Cary, N.C. Is Hottest Remote Work City In U.S.

Many employers around the world are offering greater flexibility, with hybrid work leading as the preferred work model in countries like the U.K. Fully remote work is not disappearing, but many looking for these jobs may be wondering where they have gone.  

A recent study published by SmartAsset examined remote work trends in 344 large U.S. cities, and the data revealed that Cary, N.C., has the highest percentage of remote workers with 41.4% of its workers working from home.  

Tech hubs like Bellevue, and Seattle, WA, also rank high on the list, with over 35% of their workforce working remotely. Additionally, three California cities rank prominently in the top 10 on the list, but they also have the longest commute times for in-office workers. In contrast, cities like Beaumont and Odessa in Texas have the lowest rates of remote workers, under 3.8%.  

The study used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and focused on cities with populations over 100,000. 

The top 10 cities with the largest percentage of remote workforce were: 

1. Cary, N.C. – 41.4%  
2. Frisco, Texas – 39.7%  
3. Bellevue, Wash. – 38.7%  
4. Berkeley, Calif. – 36.4% 
5. Seattle, Wash. – 36.0%  
6. Arlington, Va. – 35.8%  
7. Fremont, Calif. – 35.2% 
8. Scottsdale, Ariz. – 34.0%  
9. Carlsbad, Calif. – 33.8%   
10. Washington, D.C.  – 33.8% 

Employers based in major cities with high remote work percentages could be catering to workers looking to improve their work-life balance — as part of their attraction and retention efforts. This is also influencing surrounding local economies and real estate markets by cutting commutes into commercial areas.