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These Are the Best—And Worst—States for Working From Home In 2026

Your working conditions can make a major impact on your day-to-day.
Young woman working from home and smiling at laptop
Young woman working from home and smiling at laptop | milorad kravic/GettyImages

Since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the ability to work from home changed across the globe, transforming from a rarity to the norm. Long gone are the days that only certain companies allowed for remote work, and now, in 2026, working from home—or a hybrid approach—is looked at as a perk that would make or break a job offer for many.

But as more time goes on from the pandemic, more and more companies have mandated “return to the office” policies—even when many teams have proven their productiveness from the comfort of their own home. If you’re someone who takes remote work very seriously, you probably want to know which states offer the best work from home conditions, to ensure your space and setup is perfect for your daily schedule.

Utah Is the Best State for Remote Working, According to New Study

Working at home
Working at home | Eva-Katalin/GettyImages

Wallet Hub has published their 2026 list, including a few changes from last year’s analysis. In first place is Utah, which has one of the lowest costs of electricity in the United States, along with “reasonable” internet pricing. The study points out that the state actually has the biggest homes in the country, with an average size of an average of 2,459 square feet.

Prices on the lower end and a spacious remote setup is the perfect combination for those clocking in from the comfort of their own home; you’ll avoid breaking the bank and feeling overly cramped. Having more space in your home also opens up the possibility for a designated office, in which you can spend your 9 to 5 in an entirely different space. This creates physical boundaries from work to help improve work-life balance.

The Full List

The study analyzed factors per state such as the percentage of remote workers, internet costs, home size, house crowding, and more, to determine the ranking—including Washington, D.C.—which you can see in full below.

Overall Rank

State

Total Score

Work Environment Rank

Living Environment Rank

1

Utah

70.07

9

1

2

Delaware

67.25

4

18

3

Connecticut

66.64

6

7

4

Maryland

65.65

3

31

5

Massachusetts

65.65

5

30

6

New Jersey

65.31

2

40

7

Rhode Island

64.92

7

20

8

Washington

63.99

12

11

9

Virginia

63.24

11

14

10

North Carolina

62.84

15

12

11

Minnesota

62.40

17

8

12

Tennessee

62.19

21

4

13

Georgia

61.18

28

3

14

New Hampshire

61.14

10

35

15

Pennsylvania

60.83

8

41

16

Ohio

60.49

13

32

17

Nevada

60.21

20

23

18

Arizona

60.16

22

19

19

District of Columbia

59.83

1

50

20

Oregon

59.38

26

22

21

Texas

59.31

27

13

22

Kentucky

59.17

24

26

23

Colorado

59.09

31

10

24

South Carolina

58.00

32

9

25

Florida

57.46

25

34

26

New York

57.20

14

44

27

Nebraska

57.18

37

5

28

Wisconsin

57.04

19

38

29

Michigan

56.89

16

43

30

Illinois

56.70

18

42

31

Kansas

56.45

36

17

32

California

56.35

23

39

33

Indiana

56.06

33

24

34

Alabama

55.36

34

27

35

Louisiana

54.83

35

29

36

Missouri

54.06

38

28

37

South Dakota

53.51

42

21

38

North Dakota

53.35

48

2

39

Idaho

53.14

43

16

40

Maine

52.88

29

45

41

Vermont

50.99

41

37

42

New Mexico

50.96

44

33

43

Oklahoma

50.94

46

15

44

Iowa

49.39

39

46

45

Mississippi

49.22

47

25

46

Arkansas

49.12

45

36

47

Wyoming

49.15

49

6

48

Hawaii

48.24

30

49

49

West Virginia

45.86

40

47

50

Montana

35.03

50

48

51

Alaska

22.45

51

51

Just like the 2025 list, Alaska ranks in last place for working from home. The state ranks low for the share of potential telecommuters, meaning fewer people, on average, work remotely. It also is the worst state for internet costs, estimating a whopping five times higher than Connecticut, where prices are cheapest on average.

Historically, the internet in rural parts of Alaska has proven to be more expensive and slower than in more populated areas.

If you have the opportunity to work from home, you’ll want to ensure your space is comfortable, spacious, organized, and equipped with the fastest internet, professional devices, and other essentials. Depending on where you live, it might be more difficult to establish this space, therefore hindering you from getting the most out of remote work.


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