19.4 minutes. The median salary for male full-time, year-round workers is $45,547; for females it is $40,093.

“With fair pay and reasonable hours, people in the Goleta-Santa Barbara-Santa Maria area have more time to do what they need to or want to do,” NerdWallet analyst Divya Raghavan said. “Whether that means running everyday errands or spending quality time with friends and family, they’ve got the time to do it.”

— Valerie Kushnerov is a public Information Officer for the City of Goleta.