Earn well, live cheap

More Americans are abandoning the commuting rat race for working at home.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – High gas prices, traffic tie-ups, expensive housing – who needs it? Most Americans, if they want a good paying job.

But an increasing number of people are opting out by telecommuting, giving them access to companies in high-paycheck areas while at the same time being able to live in areas with more reasonably priced real estate.

“You can now earn a New York salary and live in a much less expensive place,” says Chris Miller, executive director of the Creative Coast Initiative, a non-profit organization that promotes the advantages of Savannah, Georgia, which attracts many telecommuters with Atlanta-based companies.

More than 12 million Americans now telecommute full-time, according to the Dieringer Research Group, which recently surveyed the trend for the International Telework Association & Council. Another 10 million telecommute at least one day a week.

CNN/Money