Work-from-home rates by state: what ACS data measures
Colorado’s work-from-home estimate is 21.0%, followed by Washington at 19.8%. The national estimate is 15.1%. These ACS figures describe the usual commuting category of workers age 16 and older over 2020–2024; they are not a live measure of remote work in 2026.
Editorial date:
· First published September 30, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026
Data reviewed September 30, 2026; definition labels reviewed October 1,
2026 · American Public Data
The question records a usual commute category
The source classifies workers according to their usual means of transportation to work, including working at home. It does not ask every worker for a weekly schedule of remote and office days. A hybrid worker may report a travel mode rather than working at home, depending on the usual pattern. The number therefore should not be labeled the share with any access to remote work.
A worker denominator is essential
The numerator counts workers classified as working from home. The denominator covers workers age 16 and older, not all residents, adults, households or employed positions located in the state. Dividing by total population would produce another ratio with another meaning. Resident commuting data also differs from employer job-location data, which can count jobs rather than people.
The pooled period includes different working conditions
The 2020–2024 five-year product spans years in which commuting patterns changed substantially. Pooling makes the selected product consistent across state and county profiles, but its estimate cannot be assigned to a single month or treated as an annual trajectory. This site does not infer a 2026 value or attach a trend arrow to these ACS observations.
Explore the figures behind this comparison
Change the measure or switch a percentage to its source count
. The table and download update together. The United States is a separate
benchmark; selected states are examples, rather than a complete ranking.
Workers age 16 and older who usually worked from home as a share of all workers age 16 and older. Reference period: 2020–2024. The survey describes the usual journey to work. It is not a complete measure of hybrid work or all travel.
Workers who work from home·
2020–2024· U.S. Census
Bureau
Source counts and periods come from snapshot apd-2026-10-01-r3. Derived percentage
uncertainty is not calculated; direct margins of error remain in the
indicator download.
Compare alternative modes without adding overlapping concepts
New York’s public-transit commute share is 21.6%, while Mississippi’s driving-alone share is 81.8%. The source-defined commute categories provide different context from household vehicle availability. Switch between working at home, public transit and driving alone below; each control retains the worker universe and the same survey period.
A state difference does not explain an employer policy
Occupation mix, industry, household circumstances and local geography can help shape reported commuting patterns. The state totals do not identify which employers allow remote work, whether workers prefer it, or which jobs could be performed remotely. They do not estimate productivity, office attendance requirements or the causal effect of a return-to-office policy. Those questions need more specific evidence.
Use the county profile for a local reporting question
A statewide share should not be assigned to every county or city in that state. County profiles use their own retained ACS observations and include the same definitions and source cells. Export the selected observation with its numerator, denominator and release ID so a future revision cannot silently change a published report. Close state differences remain descriptive because derived percentage margins of error are not calculated here.
Source tables and calculation record
Original producer: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2024 five-year detailed tables, describing 2020–2024.
Website data snapshot: apd-2026-10-01-r3. The article arithmetic uses retained
observations and documented indicator definitions; displayed percentages
are rounded, while exports preserve their underlying precision.
Census comparison guidance
explains why source product and sampling uncertainty belong in a survey
comparison.
Population Estimates Program documentation
explains the estimate framework and vintage revisions. The article
examples do not imply household-level links between separate state
totals.
Learn what household broadband subscription rates include, why cellular plans count, and how this ACS measure differs from FCC availability and measured speed.
Explore New York’s no-vehicle households alongside public transit and driving commute shares. Understand household and worker denominators in Census data.
Compare residents age 65 and older by percentage and count. Maine and Florida illustrate how service planning differs from a demographic share comparison.
