Best places · Remote workers · costs, taxes, internet, and quality of life · official data

Best States for Remote Workers in 2026: All 50 States Ranked

Wyoming is the best state for remote workers in 2026, scoring 83.6 out of 100 on an index weighted toward housing costs, the economy, taxes, and quality of life. South Dakota and Idaho follow; California ranks last. On a $100,000 salary, a single remote worker keeps the most in Louisiana.

When your salary comes from somewhere else, where you live decides how far it goes: this page shows what a $100,000 remote paycheck keeps in every state, which states have no income tax, where home internet and working from home are most common, and the best cities for remote workers. How the score works →

#1 for remote workers · Grade A+

Wyoming83.6

Remote-worker score out of 100

Keeps on $100,000: $52,093
State income tax: None
Households with broadband: 89.9%

Best cities for remote workers in Wyoming →

Find your state

Pick your state to see where it ranks for remote workers, the numbers behind its rank, and how it compares with the #1 state. We'll remember it on the other ranking pages.

Best states forFamilies Retirees Remote Workers Young Professionals Small Business Outdoor Enthusiasts

Remote Work in America by the Numbers

The national lines every state is measured against: how many people work from home, how many homes have broadband, and what a remote salary keeps.

Average remote-worker score

53.4

Median state: 52.0

Work from home

13.3%

21.9M workers · Colorado 19.9%

Households with broadband

93.2%

Wired (cable, fiber, DSL) 76.5%

Keeps on $100,000

$46,612

Hawaii $25,409 to Louisiana $56,077

State income tax on $100,000

$4,164

Average where it applies · 9 states charge none

Homes with no internet

4.5%

About 6.0M households

Read the national overview

The typical state scores 53.4 out of 100 for remote workers; 4 states score 75 or higher and 5 below 40. 13.3% of American workers now work from home, from 6.2% in Mississippi to 19.9% in Colorado. On the same $100,000 salary, a single remote worker keeps $30,668 more after taxes and living costs in Louisiana than in Hawaii. Geography matters: the Midwest averages 57.1, the South 49.9, and 4 of the top 10 states are in the Midwest. The best states also stretch a paycheck further: a single remote worker keeps an average of $47,454 in the top 10 and $41,696 in the bottom 10.

Remote Worker Score Map: All 50 States

Darker states score higher. Hover, focus, or tap a state to see its remote-worker rank, score, and grade in the panel.

Best and Worst States for Remote Workers

The 10 highest and 10 lowest scoring states for remote workers, with what a single remote worker keeps on $100,000 and each state's price level (US = 100). Wyoming leads; California is last.

Top 10 states for remote workers

Score · grade

Worst 10 states for remote workers

Score · grade

Why Wyoming is #1

Wyoming scores 95.7 for outdoor access and 79.4 for fiscal health, which together carry 22% of the remote-worker score. Its weakest weighted category is economy (50.3): the median household earns $75,532. Full Wyoming profile →

Where the most populous states land

North Carolina #17, Georgia #20, Texas #25, Florida #27, Ohio #36, Pennsylvania #38, Michigan #43, New York #44, Illinois #48, and California #50. 7 of the 10 most populous states rank in the bottom half. Affordability carries 20% of the weight, the largest share. Compare two states →

What a $100,000 Remote Salary Keeps in Every State

A remote salary is the same wherever you log in; taxes and living costs are not. After federal, payroll, and state income tax, then modeled housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and sales tax, a single remote worker on $100,000 keeps $56,077 in Louisiana and $25,409 in Hawaii.

Keeps the most on $100,000

Income left each year after taxes and modeled living costs, single adult.

Keeps the least on $100,000

Housing is the difference: modeled housing runs $31,690 a year in Hawaii against $8,618 in Louisiana.

Paycheck vs. rank

Remote rank

The 15 states where a $100,000 paycheck goes furthest, ranked by remote-worker score. Wyoming is the best mix of money and quality of life.

Lowest rent, largest metro

Typical rent

Renting instead of buying? Typical asking rent in the largest metro Zillow assigns to each state. A metro that crosses state lines counts for its principal state, so New Jersey shows Trenton, not New York.

Highest rent, largest metro

Typical rent

Home values and rents in every state →

A two-income remote couple on $150,000 combined keeps the most in Louisiana ($88,814) and the least in Hawaii ($46,799). The model buys a home worth 60% of the state median for a single adult and 80% for a couple; it does not include local income taxes, health insurance, or a coworking membership. If your employer adjusts pay by location, the gap narrows.

Try your own salary in the affordability calculator →

States With No Income Tax for Remote Workers

9 states have no income tax on wages: Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Alaska, Washington, Texas, Florida, and Nevada. On $100,000, a single filer pays nothing there and up to $7,946 in Oregon.

No income tax, ranked

Score

No state income tax on wages. Taxes are one of eight inputs to the 12% fiscal category, so a tax-free state can still rank low.

Highest state income tax on $100,000

Single filer after each state's standard deduction and personal exemption. Local income taxes (in some cities and counties) are extra.

Lowest total tax burden

All state and local taxes (income, sales, property, and others) as a share of residents' income. Income tax is only part of the bill: states without one lean harder on sales and property taxes.

Moving to a no-income-tax state only helps if that state is where you live and work. Most states tax wages where the work is done, but a few, New York the best known, can tax remote employees of in-state employers under a “convenience of the employer” rule. The figures here assume you pay state income tax only where you live.

Best Internet by State, and Where People Work From Home

93.2% of American households subscribe to broadband and 76.5% have wired service (cable, fiber, or DSL). New Hampshire leads at 95.3%; Mississippi trails at 88.3%. 13.3% of workers work from home, most in Colorado (19.9%).

Most households with broadband

Any broadband subscription, including cellular data plans. Wired service leader: New Hampshire (84.2%).

Fewest households with broadband

Wyoming (#1), North Dakota (#5), and Iowa (#10) rank in the top 10 for remote workers but in the bottom 10 for broadband. Internet is shown, not scored: check service at the address.

Most workers working from home

Share of workers 16 and older. Remote workers out-earn the typical worker in every state: in Maryland, $91,440 against $61,318 median earnings.

The transportation category gives a small weight to the work-from-home share; broadband is not scored anywhere on this site. A state-wide subscription rate says little about one street, and rural states with high scores can have thin wired coverage outside their towns. Look up providers at the exact address before you sign a lease. Transportation rankings →

All 50 States Ranked for Remote Workers

Every state's remote-worker score with what a $100,000 salary keeps, state income tax, cost of living, typical metro rent, broadband, work-from-home share, and violent crime. Click a column header to re-sort, search, or filter by region, grade, or no-income-tax states. The # column is always the remote-worker rank.

