Remote work continues to transform how Americans live, with lasting impacts on housing choices, migration patterns, and work-life priorities. Our latest survey reveals that 20% of remote workers plan to relocate in 2025, signaling a continued reshaping of America's residential landscape to a more dispersed, less concentrated model.
2025 Migration outlook: urban flight, buying homes, moving to Texas
Despite economic uncertainties, 1 in 5 remote workers plan to move in 2025. The cost of living (37%) remains a significant motivator for relocating. "Change of scene" has emerged as a primary driver, with 43% of potential movers citing it as their reason for relocating.
Housing ownership is also fueling migration. 29% of those planning to move are doing so to buy a house. Family connections remain important, with 24% relocating to be closer to family and friends. 14% cite political reasons for their move.
The suburban dream continues to dominate. Nearly half (49%) of those planning to move in 2025 are heading to suburban areas. By comparison, only 29% are relocating to urban settings and only 22% are moving to rural areas.
Top states remote workers are fleeing
- Florida (9.5%)
- California (9.5%)
- Texas (6.5%)
- Illinois (6.5%)
- New York (6%)
Top states remote workers are flocking to
- Texas (12.3%)
- California (9.4%)
- Florida (8.4%)
- Virginia (4.4%)
- Arizona (3.9%)
Top 3 urban centers attracting remote workers
- Chicago, IL
- Seattle, WA
- Arlington, VA (Washington, DC)
RTO limbo causing personal and professional paralysis
Post-pandemic Return to Office (RTO) mandates have become a major story over the past two years. These mandates require employees hired as remote workers to come into the office in either a remote/hybrid work model or full-time capacity.
Among remote workers surveyed, this translates into personal and professional paralysis:
- 12% are putting off purchasing a home due to potential future RTO mandates.
- 9% are postponing moving to a new place due to anxiety around RTO.
- 22% feel they must live within commuting distance of their offices despite working fully remotely.
This changing face of remote work can uproot lives. Predictably, many remote workers are desperate to keep their flexible status. 59% of workers would accept lower salaries to guarantee permanent remote work. 56% admit to staying at jobs they don't like because of their remote team status.
An overwhelming 86% of companies now have official policies supporting fully remote work. Only 8.6% of workers have personally negotiated remote arrangements despite no official policy. 5.5% report their employers expect a return to office at some point.
Despite the widespread acceptance of remote work, job security concerns remain high. 75% of workers are worried about finding another remote position if they quit given contemporary hiring trends.
The threat of losing remote work flexibility creates anxiety for a third of workers (33%) and would prompt strong reactions if mandated:
- 58% would attempt to negotiate continued remote arrangements
- 30% would quit outright to find another remote position
- 12% would comply with a return-to-office mandate
Remote workers are driving real estate trends
Remote work is reshaping housing requirements for nearly a third of workers. 32% of remote workers report their real estate needs have changed since transitioning to remote work.
The need for home offices tops the list of changed housing requirements (24%), followed by the need for quiet space (19%) and more space overall (19%). Outdoor access has also become more important: 11% of remote workers say they want a backyard. 54% report no change to their housing needs.
These changing needs have translated into action. 31.7% of remote workers have invested in significant home modifications for remote work, including dedicated offices and renovations.
2024 Migration patterns: Out of the cities and into the suburbs
Looking back at 2024, approximately 21% of remote workers relocated. 10% moved within their state, 10% moved to a different state, and a small fraction (0.7%) relocated internationally. The majority (79%) stayed in the same place.
Top drivers of relocation:
- Cost of living (40%)
- Family (39%)
- Better lifestyle/weather/amenities (36%)
- More living space (30%)
- Work/life balance (23%)
- Politics (10%)
The suburban shift also dominated 2024 migration patterns. 53% of movers chose suburban areas. By comparison, 30% moved to urban locations and 17% to rural settings. Single-family homes were the most popular housing choice (50%), followed by apartments/condos (31%) and townhomes/duplexes (10%). A small percentage chose multi-family homes (3%) or tiny homes (2%).
For 41% of movers, transit accessibility was no longer a priority. This highlights how remote work has shifted many white-collar workers from urban centers to a more dispersed national model.
The digital nomad lifestyle and future plans: 1 in 3 considering digital nomadism for 2025
Remote work has sparked interest in more flexible living arrangements. 5% of respondents say they live abroad and work remotely. An additional 33% are considering transitioning to the digital nomad lifestyle. However, a majority (62%) say they prefer to maintain a stable home base.
Remote workers are taking advantage of their location flexibility. 7% regularly work from different locations and 41% do so occasionally. Just over half (52%) stay primarily in one place.
Looking ahead five years, 46% of remote workers plan to stay put. 30% anticipate moving again within the US. 5% expect to move internationally. Nearly one-fifth (19%) remain unsure about their future living arrangements.
For those who relocated due to remote work, the financial impact has been largely positive or neutral. One-quarter (25%) experienced a cost of living decrease, 8% saw an increase, and 66% reported no significant change. Additionally, remote work has enabled 20% of workers to live in places they otherwise couldn't afford.
Methodology
This survey was conducted among 1,002 fully remote workers across the United States, with 62% identifying as tech workers. Respondents included 49% women, 50% men, and 1% nonbinary individuals. Ages ranged from 18 to 74 with an average age of 42.