By Hank Russell
A recent study found that New York is in the middle of the pack when it comes to one of the best states for working from home (WFH).
According to WalletHub, New York is 26th in the nation when it comes to working remotely. It is better than Alaska, which is considered the worst state, but not as good as Utah, which was the top state.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia using 12 key metrics. The analysis looks at factors such as the percentage of people working remotely, internet costs, and cybersecurity, along with home size and household crowding.
When it comes to working remotely, New York had the 14th-best work environment, based on WalletHub data. The District of Columbia had the best WFH environment, while, once again, Alaska was at the bottom of the pack.
Having an ideal living environment, however, is another story. New York was at the bottom 10 — 44th place — when it came to that category. The state beat out Alaska, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, West Virginia, Iowa and Maine. Utah had the best living environment.
Although daily life has returned to normal since the pandemic, a significant number of employers have maintained flexible arrangements. In fact, 12% of full-time employees work fully remote, while another 27% follow a hybrid schedule that splits time between home and the office, according to WFH Research.
As remote opportunities become more common, not everyone has an ideal setup for working from home, WalletHub noted. Strong remote-work conditions typically include affordable living costs, a comfortable home environment, and reliable security.
“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,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “However, things like energy costs, internet speed, home sizes and how many people live together can greatly impact people’s savings and productivity. While work-from-home jobs can be done anywhere, certain states make the practice much better than others.”