SearchRegion

Grade

Taxes

50 states

#											Grade	Cities
1Wyoming	83.6	$52,093	None	92.7	$1,532	89.9%	69.0%	9.7%	179.9	#2	A+	Cities →
2South Dakota	83.3	$52,941	None	88.6	$1,289	91.3%	77.6%	8.0%	307.5	#3	A+	Cities →
3Idaho	80.2	$42,800	$4,575	95.5	$1,919	92.8%	72.1%	12.7%	217.3	#4	A+	Cities →
4Montana	76.6	$42,555	$4,762	94.6	$1,426	91.5%	68.7%	11.7%	419.1	#7	A+	Cities →
5North Dakota	73.2	$53,571	$712	89.0	$1,100	90.7%	78.7%	7.1%	256.7	#5	A+	Cities →
6Maine	71.9	$43,100	$5,201	97.1	$2,342	92.4%	77.6%	14.7%	93.2	#9	A	Cities →
7Vermont	70.3	$43,254	$4,218	98.0	$2,315	92.7%	77.1%	16.0%	214.4	#8	A	Cities →
8New Hampshire	67.7	$41,803	None	104.2	$2,178	95.3%	84.2%	16.0%	117.6	#1	A	Cities →
9Nebraska	67.2	$49,946	$4,104	90.1	$1,413	91.9%	75.0%	9.7%	218.4	#10	A	Cities →
10Iowa	63.9	$52,473	$3,760	87.8	$1,297	90.7%	72.2%	9.9%	233.9	#14	A	Cities →
11Utah	60.5	$40,544	$4,509	98.9	$1,641	94.1%	80.8%	15.7%	235.7	#6	B+	Cities →
12Wisconsin	59.9	$46,912	$4,148	94.1	$1,563	92.3%	75.6%	11.8%	240.3	#11	B+	Cities →
13Minnesota	59.7	$46,080	$5,311	98.6	$1,719	92.9%	76.5%	14.7%	223.5	#12	B+	Cities →
14Tennessee	59.5	$53,495	None	91.9	$1,813	92.5%	76.5%	12.7%	492.3	#24	B+	Cities →
15Alaska	58.5	$46,491	None	102.4	$1,860	93.6%	65.3%	8.4%	729.3	#42	B+	Cities →
16Virginia	58.3	$44,552	$4,950	101.1	$2,433	92.8%	76.4%	15.8%	205.9	#15	B+	Cities →
17North Carolina	56.9	$49,309	$3,708	94.3	$1,749	93.2%	77.8%	15.4%	330.3	#23	B+	Cities →
18Kansas	55.7	$51,104	$4,780	90.1	$1,205	92.5%	74.8%	10.3%	457.2	#27	B+	Cities →
19Washington	54.8	$39,719	None	107.0	$2,278	95.0%	79.8%	16.4%	283.9	#20	B	Cities →
20Georgia	54.6	$48,425	$4,743	96.3	$1,853	93.4%	77.3%	14.9%	296.9	#26	B	Cities →
21Oklahoma	54.6	$53,662	$4,212	87.8	$1,388	92.1%	70.5%	8.9%	407.7	#43	B	Cities →
22Indiana	53.9	$53,286	$2,970	93.3	$1,552	92.0%	73.7%	9.6%	254.4	#22	B	Cities →
23Colorado	53.8	$41,652	$3,740	103.1	$1,922	94.9%	79.6%	19.9%	421.7	#18	B	Cities →
24Delaware	52.5	$45,212	$5,259	99.8	$1,977	94.3%	79.5%	12.9%	346.9	#30	B	Cities →
25Texas	52.0	$53,128	None	97.1	$1,659	93.7%	75.8%	12.9%	344.9	#32	B	Cities →
26Alabama	52.0	$53,126	$4,735	88.8	$1,433	91.6%	71.4%	8.3%	348.3	#37	B	Cities →
27Florida	51.6	$50,971	None	103.4	$2,666	94.3%	78.5%	15.5%	275.2	#21	C+	Cities →
28Oregon	50.9	$36,352	$7,946	103.4	$1,818	93.7%	77.1%	17.1%	311.2	#35	C+	Cities →
29New Mexico	50.0	$50,367	$3,623	92.2	$1,499	90.5%	70.3%	10.3%	621.6	#49	C+	Cities →
30Rhode Island	49.3	$40,075	$3,191	102.3	$2,167	93.4%	77.7%	11.6%	144.1	#19	C+	Cities →
31Nevada	49.0	$47,781	None	100.0	$1,742	95.1%	77.4%	11.3%	379.2	#40	C+	Cities →
32West Virginia	49.0	$55,586	$3,885	89.5	$1,229	89.4%	71.1%	8.8%	241.7	#44	C+	Cities →
33Missouri	48.8	$51,944	$3,819	90.8	$1,443	91.3%	71.7%	11.8%	417.8	#34	C+	Cities →
34South Carolina	48.6	$50,270	$4,593	93.7	$1,569	92.9%	76.7%	12.3%	387.6	#36	C+	Cities →
35Arizona	47.2	$46,719	$2,125	100.7	$1,722	93.6%	75.4%	16.3%	377.9	#38	C	Cities →
36Ohio	46.5	$53,559	$1,968	92.8	$1,522	92.2%	76.2%	11.9%	275.6	#33	C	Cities →
37Connecticut	46.2	$40,894	$3,925	103.6	$2,034	94.0%	80.9%	13.4%	109.6	#16	C	Cities →
38Pennsylvania	46.0	$50,022	$3,070	97.6	$1,911	92.1%	75.5%	13.8%	226.8	#25	C	Cities →
39Arkansas	45.8	$54,584	$3,692	86.9	$1,265	90.8%	70.5%	8.6%	531.8	#48	C	Cities →
40Maryland	43.6	$43,270	$4,417	105.0	$1,948	94.4%	80.0%	15.6%	358	#31	C	Cities →
41Mississippi	43.2	$55,670	$3,595	87.0	$1,506	88.3%	67.1%	6.2%	226.9	#46	C	Cities →
42Massachusetts	42.9	$32,567	$4,780	105.8	$3,074	94.4%	81.6%	14.8%	302.7	#13	C	Cities →
43Michigan	41.5	$50,952	$4,003	96.2	$1,524	92.8%	73.7%	11.2%	416.2	#45	D	Cities →
44New York	41.4	$36,426	$4,952	107.9	$3,615	93.1%	77.5%	11.8%	368.4	#29	D	Cities →
45Hawaii	40.3	$25,409	$6,070	110.0	$3,020	93.0%	79.4%	8.9%	205.1	#17	D	Cities →
46Kentucky	39.5	$53,426	$3,869	90.2	$1,348	90.9%	72.4%	9.5%	212.1	#41	D	Cities →
47Louisiana	32.3	$56,077	$2,625	88.2	$1,598	90.5%	69.6%	8.0%	515.1	#50	D	Cities →
48Illinois	31.9	$46,691	$4,809	100.0	$2,210	92.9%	74.6%	13.6%	251	#39	D	Cities →
49New Jersey	29.7	$32,330	$4,180	108.8	$2,513	94.8%	81.4%	13.5%	193.8	#28	F	Cities →
50California	19.5	$27,407	$5,178	110.7	$2,941	95.0%	79.2%	14.1%	432.7	#47	F	Cities →

