15 states with the most remote jobs

Given that remote work is commute-free and possible from the comfort of our homes, it continues to be a big draw for workers across the U.S. But can Americans truly work from anywhere?

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of remote job postings increased by 12%, according to Flexjobs, a search site for flexible and remote work. And yet, 95% of remote jobs have location or geographic requirements. This means if workers want a shot at a remote job offer, they need to be in the right place — so Flexjobs looked at all 50 states and Washington D.C., ranking them based on the ratio of available remote jobs to active job seekers per state. 

“People tend to think of remote positions as being the same as “work from anywhere” jobs,” says Toni Frana, career services manager at FlexJobs. “But there are many reasons for companies to have a location requirement even for remote jobs, including the desire for employees to be within the same region and time zone for meetings with team members and clients, and various legal and tax considerations they must follow.” 

Read more: HR 101: 7 steps for onboarding in a virtual workplace

Flexjobs looked at tens of thousands of jobs in its database. Frana notes that their methodology favored states with smaller populations but active local economies since there would be less labor competition. Rhode Island topped the list, followed by many other states on the East Coast. On the other hand, southern states and states on the West Coast did not make it to the top of the list. 

Here are the 15 states with the most remote jobs, according to Flexjobs.