Best Counties for Remote Workers (2026)

Remote work has fundamentally changed where Americans can live. No longer tethered to expensive coastal cities, remote workers can prioritize affordability, health outcomes, and quality of life while maintaining their salary. We built a remote worker index that combines three factors that matter most to location-independent professionals: cost of living (35%), income potential (35%), and health outcomes (30%).

The top county for remote workers is Burke County, North Dakota, with a remote worker score of 86.5. These are places where your salary goes further, healthcare access is strong, and the cost of living lets you actually save money.

The 50 Best Counties for Remote Workers (2026)

Our remote worker score combines cost of living, income, and health into a single metric optimized for professionals who can work from anywhere.

The Northern Plains Advantage

The geographic pattern is clear: North Dakota (16 counties), South Dakota (8 counties), Nebraska (7 counties), Iowa (7 counties), Minnesota (4 counties) dominate the remote worker rankings. North Dakota and Nebraska in particular stand out, offering an unusual combination of high median incomes, low living costs, and strong health metrics.

Remote workers earning $100,000+ from tech or finance roles can live exceptionally well in these counties. Median home values often fall in the $150,000-$250,000 range — less than a quarter of what the same home would cost in San Francisco or New York. The resulting disposable income advantage is transformative.

Why Health Matters for Remote Workers

Health outcomes may seem secondary to cost and income, but they matter deeply for remote professionals. Counties with strong health metrics tend to have lower insurance premiums, better access to primary care, and higher life expectancy. For remote workers who may not have access to employer-sponsored health networks, local healthcare quality becomes critical.

Many of the top counties also have low uninsured rates and strong mental health provider ratios — important factors for professionals working in isolation.

Methodology

The remote worker score is a weighted composite of three CountyScore dimensions: Cost of Living (35%), Income (35%), and Health (30%). Each component uses percentile-rank scoring on a 0-100 scale. Cost and income data come from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2019-2023). Health data comes from CDC County Health Rankings (2024).