There is truly no place like home, especially when you enjoy being there. While the average time spent at home varies widely from person to person, there has been a steady decline in out-of-home activities, even before the pandemic. With the unprecedented shift to remote work, staying home has become an increasingly viable option.
At Rove Lab, we are passionate about understanding how people interact with their homes and what they value in their daily lives. To learn more, we analyzed time-use statistics from the University of Minnesota’s Integrated Public Use Microdata Series and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to determine where people spend the most time at home across the U.S. We created a composite score for each state that reflects the time spent on everyday activities at home and on working from home. Here are the results of our study:
How Much Time Do Americans Spend at Home?
Americans spend a considerable portion of their day at home, averaging about 18 hours per day, including sleep. While the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed how and where we spend our time, the trend toward being homebound began many years earlier. Data show that Americans are spending nearly 1.5 hours less outside their homes than in 2003, a change undoubtedly accelerated by advances in technology.
So, how do Americans spend their time at home? Insights from the ATUS reveal that on a typical day, 80% of Americans participate in household activities such as housework, lawn care, cooking, or managing household tasks. Additionally, 94% engaged in leisure activities like watching television, socializing, playing games, or exercising.
Watching television is one of the most popular ways for Americans to relax at home. According to the ATUS, Americans spend an average of 3.57 hours per day watching television. This means they spend more time watching TV than on household activities, which average about 2.5 hours per day.
Which State Spends the Most Time at Home?
Overall, people in New Jersey spend the most time at home. One primary reason for this is the high percentage of remote workers. New Jersey has been described as a work-from-home leader in the United States. But why are there so many remote workers in New Jersey?
Jim Hughes, dean emeritus of Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, suggests that factors such as long commute times, the state’s proximity to New York City, and the highly professional nature of its workforce contribute to New Jersey’s popularity for remote work. Additionally, the higher the educational level in a state, the more likely it is to have professionals in occupations that can be performed remotely. In New Jersey, 42.9% of residents hold at least a bachelor’s degree, the fourth-highest undergraduate attainment rate in the country. Many of these bachelor’s degrees lead to jobs in the professional, business, and communications sectors that are well-suited to telecommuting.
While New Jersey ranks high in the time people spend working from home, it also ranks high in the average percentage of the day spent at home and the average daily minutes spent at home.
Which State Spends the Least Time at Home?
Our analysis found that people in Wyoming spend the least time at home of any state. This trend aligns with Wyoming’s low rate of remote workers. Key industries in Wyoming, such as mining, tourism, and agriculture, typically require in-person, labor-intensive work that demands extended hours, long commutes, and sometimes live-in job sites. Additionally, Wyoming is known for its stunning natural landscapes, which likely encourage residents to seek outdoor adventures away from home.
Why It Matters to Rove Lab
At Rove Lab, we recognize the value of time spent at home. To enhance this precious time, we proudly offer a modern range of products that blend functionality with style. Inspired by art and design, our sofas and sectionals can transform any space into a comfortable, creative sanctuary that reflects your unique vision. Sustainability is also a priority; through our Carbon Control Initiative, we ensure that delivering our furniture results in six times fewer emissions than traditional sofas. We strive to create a healthier planet that benefits both people and pets. Another enjoyable aspect of leisure time at home is the company of our beloved furry friends, who can also relax in style with our SmartFoam pet beds. No matter how you choose to spend your time, we hope it is in a space you truly love.
Where Do People Spend the Most Time at Home in the U.S.?
Where people spend the most time at home was determined by analyzing data from the American Time Use Survey, which tracks how people spend their day. The analysis focused on everyday at-home activities, including sleeping, personal care, eating, cleaning, socializing, relaxing, watching TV, reading, playing games, pursuing hobbies, and exercising. We tallied the average number of minutes people in each state spent doing these activities at home in a day. Additionally, the percentage of the state population working remotely was included to identify states where people would be home more often.
To identify the states where people spend the most time at home, we combined the two independent 1–50 rankings, then used the sum of the ranks to create a composite score. To improve differentiation among states and minimize tied outcomes, the Time Use rankings were given a slightly higher weight (10%) than the Remote Work rankings when calculating the composite score. States with the lowest combined scores are those where residents spend substantial time at home and have a high concentration of remote workers.