Score re-weights the 11 category scores for remote work (affordability 20%, economy 15%, environment 12%, fiscal health 12%, and the rest). Keeps on $100K and State tax come from the household affordability model for a single adult who owns a home worth 60% of the state's typical home value; local income taxes are not included. Price level is the latest BEA regional price parity (US = 100). Metro rent is the Zillow typical asking rent in the largest metro Zillow assigns to the state (a metro that crosses state lines counts for its principal state, so New Jersey shows Trenton). Broadband, Wired, and Work from home are Census ACS shares of households and workers; they are shown, not scored. Violent crime is the FBI's state estimate; Florida and North Dakota use the prior year's estimate because their latest year is based on limited data. Sources: Census ACS, Tax Foundation, BEA, Zillow, FBI, latest releases.

Best Cities for Remote Workers

The highest remote-worker scores among the 321 cities of 100,000+ residents with a full year of FBI crime data. Carmel, IN leads with 70.6, and 27.4% of its workers work from home.

Best cities for remote workers
#	City	Score	Work from home	Price level	Median rent	Walkability	Violent crime	Winter / summer	Population
1	Carmel IN	70.6	27.4%	95.7	$1,712	8.4	51	29° / 73°	101,651
2	Fishers IN	69.5	25.5%	95.7	$1,611	8.9	78	29° / 73°	102,337
3	Naperville IL	69.1	31.1%	103.6	$1,885	9.7	70	26° / 71°	150,692
4	Round Rock TX	68.5	24.8%	98.1	$1,763	9.4	125	51° / 83°	127,786
5	Cary NC	68.4	36.5%	98.2	$1,738	10.7	75	44° / 79°	179,306
6	Olathe KS	68.3	20.9%	92.5	$1,314	9.8	230	33° / 76°	145,057
7	Overland Park KS	66.8	24.6%	92.5	$1,515	11.3	161	33° / 76°	200,306
8	Sioux Falls SD	66.0	10.6%	90.6	$1,035	12.1	364	20° / 72°	201,469
9	McKinney TX	65.6	24.5%	103.1	$1,901	8.3	115	47° / 83°	210,600
10	Frisco TX	65.2	37.8%	103.1	$2,014	8.0	98	48° / 83°	219,304
11	Virginia Beach VA	65.1	14.3%	97.9	$1,714	10.7	100	43° / 77°	456,349
12	Madison WI	65.1	20.5%	97.3	$1,413	14.2	214	23° / 70°	278,001
13	Alexandria VA	64.8	28.9%	108.9	$2,089	14.4	142	40° / 79°	156,976
14	Meridian ID	64.8	19.4%	98.4	$1,805	9.2	137	34° / 74°	130,138
15	Lee's Summit MO	64.8	20.8%	92.5	$1,422	8.5	112	34° / 77°	103,656

City scores use the same remote-worker weights applied to each city's own data: home values, rents and the metro price level; income and unemployment; county air quality and hazard losses; household finances; walkability; growth; FBI crime; and commutes. Outdoor access has no city measure, so its weight is spread over the rest. 25 cities of this size without a full year of FBI reports are left out of this list. City scores are not on the same scale as state scores.

