Working from home has been a popular option in many companies for a few years. But once the pandemic hit, many companies expanded their work-from-home option to more of their workforce. Since then, many companies have committed to keeping those jobs remote even after the pandemic ends.

Flexible Workplace Policy

Over the past decade, 83% of U.S. companies have added a “flexible workplace policy” which includes working from home. When the pandemic hit, forward-looking companies saw right way that to survive the coming economic crash, they would have to adapt to adapt their current business environment. Those that didn’t (or wouldn’t) have either went by way of the dinosaur or soon will.

What companies found who did take their workforce online is that their company expenses actually dropped as less infrastructure and office supplies are required to support those working from home. Remote employees can be more productive. A 2019 study found that employees working from home actually logged 1.4 more days per month than when they were in an office environment. And that is not all.

Because remote workers can take more breaks during their workday, their productivity increased. When working on site, 56% of office workers found ways to avoid work; this percentage dropped to 39% for remote workers. The information was compiled from employee screen use and/or mouse click tracking.

Top 5 Cities to Work from Home

Ranked in Order:

City % Working From Home 5-Year Change in Working From Home Unemployment Rate Housing Cost as % of Earnings Index
Scottsdale, AZ 14.4% 3.2% 5.9% 33.1% 100
Denver, CO 8.7% 1.4% 6.7% 39.3% 95.44
Arlington, VA 8.8% 1.4% 6.1% 35.1% 90.89
Boise, ID 7.4% 3.6% 4.2% 36.1% 87.77
Portland, OR 9.6% 2.0% 7.7% 42.4% 87.17

1. Scottsdale, AZ

  • Main Employers:
    • Honor Health
    • CVS Health
    • Scottsdale Unified School District
    • Vanguard
    • Cite of Scottsdale
    • General Dynamics Mission Systems
  • Military Installations – Luke Air Force Base

2. Denver, CO

  • Main Employers:
    • S. Government
    • State of Colorado
    • University of Colorado
    • Centura Health
    • Denver Public Schools
  • Military Installations – Buckley AFB – Denver; Peterson AFB, Fort Carson Army Base, Air Force Academy – Colorado Springs

3. Arlington, VA

  • Main Employers:
    • Virginia Hospital Center
    • Deloitte
    • Booz Allen Hamilton
    • com
    • General Dynamics Information Technology
  • Military Installations – Joint Base Andrews, Fort Belvoir, Fort Myer, National Maritime Center Coast Guard

4. Boise, ID

  • Main Employers:
    • Albertsons, Inc.
    • Blue Cross of Idaho
    • Fred Meyer
    • Hewlett-Packard Co. / HP Inc.
    • Winco Foods
  • Military Installation – Mountain Home AFB, Mountain Home, ID

5. Portland, OR

  • Main Employers:
    • S. Bank
    • Precision Castparts Corp.
    • Well Fargo
    • Daimler Trucks North America
  • Military Installation – Fairchild AFB – Spokane, WA, Yakima Training Center Army Base, Yakima, WA

The cities listed in this article are well suited to veterans working from home. The main employers listed are important if a spouse or partner expects to work outside the home and is either trained or experienced in the work done by these companies. Being close to a military installation is important for access to PX, Commissary, and other veteran services available on military installations.

Working from home is a trend that has been consistently increasing and by all indications will continue. If that is a work option you are considering, any of the five cities in this article would be good choices as locations that support working from home.

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Kness retired in November 2007 as a Senior Noncommissioned Officer after serving 36 years of service with the Minnesota Army National Guard of which 32 of those years were in a full-time status along with being a traditional guardsman. Kness takes pride in being able to still help veterans, military members, and families as they struggle through veteran and dependent education issues.