Remote work outlasted the pandemic. Today, 12% of full-time U.S. employees work entirely from home, and another 27% follow a hybrid schedule — a reality that has reshaped where and how Americans live and work, according to a recent WalletHub report.
But not all states are created equal when it comes to working from home.
WalletHub ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across two broad categories: work environment and living environment. The work environment score weighed factors like the share of residents working remotely, household internet access, and cybersecurity. The living environment score looked at home sizes, internet costs, and electricity prices, among other metrics. Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Energy Information Administration, Zillow, and other sources.
"While work-from-home jobs can be done anywhere, certain states make the practice much better than others," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
At the bottom of the rankings, Alaska, Montana, and West Virginia claimed the last three spots — largely due to the highest internet costs in the country. At the top, a clear pattern emerged: states with affordable living costs, spacious homes, and strong internet infrastructure dominated the list.
The Top 15 States for Remote Work
15. Pennsylvania — A strong work environment (ranked 8th) offsets a middling living environment (41st), keeping Pennsylvania in the conversation.
14. New Hampshire — Remote work here has surged. The share of remote workers more than doubled from 7.3% in 2019 to 16% by 2024, per the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.
13. Georgia — Georgia's living environment is one of the best in the country (3rd), making it an attractive option despite a lower work environment ranking (28th).
12. Tennessee — Another strong living environment state (4th), Tennessee's remote work culture is concentrated around Nashville, where the surrounding metro counties lead the state in work-from-home rates.
11. Minnesota — A balanced performer, ranking 17th in work environment and 8th in living environment.
10. North Carolina — Raleigh's Research Triangle has become a remote work hub. Cary, a suburb of Raleigh, ranked third in the entire country for its share of remote workers at 31%, according to the Miami Herald.
9. Virginia — Solid marks across both categories (11th in work environment, 14th in living environment) put Virginia comfortably in the top ten.
8. Washington — Washington boasts the third-highest share of remote workers in the country and ranks fifth for household internet access. One weak spot: it placed 48th in cybersecurity.
7. Rhode Island — Small but well-connected, Rhode Island ranks 4th in the nation for cybersecurity — a metric that matters more as remote work grows.
6. New Jersey — An outstanding work environment rank (2nd) is tempered by a costly living environment (40th). Still, nearly the highest share of households with internet access in the country keeps New Jersey near the top.
5. Massachusetts — Home to the most internet-connected households in the U.S., Massachusetts also leads in hybrid adoption. A 2025 survey of Greater Boston businesses found 85% use hybrid work models, with only 6% requiring fully in-person work.
4. Maryland — Maryland has the fourth-highest share of residents working from home nationally, backed by a strong work environment ranking of 3rd.
3. Connecticut — Connecticut pairs the cheapest internet prices in the country with near-universal broadband access. While 16% of its workforce currently works remotely, nearly 96% of workers have jobs that could be done from home.
2. Delaware — Delaware edges Connecticut on remote work potential, with 97% of its workforce capable of working from home. Spacious homes — averaging 2,064 square feet, ninth-largest in the nation — make the day-to-day reality more comfortable.
1. Utah — Utah earns the top spot by excelling where it counts most for daily life: low electricity costs, affordable internet, and the largest homes in the country, averaging 2,459 square feet. Add in the third-highest rate of household broadband access, and Utah offers a hard-to-beat combination for remote workers.