Largest remote workforce

Work from home

Cities of 100,000+ residents. 37 of 346 have at least a quarter of workers at home.

Affordable remote-work hubs

Price level

Cities of 100,000+ where the work-from-home share is at least five points above the national 13.3% and the metro price level is below the US average (100), cheapest first.

Search all 1,312 cities →

How the Remote Worker Score Is Calculated

The same 11 category scores that rank every state on this site, re-weighted for people whose paycheck does not depend on the local job market. Here is what counts, how much, and what is left out.

Affordability

20%

Home prices, the cost of living, utility bills, and goods prices: where a salary set elsewhere stretches furthest.

Economy

15%

Household income and unemployment: a local job market to fall back on, or for a partner who does not work remotely.

Environment

12%

Clean air, renewable power, and low natural-disaster risk.

Fiscal Health

12%

Total tax burden and a state budget on solid footing: debt, reserves, pensions, and credit rating.

Outdoor Access

10%

Parks, public land, and recreation facilities for the hours away from the desk.

Livability

10%

Restaurants, arts venues, social clubs, and in-migration: the social life an office no longer supplies.

Growth

Population growth and people moving in, a sign of new services and new neighbors.

Safety

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents.

Transportation

Commute times, transit, and the share of workers already working from home.

One scale for every ranking

The weighted total is stretched onto the same 0-100 scale as the overall composite (a raw 35-67 maps to 25-87), so a remote-worker score of 70 means the same thing as an overall score of 70. Grades follow rank: A+ for 1-5 down to F for 49-50.

The paycheck model

From the household affordability model: federal income and payroll tax, each state's income tax brackets and deductions, a mortgage on a home worth 60% of the state median plus property tax, and utilities, groceries, and transportation scaled by local prices, with sales tax. Shown for a single adult on $100,000 and a couple on $150,000; not blended into the score.

Internet and work from home

Broadband subscription and work-from-home shares come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. They are shown for every state but are not part of the score; the work-from-home share is one small input to the transportation category.

What is not counted

Internet speed and price, weather, time zones, airports, coworking spaces, health and education (both weighted 0% here), and state rules that tax remote employees of in-state employers.

Always the latest releases

This page is rebuilt from the most recent files each source has published (checked October 2026). Scores change when a new release moves a state up or down.

Read the full methodology →

Key Takeaways

Patterns in the remote-work data that the table alone does not show.

The Midwest leads the top 10
4 of the 10 best states for remote workers are in the Midwest (South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa) and 3 in the West. The Midwest averages 57.1 out of 100; the South averages 49.9, and 3 of the bottom 10 are in the South.
No income tax helps, but it does not decide the rank
The 9 states with no income tax on wages run from #1 (Wyoming) to #31 (Nevada). 3 of them rank in the top 10 and 2 in the bottom half. Tax burden is one of eight inputs to the 12% fiscal category, while affordability carries 20%.
Where a salary stretches furthest is not where the score is highest
A single remote worker on $100,000 keeps the most after taxes and living costs in Louisiana ($56,077), Mississippi ($55,670), West Virginia ($55,586), Arkansas ($54,584), and Oklahoma ($53,662). Four of the five rank in the bottom half for remote workers, because cheap housing is only one part of the score. Wyoming is the best mix: among the 15 states where the paycheck goes furthest, #1 for remote workers and #2 overall.
The keep-most state leaves $30,668 more than the keep-least
The same $100,000 salary leaves $56,077 after taxes and living costs in Louisiana and $25,409 in Hawaii. Housing is most of the difference: modeled housing costs run $31,690 a year in Hawaii against $8,618 in Louisiana. State income tax adds up to $7,946 more, in Oregon.
Home internet does not separate the best states from the worst
Broadband subscriptions average 91.9% of households in the 10 best states and 92.6% in the bottom 10. New Hampshire leads at 95.3%; Mississippi (88.3%), West Virginia (89.4%), and Wyoming (89.9%) trail. Wyoming (#1), North Dakota (#5), and Iowa (#10) rank in the top 10 for remote workers despite bottom-10 broadband rates. Internet access is shown here but not scored, so check service at the address before you move.
Colorado has the largest remote workforce
19.9% of Colorado workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally and 6.2% in Mississippi. People who work from home out-earn the typical worker in every state; the gap is widest in Maryland, $91,440 against $61,318.
California is last on affordability and environment
California scores 14.3 for affordability and 24.7 for environment: its price level is 110.7 (US = 100) and the typical home is worth $764,158. Its strongest weighted category is fiscal health (47.5), and a single remote worker on $100,000 keeps $27,407 there (#49 of 50).

