Top 5 States for Remote Work: Ideal Home Office Locations

Are you living in Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Delaware, or Maryland and looking to work from home? Well, you’re in luck! Recent research conducted by ergonomic furniture maker Desky has identified these five states as the top places to work remotely. Factors such as internet speeds, electricity costs, and the availability of remote job openings were analyzed to determine which states are most conducive to a successful work-from-home setup. Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Delaware, and Maryland emerged as the top five states with the best infrastructure to support remote work.

Virginia, the best state for remote work, boasts an average internet speed of 505.6 megabytes per second, electricity costs of 12.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, and 23 remote job vacancies per 10,000 people. With a strong presence of tech-focused Fortune 500 companies and a high demand for tech workers, Virginia offers ample opportunities for remote work, especially in the government sector.

Washington, the second-best state for remote work, offers an average internet speed of 451 megabytes per second, electricity costs of 9.79 cents per kilowatt-hour, and 14 remote job vacancies per 10,000 people. Known for its abundance of healthcare jobs, Washington is a hub for remote roles in the healthcare industry, with opportunities in telehealth, virtual nursing, and medical coding.

Arizona, ranked third for remote work, boasts an average internet speed of 396.1 megabytes per second, electricity costs of 13.16 cents per kilowatt-hour, and the highest number of remote job vacancies per 10,000 people among all states. With major companies like Northrop Grumman and Honeywell Aerospace, Arizona offers numerous opportunities in the aerospace and defense industry, as well as in office/administrative support and customer service roles.

Delaware, the fourth-best state for remote work, offers an average internet speed of 469.7 megabytes per second, electricity costs of 13.21 cents per kilowatt-hour, and 21 remote job vacancies per 10,000 people. Despite being the smallest state, Delaware is home to major industries such as manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and agriculture, with a high concentration of government workers and financial services jobs.

Maryland, rounding out the top five states for remote work, leads in average internet speeds at 506.7 megabytes per second. With a strong presence of federal labs, research centers, military facilities, and federal civilian agencies, Maryland offers a plethora of remote job opportunities, particularly in the government sector and with major employers like Under Armour, Lockheed Martin, and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

If your state didn’t make the top five list, there are still plenty of ways to find work-from-home opportunities. Embrace online platforms dedicated to remote work, such as FlexJobs, SkipTheDrive, We Work Remotely, RemoteOK, Remotive, and Working Nomads. Utilize customized alerts and advanced search filters on job boards to target remote roles, and consider networking to uncover hidden job opportunities and secure referrals.

In conclusion, whether you’re in one of the top five states for remote work or not, there are numerous ways to find and thrive in a work-from-home job. With the right resources and strategies, you can successfully navigate the remote work landscape and enjoy the flexibility and convenience it offers.