These are the top work-from-home counties in the US
Forsyth County, Georgia took the top spot, surpassing areas in Colorado and New Mexico
Looking for a new spot to work from home? You might want to give Georgia a shot.
According to a new from the National Association of Realtors, Forsyth County, Georgia, has been dubbed the best county in the U.S. for employees to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county -- part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta metropolitan area -- is a fast-growing region, with a population that rose nearly 21% during the last five years, according to the realtors association 2020 "Work from Home" Counties report found. Roughly 11.3% of the workforce already works from home and 99% of the population is served by at least three broadband internet service providers.
The realtors association report was released at a time when more employees who are working from home rather than in an office, which experts say is likely to change demand for residential and commercial real estate between cities and suburbs.
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Even when offices reopen and a vaccine is developed, experts say many employees will still work outside of the office to some extent. This may change where employees decide to purchase their next home, said Lawrence Yun, the realtor's assocition's chief economist.
"The coronavirus pandemic greatly accelerated the number of workers who are able to work from home," said Yun. "Possibly a quarter of the labor force may be permitted to work from anywhere outside of the office even after a vaccine is discovered – compared to only 5% prior to the pandemic – and this will greatly change the landscape of where people buy homes."
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The report noted that the number of people working from home for the foreseeable future may also change the way offices are configured and where they are located to better suit the needs of employees.
"The commercial real estate outlook appears uncertain as office spaces may get smaller and organizations consider moving from having a central business district headquarters to several suburban satellite offices," Yun said.
In addition to Forsth County these are the top places employees and employers may want to consider, according to the realtors association:
Douglas County, Colo.
Douglas County is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan area. Just under 12% percent already work from home and 98% of the population is served by at least three broadband providers.
Los Alamos County, N.M.
Los Alamos County sits within the Los Alamos micropolitan area and the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas combined statistical area. To date, less than 3% of the population works from home but 68% of the workforce work in office-using industries. According to NAR, the area is also affordable with 11% of homeowners paying at least 30% of their income on a mortgage.
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Collin County, Texas
The county sits within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area. To date, 8.6% of the workforce work from home. From 2014-2019, the county's population increased 17%, indicating that it is a fast-growing county.
Loudon County, Va.
The county is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area. To date, 7.5% work from home and 44% of residents work in office-using industries. The entire population is served by at least three broadband providers.
For their results, NAR examined the current share of workers already working from home in more than 3,000 U.S. counties alongside factors such as internet connectivity, the percentage of workers in office-related jobs, home affordability, urbanization, and a county's population growth.