Work From Home by State: Where Remote Work Stuck
Published April 14, 2026 · Census ACS 2023
Remote work settled at a structurally higher level than before the pandemic, but it didn't settle evenly. Colorado, Washington, Maryland, and Massachusetts have some of the highest work-from-home rates in the country. Manufacturing and agricultural states post rates half as high.
States with the Highest WFH Rates
| # | State | WFH % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 29.4% |
| 2 | Colorado | 18.8% |
| 3 | Washington | 17.7% |
| 4 | Maryland | 17.2% |
| 5 | Oregon | 17.0% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 16.7% |
| 7 | Arizona | 16.5% |
| 8 | Virginia | 16.2% |
| 9 | Utah | 16.0% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 15.8% |
| 11 | California | 15.5% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 15.1% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 15.0% |
| 14 | Vermont | 15.0% |
| 15 | North Carolina | 14.5% |
States with the Lowest WFH Rates
| # | State | WFH % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 5.3% |
| 2 | Louisiana | 7.2% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 7.3% |
| 4 | Alabama | 7.8% |
| 5 | Arkansas | 7.8% |
| 6 | West Virginia | 8.0% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 8.5% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 8.5% |
| 9 | Hawaii | 8.8% |
| 10 | Alaska | 8.8% |
Why the Map Looks This Way
Remote work is an industry phenomenon, not just a geographic one. States whose economies are weighted toward knowledge industries, software, professional services, finance, research, government, have high WFH rates because those jobs are mostly remote-compatible. Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts are textbook examples.
States whose economies depend on manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and healthcare delivery have lower WFH rates because those jobs require physical presence. Mississippi, Louisiana, and most of the agricultural Midwest sit at the bottom of the rankings.
The District of Columbia, when included, has the highest WFH rate in the country, driven by federal agency telework policies and the concentration of professional services.
How WFH is Reshaping Where Americans Live
Remote work has weakened the link between where people live and where they work. The most pronounced effects: growth in medium-sized metros (Boise, Charlotte, Nashville, Austin), out-migration from expensive coastal cities, and renewed growth in smaller cities and exurbs. Several of the fastest-growing states have benefited from WFH-driven inflows.
Related
See the full work from home ranking. Compare with longest commute by state and most public transit commuters.
Frequently Asked Questions
District of Columbia has the highest share of workers who primarily work from home at 29.4%.
Roughly 15% of US workers report primarily working from home in the most recent Census ACS 5-Year estimates, up from about 5% before the pandemic. The share has stabilized but varies widely by state and industry.
Knowledge-economy industries, technology, professional services, finance, are highly remote-compatible. States with large shares of those industries, such as Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts, have the most remote work. States dominated by manufacturing, agriculture, or service work have less.
The Census American Community Survey asks respondents how they traveled to work most days in the prior week. People who primarily worked from home are counted in the "worked from home" category. The measure reflects primary work mode, not hybrid arrangements.
Work-from-home share from the American Community Survey commuting question. Reflects workers who primarily worked from home; hybrid workers who split time are categorized by their most-common mode.