|
Average Percentage of Day Spent at Home in 2024 |
Average Daily Minutes Spent at Home |
Rank |
State |
Percentage of People Who Worked Some Hours From Home |
Percentage of People Who Worked All Hours From Home |
Total Percentage of People Who Worked From Home in 2024 (Some or All Hours) |
Composite Score |
|
79.5% |
1,145 |
1 |
New Jersey |
15.9% |
11.2% |
27.1% |
17.9 |
|
79.0% |
1,137 |
2 |
Oregon |
14.1% |
15.3% |
29.3% |
22.6 |
|
79.5% |
1,145 |
3 |
Maine |
11.9% |
11.6% |
23.5% |
25.8 |
|
78.4% |
1,129 |
4 |
Maryland |
16.3% |
14.1% |
30.4% |
28.2 |
|
79.7% |
1,147 |
5 |
North Carolina |
10.7% |
11.3% |
22.0% |
28.6 |
|
83.7% |
1,205 |
6 |
Montana |
10.6% |
10.0% |
20.6% |
29.1 |
|
78.3% |
1,127 |
7 |
Massachusetts |
18.9% |
12.6% |
31.4% |
29.5 |
|
79.7% |
1,148 |
8 |
Michigan |
11.9% |
9.3% |
21.2% |
31.5 |
|
78.4% |
1,129 |
9 |
California |
14.1% |
11.4% |
25.5% |
37.1 |
|
79.0% |
1,138 |
10 |
Georgia |
10.6% |
11.6% |
22.3% |
37.5 |
|
78.6% |
1,131 |
11 |
Pennsylvania |
12.3% |
11.5% |
23.8% |
38.0 |
|
78.8% |
1,135 |
12 |
Delaware |
11.6% |
10.7% |
22.4% |
38.7 |
|
79.2% |
1,141 |
13 |
Ohio |
11.4% |
9.9% |
21.3% |
39.3 |
|
77.1% |
1,110 |
14 |
Washington |
16.3% |
14.5% |
30.8% |
41.5 |
|
79.3% |
1,141 |
15 |
Idaho |
9.1% |
10.6% |
19.7% |
43.2 |
|
76.6% |
1,103 |
16 |
Colorado |
16.6% |
15.7% |
32.4% |
45.0 |
|
77.2% |
1,111 |
17 |
Utah |
13.2% |
13.6% |
26.8% |
45.3 |
|
80.3% |
1,156 |
18 |
Kentucky |
8.1% |
7.5% |
15.6% |
45.4 |
|
79.6% |
1,146 |
19 |
Nevada |
6.5% |
9.7% |
16.1% |
45.7 |
|
76.9% |
1,108 |
20 |
Virginia |
15.1% |
13.5% |
28.6% |
46.7 |
|
77.6% |
1,118 |
21 |
New Hampshire |
12.8% |
13.2% |
26.0% |
47.2 |
|
79.1% |
1,139 |
22 |
South Carolina |
8.7% |
9.6% |
18.2% |
48.4 |
|
77.7% |
1,119 |
23 |
Connecticut |
16.2% |
9.0% |
25.2% |
49.1 |
|
82.5% |
1,188 |
24 |
West Virginia |
5.9% |
6.5% |
12.3% |
49.2 |
|
78.4% |
1,129 |
25 |
Missouri |
11.7% |
10.0% |
21.8% |
50.4 |
|
78.8% |
1,134 |
26 |
Florida |
7.7% |
11.3% |
19.0% |
51.8 |
|
76.5% |
1,101 |
27 |
Arizona |
12.6% |
14.9% |
27.5% |
52.1 |
|
80.7% |
1,163 |
28 |
Mississippi |
2.9% |
4.4% |
7.3% |
53.3 |
|
79.3% |
1,142 |
29 |
Oklahoma |
7.6% |
7.1% |
14.7% |
54.1 |
|
76.7% |
1,105 |
30 |
Minnesota |
14.5% |
11.4% |
25.9% |
55.9 |
|
79.4% |
1,144 |
31 |
Louisiana |
6.5% |
6.3% |
12.8% |
57.0 |
|
76.0% |
1,095 |
32 |
Illinois |
14.5% |
11.8% |
26.3% |
57.3 |
|
76.9% |
1,108 |
33 |
Texas |
10.8% |
11.7% |
22.5% |
58.6 |
|
78.0% |
1,123 |
34 |
Kansas |
11.3% |
9.0% |
20.3% |
58.7 |
|
77.8% |
1,121 |
35 |
New York |
12.8% |
8.4% |
21.2% |
58.9 |
|
77.8% |
1,121 |
36 |
Tennessee |
9.0% |
10.5% |
19.5% |
64.0 |
|
78.8% |
1,134 |
37 |
North Dakota |
7.9% |
6.5% |
14.3% |
64.9 |
|
74.3% |
1,070 |
38 |
Vermont |
14.0% |
12.3% |
26.3% |
66.0 |
|
78.2% |
1,126 |
39 |
Hawaii |
8.9% |
6.8% |
15.8% |
67.6 |
|
75.5% |
1,087 |
40 |
Rhode Island |
14.1% |
9.2% |
23.4% |
70.8 |
|
75.9% |
1,092 |
41 |
Wisconsin |
11.8% |
10.1% |
21.9% |
71.4 |
|
78.4% |
1,129 |
42 |
Arkansas |
6.0% |
5.6% |
11.6% |
73.3 |
|
77.9% |
1,122 |
43 |
Alabama |
4.4% |
6.3% |
10.7% |
79.8 |
|
77.1% |
1,110 |
44 |
South Dakota |
7.7% |
6.8% |
14.6% |
80.4 |
|
76.9% |
1,107 |
45 |
Iowa |
8.9% |
6.8% |
15.7% |
81.8 |
|
76.3% |
1,098 |
46 |
New Mexico |
8.5% |
8.9% |
17.4% |
82.2 |
|
75.8% |
1,092 |
47 |
Indiana |
10.3% |
7.9% |
18.2% |
83.5 |
|
75.6% |
1,088 |
48 |
Alaska |
9.5% |
7.2% |
16.8% |
88.7 |
|
75.0% |
1,080 |
49 |
Nebraska |
9.6% |
8.7% |
18.2% |
88.9 |
|
75.7% |
1,091 |
50 |
Wyoming |
6.4% |
7.1% |
13.5% |
95.6 |
Sources:
IPUMS Time Use Survey:
Sarah M. Flood, Liana C. Sayer, and Daniel Backman. American Time Use Survey Data Extract Builder: Version 3.3 [dataset]. College Park, MD: University of Maryland and Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18128/D060.V3.3
BLS Current Population Survey
https://www.bls.gov/lau/additional-state-cps-data.htm