Number of U.S. digital nomads 2019-2023

Digital nomads generally combine remote work and travel for various reasons and lengths of time. Passionate about traveling and new adventures, they know how to make the most of new technologies and only need an internet connection to work from anywhere in the world. According to the source, the number of digital nomads in the United States continuously increased over the last three years and reached 17.3 million as of mid-2023, ten million more than in 2019. This upward trend was partially driven by the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on working habits.

Remote work trends

Remote work will likely increase in the coming years, its flexibility being particularly appreciated by a significant part of the working population. A global survey found that around 25 percent of respondents mentioned the flexibility to work from any location as the main remote work benefit in both 2020 and 2021, suggesting that digital nomadism is a growing trend. This is also reflected in the number of Americans aspiring to be digital nomads over the next two or three years, which rose by approximately three million between 2019 and 2020. The growing number of VanLifers in the United States – who are part of the digital nomad population – is further evidence that a portion of the working population is reviewing their way of working and overall lifestyle. In 2021, the number of U.S. VanLifers amounted to over 2.5 million.

Who are the U.S. digital nomads?

Given their connectedness, their thirst for discovery, and their increased mobility, it is not surprising that U.S. digital nomads were mostly represented in 2022 by the generation of millennials - also known as the generation of digital natives or generation Y – which is precisely characterized by these personality traits. Looking at the job status of U.S. digital nomads, an August 2023 survey revealed that around ten million of them held traditional jobs, while 6.6 million were independent workers.