New Data: Rural Remote Workers Concentrate in Recreation Hubs

A new in-depth analysis from The Daily Yonder provides a nuanced glimpse at what is driving remote working trends in rural areas of the United States. Published in their data newsletter Rural Index, the analysis shows that while fewer remote workers live in rural areas of the U.S. than in cities overall, the concentration of rural remote workers varies significantly based on the dominant industry of the region.

Some highlights of the analysis include:

• Metropolitan workers are 75 percent more likely to work from home than rural workers
• In rural counties with recreation economies such as ski hills, hiking trails, boating, and other recreational activities, a greater share of the workforce works remotely
• Recreation-dependant counties have an average 12 percent remote workforce — but in some of these counties remote workers make up over a quarter
• Rural counties with manufacturing- and mining-dependent economies have the fewest remote workers, which make up only 6 percent of the workforce on average
• Western states and New England have the highest percentage of rural remote workers, while Alaska, Hawaii, and the Midwest have the lowest

See the full analysis, including several interactive graphs, at the link below.