Average remote-worker score by region

Mean remote-worker score of the states in each Census region, with what a single remote worker keeps on $100,000 on average.

1Midwest12 states · keeps $50,788 · 11.8% WFH57.1
2West13 states · keeps $41,530 · 14.8% WFH55.8
3Northeast11 states · keeps $40,814 · 13.5% WFH51.0
4South14 states · keeps $52,306 · 13.1% WFH49.9

The Midwest outscores the South by 7 points.

Go Deeper

Affordability calculator →

Enter your salary and household to see what you would keep in every state.

Software developer pay by metro →

Wages and cost-adjusted pay for 20 occupations, from developers to accountants.

Where people are moving →

State-to-state migration from IRS returns, including the income of movers.

Housing affordability rankings →

Home prices, cost of living, and utility bills in all 50 states.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best state for remote workers?

Wyoming is the best state for remote workers in 2026 with a score of 83.6 out of 100. Its strongest weighted categories are outdoor access (95.7) and fiscal health (79.4), 89.9% of households have broadband, and a single remote worker on $100,000 keeps $52,093 after taxes and living costs. South Dakota (83.3) and Idaho (80.2) rank second and third.

What are the top 10 states for remote workers?

The top 10 states for remote workers are Wyoming (83.6), South Dakota (83.3), Idaho (80.2), Montana (76.6), North Dakota (73.2), Maine (71.9), Vermont (70.3), New Hampshire (67.7), Nebraska (67.2), and Iowa (63.9). 4 of the 10 are in the Midwest.

What is the worst state for remote workers?

California ranks last (#50) for remote workers with a score of 19.5. Its weakest weighted categories are affordability (14.3) and environment (24.7): its price level is 110.7 (US = 100) and the typical home is worth $764,158. The bottom five are California (#50), New Jersey (#49), Illinois (#48), Louisiana (#47), and Kentucky (#46).

What are the cheapest states for remote workers?

On a $100,000 salary, a single remote worker keeps the most after state income tax, housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and sales tax in Louisiana ($56,077), Mississippi ($55,670), West Virginia ($55,586), Arkansas ($54,584), and Oklahoma ($53,662). The least is left in Hawaii ($25,409), California ($27,407), and New Jersey ($32,330). Try your own salary and household at americadashboard.com/affordability.

Which states have no income tax for remote workers?

Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Alaska, Washington, Texas, Florida, and Nevada have no state income tax on wages, so a remote salary is taxed only by the federal government. The best of them for remote workers is Wyoming (#1); the lowest is Nevada (#31). On $100,000, living in one of them saves a single filer up to $7,946 a year compared with Oregon.

How much state income tax does a remote worker pay on $100,000?

A single filer earning $100,000 pays nothing in the 9 no-income-tax states and the most in Oregon ($7,946), Hawaii ($6,070), and Minnesota ($5,311). Across the 41 states with an income tax, the average is $4,164. Figures use each state's brackets, standard deduction, and personal exemptions; local income taxes are not included.

Do remote workers pay income tax where they live or where their employer is?

Usually where they live and do the work. A few states, New York the best known, can also tax remote employees of in-state employers under a "convenience of the employer" rule, and neighboring states often have credits or reciprocity agreements to prevent double taxation. The figures on this page assume a remote worker pays state income tax only to the state they live in; check your own situation with a tax professional.

Which state has the best internet for remote workers?

New Hampshire has the highest share of households with a broadband subscription at 95.3%, followed by Nevada (95.1%), Washington (95.0%), and California (95.0%). Counting only wired service (cable, fiber, or DSL), New Hampshire leads at 84.2%. The lowest shares are in Mississippi (88.3%), West Virginia (89.4%), and Wyoming (89.9%). Nationally, 93.2% of households subscribe to broadband.

Which states have the most people working from home?

