New Jersey Ranks 6th Best State for Remote Work: How Your Location Impacts Productivity and Savings

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the shift to remote work, and while daily life has largely returned to normal, many employers have maintained flexible arrangements. In fact, 12% of full-time employees now work fully remotely, with another 27% following a hybrid schedule that splits time between home and the office.

Based on the latest data from WalletHub, New Jersey ranked sixth among U.S. states in terms of favorable environment for working from home. These remote-work conditions typically include affordable living costs such as electricity, a comfortable home environment, and reliable security.

To determine which states offer the best work-from-home conditions, 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
• Cybersecurity
• Home size and household crowding

According to WalletHub data, New Jersey ranked:

• 4th for households’ Internet access
• 8th in Internet cost
• 10th in cybersecurity
• 11th in share of potential telecommuters
• 13th in share of population working from home

Climbing electric costs might have cost New Jersey a higher ranking in the WalletHub survey. Utah is the best state for working remotely, and it has one of the lowest electricity prices in the country, which plays a big part in minimizing the cost of staying home all day. It also has reasonable internet costs and the third-highest share of households with broadband internet.

“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.”

Some jobs experts see a leveling off in the remote work trend, among them Andrew Burnstine, associate professor at Lynn University.

“The future of work has settled into a structural shift, with nearly 25% of all paid workdays in the United States now performed remotely,” Lupo said. “Facts from 2026 labor data show that while some companies are pushing for a return to the office, 16% of the workforce remains fully remote with no plans to ever return to a traditional desk. This trend has stabilized, proving that the decentralization of the office is a permanent fixture of the modern economy.”