U.S. workers living farther from office post-pandemic, study finds
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A new study reveals a significant shift in the living patterns of American workers, with remote and hybrid work arrangements allowing white-collar employees to live substantially further from their workplaces than before the pandemic.
The research by Stanford University and payroll provider Gusto analyzed data from nearly 6,000 employers across the U.S. and found the average distance between homes and offices more than doubled to 27 miles in 2023 from 10 miles in 2019.
The share of people living over 50 miles from their workplace increased sevenfold to 5.5% in 2023, up from just 0.8% pre-pandemic. This trend is concentrated among high-income earners over $100,000 in fields like tech, finance, law, and marketing.
📍 US employees now live almost three times as far, on average, from their employers than before the pandemic.
💡 Dig into the study that Gusto co-authored with @Stanford + @ITAM_mx economists to learn more: https://t.co/oKmaUkco91 pic.twitter.com/LatECDL5f5
— Gusto (@GustoHQ) March 5, 2024
Urban scholars like Richard Florida view this as an extension of a long-standing preference for suburban living among higher-income earners, intensified by the pandemic’s push towards remote work.
This trend sees employees like Verna Coleman, a media professional, accepting “super commutes” from cities like Cincinnati to New York for the benefits of cheaper housing and more space.
“It’s only an hour-and-a-half flight, so I frequently cite to people it’s a shorter flight than driving across the George Washington Bridge and sitting in traffic for two and a half hours,” she said in a New York Times interview.
“I take a 6 a.m. flight from Cincinnati, and I’m normally at my desk before 9.”
Virginia Martin, a 37-year-old librarian at Duke University, also moved from Durham, North Carolina to her hometown Richmond, Virginia, increasing the distance to her workplace from 2.5 miles to 156 miles. This move enabled her to raise her children with family support while maintaining professional connections remotely.
While benefiting some workers, the zip code shift poses challenges for urban cores losing daytime foot traffic and tax revenues or a “doom loop.”
Florida suggests transforming downtown regions into destinations for entertainment, culture, and socializing, aiming to revitalize these areas amidst changing work and living patterns.
Another expert, Dan Luscher, believes that economic activity will ultimately relocate to employees’ new residential hubs. “People are social animals… They’re going to be making that place more vibrant. The activity will shift, but it doesn’t go away,” he said.
