Use This Map to Determine Which States Are Best for Telecommuting
Over a year ago, many people became remote workers by default due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t necessarily what most people were looking at – it just happened. Before the pandemic, about 20% of people whose jobs could be done remotely actually worked from home all or most of the time, according to Pew Research . Now that number is 71%, with 54% saying they would prefer to continue working from home even after the pandemic is over and they can return to the office.
But, as it turns out, some states are better than others when it comes to conditions – such as low costs, reasonable comfort, and high levels of security – for remote workers. To help us figure out which states are the most (and least) comfortable for remote workers, WalletHub processed the numbers and created an interactive map showing the results. Here’s what you need to know.
How to find the best telecommuting states
Hover over a state to see their ranking out of 51 (including the District of Columbia).
Source: WalletHub
For a full list of states and their rankings, as well as WalletHub’s methodology, take a look at the full report . For a preview, here are the first five and the last five states:
Top 5
- Delaware
- North Carolina
- Georgia
- New Hampshire
- Tennessee
Bottom 5
- Alaska (51st)
- Hawaii (50th)
- North Dakota (49th)
- Mississippi (48th)
- Arkansas (47th)
But how close were conditions for telecommuters during COVID to conditions before the pandemic? Dr. Yemisi Avotoue, assistant professor of management at Gonzaga University, told WalletHub :
Due to additional COVID-related issues, such as restrictions on where we can go and what we can do, the current work-from-home (WFH) environment may not reflect normal work from home. In particular, some believe that COVID WFH can easily become a case of living at work rather than working from home, which is why it is imperative for people to find a balance between their work and home life.
If you need help with this department, we’ve looked at various methods, including a fictitious commute , structuring your day, and making the most of your morning .