Columbus likes to work from home
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A greater share of Columbus residents worked from home last year than the national and statewide average, according to new census figures.
Why it matters: Remote work is attractive because of its flexibility and savings — both time and gas money. It's also helping parents, particularly mothers, remain in the workforce.
Zoom in: Over 18% of local people ages 16 and older worked remotely as of January 2022.
The big picture: Overall, 15% of the U.S. worked from home, along with 13% of Ohioans overall, Axios' Sam Baker and Simran Parwani report.
- The percentages are much higher on the East and West coasts, and in large metro areas, but every state has more remote workers now than pre-COVID-19.
- The city with the highest share (32%) was Boulder, Colorado.
- Washington, D.C., outpaced any state's total, with over 25% of workers at home.
The other side: Mississippi has the lowest share of any state, at just 5.5%.
Between the lines: The work-from-home revolution is most entrenched in big cities with large concentrations of office buildings, and downtown economies that survived because of those buildings being full.
- Many employers are trying to lure employees back to the office, but for the most part, they haven't been very successful.
- Columbus' downtown office vacancy rate was over 21% in 2022, up from about 18% the year prior, according to a March report.
Yes, but: Our downtown foot traffic and nightlife still seem to be doing fine, likely thanks to an increasing number of downtown residents, lots of major events and lively Ohio State students.
What we're watching: Converting unused offices into housing — like what's planned for our Chase Tower — is gaining momentum across the U.S. in an attempt to keep downtowns vibrant.
📬 We want to know: What does your working arrangement look like these days? Are you back in the office by choice, or reluctantly? Full-time or part-time?
- Or, like us, are you happily working from home every day? Email [email protected].