The 10 Best U.S. Cities for Remote Workers

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Young man working remotely on a laptop
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This story originally appeared on Zippia.

COVID-19 has shown many workers they are perfectly capable of doing their job from home — no lengthy, expensive commute needed.

Not only can they work remotely, they enjoy the flexibility and freedom it provides. We found 63% of workers currently working remotely prefer remote roles for the future.

However, it begs the question: In a world where workers can live anywhere, where will they live? Where should they live? Expensive studios in the Bay Area, for example, may not be the answer.

We hit the numbers to find the cities where remote workers have all the tools they need to work from home successfully and can save a bundle doing it.

San Francisco, NYC, Austin, Denver and other trendy, prominent cities didn’t make the cut.

We ranked over 1,300 cities on five metrics to determine the best cities to work remotely, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey:

  • Median rent cost
  • Median home price
  • Amount of laptops/desktops per household
  • Broadband internet access
  • Amount of existing remote workers

Many cities with high-paying jobs have high costs of living, with sky-high rent and home costs outpacing incomes. Cities with affordable housing will be a draw for remote workers looking to cut their biggest expense.

We also examined the percentage of homes with broadband internet and at least one laptop or desktop per household. When companies say their workers can work anywhere, they mean anywhere with a strong internet connection.

Following are the best cities for remote workers.

10. Shawnee, Kansas

Shawnee, Kansas
Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $966
Remote workers: 6.1%
High-speed internet: 90.0%

Shawnee, Kansas, is a quietly prosperous suburb of Kansas City. Not only do remote workers here have all the tech tools needed to do to their jobs effectively, they also reasonable prices, great schools and proximity to the larger city of Kansas City for recreation.

Shawnee may be No. 10 nationally, but it’s easy to see why it’s the best city for remote workers in Kansas.

9. Spring Hill, Tennessee

Spring Hill, Tennessee
SevenMaps / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,357
Remote workers: 8.9%
High-speed internet: 93.0%

Nashville is booming, but just outside that big Tennessee city, Spring Hill is the place to be for remote workers.

Nearly 9% of workers in Spring Hill already work from home. Why so many? Spring Hill is a tech-friendly city where 95% of residents have a personal computer and 93% of homes have high-speed internet.

8. Wesley Chapel, Florida

Wesley Chapel, Florida landscape
Aaron Alvarez / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,425
Remote workers: 9.8%
High-speed internet: 92.0%

For workers looking to leave their pricey coastal city who need to still be near the beach, Wesley Chapel will hold a special appeal. Just outside Tampa, Wesley Chapel has a strong community of remote workers and speedy internet. Even with slightly steeper rent, it’s a great option.

7. Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Lee's Summit, Missouri
SRInman / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,015
Remote workers: 7.2%
High-speed internet: 89.8%

Lee’s Summit is the seventh-best city for remote workers. With affordable rent, low home prices and great internet, what’s not to like about this Midwest city?

6. Wake Forest, North Carolina

Wake Forest, North Carolina
M T Bostic / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,083
Remote workers: 11.5%
High-speed internet: 92.3%

Nearly 12% of all workers in Wake Forest worked from home before the pandemic — more than almost anywhere else in the nation.

Not only is Wake Forest in a prime location near the city of Raleigh, Wake Forest has the tech workers needed to get the job done. Even better, it’s at a price many in expensive Northeast cities and the Bay Area would kill for.

5. Marana, Arizona

Marana, Arizona
Charles T. Peden / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,222
Remote workers: 8.1%
High-speed internet: 93.0%

In the Southwest, Marana is the best place for remote workers. There, 8.1% of workers work remotely — drawn in by affordable living and time saved commuting.

4. Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw, Georgia
Demetrius C / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,233
Remote workers: 6.1%
High-speed internet: 92.9%

Kennesaw, Georgia, is the fourth-best city for remote workers, but it may be No. 1 for people who want to wear short sleeves all year.

The average home price is $184,300, which might buy a very small shack in San Francisco.

3. Urbandale, Iowa

Urbandale, Iowa
SevenMaps / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $895
Remote workers: 6.5%
High-speed internet: 90.0%

In Iowa, Urbandale is a hidden gem for remote workers.

There, 90% of residents have high-speed internet. Add in low housing costs, and it’s easy to see why remote workers in Urbandale are smiling in their Zoom calls.

2. Gahanna, Ohio

Gahanna, Ohio waterfall
Stanley I. Vaughn III / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,052
Remote workers: 7.2%
High-speed internet: 93.7%

Gahanna, Ohio, is the second-best city for remote workers in the country.

Remote workers who relocate to Gahanna may have reverse sticker shock when they see $1,052 is the average rent cost. They can take the money they save on rent and spend it at the cute shops in Gahanna or in nearby Columbus.

1. Fishers, Indiana

Fishers, Indiana barn
Manas K / Shutterstock.com

Median rent: $1,222
Remote workers: 8.8%
High-speed internet: 95.4%

A short drive from Indianapolis, Fishers, Indiana, is the nation’s best city for remote workers.

In Fishers, 8.8% of workers work remotely, more than almost anywhere else in the nation.

They do so due to affordable housing costs and a strong tech infrastructure that gives them all the support they need to do their jobs from home.

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