Want work-life bliss? These US states are remote work hotspots

WalletHub, a personal finance website’s report, has ranked all 50 states on how friendly they are to remote workers. And can you guess the names?

Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are ranked as the best states for remote work by WalletHub.(AI-generated representational image)

Despite a general decline in remote work both locally and across the country, this mid-Atlantic trio-Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania scored big.

Delaware came out on top as the No. 1 state for remote work in the US New Jersey landed at No. 5, while Pennsylvania held strong at No. 7. The ranking factored with the percentage of people working from home, internet quality and access, cybersecurity risks, and practical aspects like electricity costs and available living space.

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Why Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania tops the list

Delaware has one of the lowest internet costs in the country, and nearly 97% of its residents have internet fast enough to work without hiccups. Plus, about 13.3% of its workforce is remote, and homes tend to be spacious — averaging 918 square feet per person, which is among the highest in the US.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey also fared well on the list. Roughly 13.8% of Pennsylvanians and 15% of New Jerseyans work from home, per the report. Pennsylvania homes offer an average of 852 square feet per person, while New Jersey, with denser living conditions, averages 672 square feet.

“Working from home can save people a lot of money on transportation expenses, as well as make their work environment a lot more comfortable and their hours more flexible,” Chip Lupo, an analyst at WalletHub said, per The Philadelphia Inquirer.

However, in 2023, about 16% of Philadelphia’s workforce was working remotely — down from the previous year. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker even mandated that all city employees return to full-time in-office work.

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Still, not everyone is ready to give up remote work. Many employees have resisted return-to-office mandates, arguing that flexibility is no longer just a perk — it’s essential.

“Things like energy costs, internet speed, home sizes, and how many people live together can greatly impact people’s savings and productivity,” Lupo noted. “While work-from-home jobs can be done anywhere, certain states make the practice much better than others.”