The top 10 states to work from home

Employees want the convenience of working from anywhere in the U.S., but not all states are created equal.

Since the start of the COVID pandemic, 71% of the workforce has been working remotely, according to Pew research. Despite increased vaccination rates, 54% of employees would like to continue doing so post-pandemic.

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Employers including Facebook, Salesforce and Microsoft have embraced a permanent WFH policy, which can help employers cut costs and keep workers safe. However, 68% of employers plan to implement hybrid work policies and would like employees to work in the office three days per week, according to a report by PwC.

“Having at least some employees work from home creates a more hygienic and less chaotic work environment,” says Jill Gonzalez, an analyst for WalletHub, a financial wellness platform. “Letting employees work from home could lead to a boost in worker morale, considering the majority of people who currently work from home want to continue doing so.”

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While organizations have embraced the benefits of remote work, some employees are faring better than others. Wallethub ranked all 50 states on a 100-point scale to determine which locations are better for remote workers. The rankings are based on factors like internet speed and cost, square footage of homes and the population of employees who could work remotely post-pandemic.

“Companies should allow their employees to work from home even after the pandemic,” Gonzalez says. “People who work from home should treat it the same way as they would going to their place of work normally. They should continue to follow their daily work routine, just without the commute.”

See which other states rounded out the top 10: