Kastle Systems Data Reveals Which Cities Are Seeing A Successful Office Return

Kastle Systems has revealed which states are having the most success in office-return rates using data from employee badge swipes and keycard usage during the work week ending on April 20. 

Taking findings from 2,600 buildings it manages across 47 states, the firm was able to determine which regions of the country are seeing a greater return, which may provide insight into what other areas may need to do if they want to reach similar levels. 

Notably, Texas commanded the top five cities with the largest office return, indicating that its lax approach to Covid restrictions has allowed it to rebound in terms of footfalls within the workspace. 

The top five cities for office occupancy included: 

1. Austin (58.8%) 
2. Houston (50.9%) 
3. Dallas (49%) 
4. Los Angeles (39.8%) 
5. Chicago (37%) 

Even more, because Kastle’s data does not take into account government workers who were executive ordered to return full-time last March, occupancy levels are likely much higher in Texas. 

Austin has quickly become a hub of entrepreneurism and technology giants over the last few years, with the likes of Amazon, Apple, and Meta all opening new offices in the city.  

The view in other major cities was much different. New York City saw a 33% office occupancy during the same period, while San Jose saw just a 31% occupancy. 

Cities with the lowest office occupancy included:

1. San Jose (31%) 
2. New York City (32.9%) 
3. San Francisco (33.4%) 
4. Philadelphia (35.3%) 
5. Washington D.C. (36.6%)