Colorado (19.9%), Oregon (17.1%), Washington (16.4%), and Arizona (16.3%) have the highest shares of workers who work from home, against 13.3% nationally. The lowest shares are in Mississippi (6.2%), North Dakota (7.1%), and Louisiana (8.0%). About 21.9 million Americans work from home.

What are the best cities for remote workers?

Among the 321 cities of 100,000+ residents with a full year of FBI crime data, the highest remote-worker scores belong to Carmel, IN (70.6), Fishers, IN (69.5), Naperville, IL (69.1), Round Rock, TX (68.5), and Cary, NC (68.4). City scores use each city's own housing, income, air, walkability, commute, and crime figures. Search every tracked city at americadashboard.com/cities.

Which cities have the most remote workers?

Among cities of 100,000+ residents, the highest work-from-home shares are in Frisco, TX (37.8%), Berkeley, CA (37.1%), Cary, NC (36.5%), Bellevue, WA (35.6%), and Arlington, VA (35.3%). 37 of the 346 cities that size have at least a quarter of workers at home.

What are the most affordable cities for remote workers?

Cities of 100,000+ residents where the work-from-home share is at least five points above the national 13.3% and prices are below the US average include Overland Park, KS (price level 92.5, 24.6% remote), Olathe, KS (price level 92.5, 20.9% remote), Lee's Summit, MO (price level 92.5, 20.8% remote), Pittsburgh, PA (price level 94.7, 22.4% remote), and Columbus, OH (price level 95.5, 18.3% remote). The price level is the BEA's regional price parity for the city's metro area (US = 100).

How much does a remote worker earning $100,000 keep in each state?

After federal and state income tax, payroll tax, and modeled living costs (a home worth 60% of the state's typical home value, utilities, groceries, transportation, and sales tax), a single remote worker keeps from $25,409 in Hawaii to $56,077 in Louisiana; the typical state leaves $46,612. A two-income couple on $150,000 keeps the most in Louisiana.

How are the best states for remote workers ranked?

Each state's 11 category scores, built from official data, are re-weighted for remote work: affordability 20%, economy 15%, environment 12%, fiscal health 12%, outdoor access 10%, livability 10%, growth 8%, safety 8%, and transportation 5%. Health and education are not counted. The weighted total is placed on the same 0-100 scale as the overall composite, and states are ranked 1 to 50. The paycheck, internet, and work-from-home figures are shown alongside the score, not blended into it.

Why is Wyoming the best state for remote workers?

Wyoming scores 95.7 for outdoor access and 79.4 for fiscal health, its two strongest major categories, and it has no state income tax. Its weak spot is economy (50.3): the median household earns $75,532.

Which region is best for remote workers?

The Midwest has the highest average remote-worker score at 57.1, followed by the West (55.8), Northeast (51.0), and South (49.9). A single remote worker on $100,000 keeps the most in the South ($52,306 on average) and the least in the Northeast ($40,814).

Where do California, Texas, Florida, and New York rank for remote workers?

Among the 10 most populous states, North Carolina is #17, Georgia is #20, Texas is #25, Florida is #27, Ohio is #36, Pennsylvania is #38, Michigan is #43, New York is #44, Illinois is #48, and California is #50. North Carolina is the best big state at 56.9; California is the lowest at 19.5.

Where is rent cheapest for remote workers?

Across each state's largest metro area, typical asking rent is lowest in Fargo, ND ($1,100 a month), Wichita, KS ($1,205 a month), and Charleston, WV ($1,229 a month) and highest in New York, NY ($3,615). The paycheck model on this page prices ownership, not rent.

Does this ranking include internet speed?

No. Speed tests and provider maps vary too much to compare fairly, so the score leaves internet out. This page shows the Census Bureau's share of households with a broadband subscription and with wired service (cable, fiber, or DSL) for every state, from 88.3% in Mississippi to 95.3% in New Hampshire. Check service at the exact address before you move.

Where does the remote worker data come from, and how current is it?

Category scores use the latest releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, FBI crime estimates, BEA, EPA, FEMA, and Tax Foundation. Broadband and work-from-home shares come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, state income tax from each state's brackets as compiled by the Tax Foundation, rents from Zillow, and paychecks from this site's household affordability model. The page is rebuilt whenever a source publishes a new release.

Remote Worker Rank for Every State

Every state's remote-worker rank, score, and what a single remote worker keeps on $100,000. Click through for the best cities for remote workers in that state.