This city has the most remote workers in Illinois. See 5 work-from-home jobs
A Chicago suburb has the greatest percentage of remote workers in the state and the 12th most in the nation, according to a recent report.
A Jan. 23 analysis from financial website SmartAsset, “Where Most People Work From Home – 2026 Study,” named Naperville the top city in Illinois and the 12th in the U.S. for the greatest percentage of remote workers, at 25.59%.
The report found Naperville has 20,251 remote workers, although the figure was down from 2023, when 27.88% of employed residents worked remotely.
“Between 2023 and 2024, remote work actually declined in large U.S. cities, going from 15.7% of workers to 13.45%,” the SmartAsset analysis reads.
Remote work options have steadily declined since the burst in popularity at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, LinkedIn News reports. In October 2020, 46% of workers were remote, while only 26% were remote in February 2025.
Gallup reports out of “remote-capable” jobs in the U.S., 26% of them are exclusively remote, and 52% are hybrid as of November 2025, the most recent month available.
SmartAsset evaluated 357 U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 resident or more, and used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 1-Year Community Survey for 2024 to compare the cities on the greatest percentage of remote employees out of all workers ages 16 and older.
Here’s how the top 10 U.S. cities for remote work compared, according to SmartAsset:
1. Frisco, Texas: 33.69% of workers are remote
2. Berkeley, Calif.: 31.49%
3. Cary, N.C.: 30.58%
4. Boulder, Colo.: 29.75%
5. Scottsdale, Ariz.: 27.97%
6. Arlington, Va.: 26.77%
7. McKinney, Texas: 26.74%
8. Fishers, Ind.: 26.66%
9. Boca Raton, Fla.: 25.87%
10. Carlsbad, Calif.: 25.74%
Remote jobs for those living in the metro-east
Although no metro-east spots made SmartAsset’s list for the cities with the most remote workers, there are a variety of remote positions available to residents across Illinois, including the Belleville area. Here’s an overview of five open positions advertising remote work.
Remote job listings in Illinois
- 2-1-1 Navigation Center Agent: The United Way of Greater St. Louis is hiring a specialist to field phone, email and online chat inquiries from people searching for resources. The job listing advertises remote work, but candidates must live in the St. Louis metropolitan area, including southwest Illinois. Advertised hourly pay is $19.85.
- Digital forum specialist: Rankings.io, a Marion-based marketing company for personal injury lawyers, is hiring a remote digital forum specialist. The company was named among Inc.com’s “best workplaces” in 2025. The advertised starting salary is $75,000; experience is required.
- Photo editor: Major League Baseball is hiring a part-time, seasonal photo editor for remote work in the U.S. Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Photo Mechanic and more programs is required. The advertised pay range is $20 to $25 per hour.
- Service & Solution Architect: This full-time position with Chicago-based software company Axanexa advertises remote work. The job’s Indeed listing says it has a starting pay of $80,000 per year.
- Social media manager: Marketing firm Hot House Digital is hiring for a “mostly remote” position with “occasional on-site content days” for a candidate who lives in or near the St. Louis metro area. The listing advertises flexible scheduling and a pay range of $18 to $28 per hour.
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