Across hundreds of large U.S. cities, a median of 12.5% of workers work from home. But some cities see as many as 3 in 10 workers working remotely, while others maintain a nearly entirely in-person workforce. Factors affecting this wide spread may include the local industries and infrastructure, as well as local demographics. Similarly, the portion of workers operating remotely may impact the dynamics of a city. Where people spend most of their days may impact the food, transportation and amenities sought by the population. Freeing up time and potentially budget for some, remote work may also give more freedom to remote workers to spend their time and money in ways they prefer rather than on commutes.
With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 349 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of workers who work from home. Average commute times for those not working from home – as well as modes of transportation used for the commute – are also examined.
Key Findings
- Over one third of workers are remote in Frisco, Texas. Frisco has the highest portion of remote workers nationwide at 34.16%, for just over 40,000 people working remotely. Virtually all of the remaining commuters drive or carpool to work, with a mean commute time of 30 minutes.
- More than 25% of the workforce is remote in 22 cities. This includes Charlotte, NC (29.71%); Arlington, VA (28.60%); Seattle, WA (28.46%); Boulder, CO (28.28%); Austin, TX (28.13%); Scottsdale, AZ (27.71%); Washington, DC (27.28%); Denver, CO (26.05%); Bellevue, WA (25.98%); Portland, OR (25.65%); and Atlanta, GA (25.48%).
- Only 1.58% of workers are remote in this city. Odessa, Texas has the proportionally smallest remote workforce of large U.S. cities. Only 1,036 workers are estimated to be remote out of a workforce of over 65,000. Commuters spend an average of 24 minutes driving to work each way.
- These college towns have the largest portion of people who walk to work. Despite the cold winters, Cambridge, Massachusetts has the largest number of walking commuters at 21.26%, while 23.32% of the workers are remote (36th overall). Berkeley, California has the second highest portion of people walking to work at 18.2%, while it ranks second overall for remote workers at 31.29%.
- About 13.37% of workers in New York City are remote. Meanwhile, New York has the highest percentage of people commuting via public transit at 47.83% of the workforce. Despite this, the average commute time is relatively high at 40.1 minutes.
Top 20 Cities With the Most Remote Workers
- Frisco, Texas
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 34.16%
- Number of remote workers: 40,029
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 117,193
- Percent of workers driving to work: 57.16%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 6.39%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 0.01%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 0.89%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.39%
- Mean commute time: 30 minutes
- Berkeley, California
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 31.29%
- Number of remote workers: 19,360
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 61,864
- Percent of workers driving to work: 24.01%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 3.32%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 14.42%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 18.23%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 8.73%
- Mean commute time: 29.1 minutes
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 29.71%
- Number of remote workers: 150,163
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 505,359
- Percent of workers driving to work: 56.54%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 8.42%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 1.83%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 2.02%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.47%
- Mean commute time: 25.1 minutes
- Cary Town, North Carolina
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 29.40%
- Number of remote workers: 27,469
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 93,444
- Percent of workers driving to work: 62.84%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 4.49%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 0.59%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 0.86%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.82%
- Mean commute time: 23 minutes
- Carlsbad, California
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 29.06%
- Number of remote workers: 15,877
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 54,633
- Percent of workers driving to work: 61.42%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 5.43%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 0.62%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 1.47%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 2.00%
- Mean commute time: 26.2 minutes
- Highlands Ranch, Colorado
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.76%
- Number of remote workers: 16,299
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 56,669
- Percent of workers driving to work: 64.24%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 3.94%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 0.79%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 0.91%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.36%
- Mean commute time: 25.3 minutes
- Arlington, Virginia
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.60%
- Number of remote workers: 42,085
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 147,163
- Percent of workers driving to work: 41.50%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 4.71%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 16.88%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 4.29%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 4.02%
- Mean commute time: 25.4 minutes
- Seattle, Washington
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.46%
- Number of remote workers: 132,724
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 466,374
- Percent of workers driving to work: 38.69%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 6.01%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 14.24%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 8.45%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 4.16%
- Mean commute time: 25.5 minutes
- Carmel, Indiana
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.29%
- Number of remote workers: 15,989
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 56,511
- Percent of workers driving to work: 66.28%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 3.65%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 0.16%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 1.22%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 0.41%
- Mean commute time: 22.8 minutes
- Boulder, Colorado
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.28%
- Number of remote workers: 15,303
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 54,121
- Percent of workers driving to work: 46.11%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 2.85%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 6.09%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 7.59%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 9.09%
- Mean commute time: 19.3 minutes
- Austin, Texas
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.13%
- Number of remote workers: 166,315
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 591,180
- Percent of workers driving to work: 59.12%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 6.47%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 1.61%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 2.19%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 2.48%
- Mean commute time: 23.2 minutes
- Bend, Oregon
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.10%
- Number of remote workers: 15,883
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 56,514
- Percent of workers driving to work: 59.61%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 7.19%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 0.28%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 2.23%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 2.58%
- Mean commute time: 16 minutes
- Sandy Springs, Georgia
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 28.04%
- Number of remote workers: 18,836
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 67,182
- Percent of workers driving to work: 62.18%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 4.84%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 2.26%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 0.78%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.90%
- Mean commute time: 28.2 minutes
- Naperville, Illinois
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 27.88%
- Number of remote workers: 21,900
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 78,558
- Percent of workers driving to work: 56.31%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 5.16%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 7.21%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 1.95%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.50%
- Mean commute time: 32 minutes
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 27.71%
- Number of remote workers: 34,047
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 122,850
- Percent of workers driving to work: 63.83%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 4.17%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 1.36%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 1.44%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 1.49%
- Mean commute time: 22.7 minutes
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 27.28%
- Number of remote workers: 104,626
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 383,558
- Percent of workers driving to work: 28.58%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 4.15%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 22.90%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 11.28%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 5.81%
- Mean commute time: 30.4 minutes
- Denver, Colorado
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 26.05%
- Number of remote workers: 111,924
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 429,729
- Percent of workers driving to work: 56.48%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 7.42%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 3.82%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 3.61%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 2.63%
- Mean commute time: 25.7 minutes
- Bellevue, Washington
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 25.98%
- Number of remote workers: 21,082
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 81,157
- Percent of workers driving to work: 53.57%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 6.51%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 7.27%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 4.47%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 2.21%
- Mean commute time: 25.4 minutes
- Portland, Oregon
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 25.65%
- Number of remote workers: 93,120
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 363,011
- Percent of workers driving to work: 49.97%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 7.77%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 6.20%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 5.11%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 5.30%
- Mean commute time: 24.2 minutes
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Remote workers as a percent of all workers: 25.48%
- Number of remote workers: 70,960
- Number of people age 16 and over in the workforce: 278,472
- Percent of workers driving to work: 55.43%
- Percent of workers carpooling to work: 5.48%
- Percent of workers commuting via public transit: 5.54%
- Percent of workers walking to work: 5.20%
- Percent of workers commuting via other means: 2.88%
- Mean commute time: 25.7 minutes
Data and Methodology
This study considered 349 of the largest U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's 1-Year American Community Survey for 2023. Cities were ranked by the percentage of those who worked from home out of all workers aged 16 and over.
Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com
Photo credit: ©iStock.com/martin-dm
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