With remote work now the norm in many companies, employees can choose their address based on lifestyle, not commute. So where are the best cities in America for remote workers?
Atlanta, take a bow. The Big Peach earned its top spot on the list of 2024’s most affordable cities for its stable economy, low unemployment rate, and remote work factors such as speedy internet and numerous coworking spaces. Runners up included Cary, North Carolina for its high remote work score; Seattle for its great connectivity; and Bellevue, Washington for high median earnings (in excess of $92,000 per year).
The review of almost 200 U.S. cities was conducted by Coworking Café, and examined a number of factors in each city, from remote work metrics and the local economy and affordability to median yearly income, cost of living, and coworking prices.
Coworking Café’s top 10 affordable cities for remote workers are:
- Atlanta: Called “the ultimate haven for remote workers,” the city mixes strong economic factors with great quality of life. During the day, workers take advantage of the high density of coworking spaces (118 spaces, at 24 per 100,000), great public wi-fi, and two major airports within 70 miles, while at night they can enjoy the reasons why Atlanta was ranked sixth in entertainment destinations.
- Cary, North Carolina: The city is nicknamed “Containment Area for Relocated Yankees” for good reason: 41% of the workforce is remote (the highest in the study), the city has a suburban feel and affordable living (median yearly income is only $63,000) with an unemployment rate of only 1.6% (the second lowest in the study).
- Seattle: The Emerald City fires on all cylinders, as 36% of its workforce is remote, the median yearly income is more than $73,000 with an unemployment rate at only 3.3%, and it has the highest public wi-fi density at top speed, all topped off by five airports within 70 miles.
- Frisco, Texas: Remote work meets economic stability in this part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. More than 40% of Frisco’s workforce is remote, with a median yearly income of $72,000, and unemployment at 2.4%, plus excellent broadband coverage and three airports within 70 miles.
- Bellevue, Washington: Seattle’s neighbor comes in third in remote work with 39% of its workforce remote, a median yearly income of $92,000 (second-highest in the study), and one of the best broadband coverages in the country.
- Scottsdale, Arizona: With more than 33% of its workforce remote, unemployment at only 2.6%, and 12 coworking spaces per 100,000 residents, the Beverly Hills of the Desert scores sixth here and second on Coworking Café’s list of coworking suburbs.
- Arlington, Virginia: The first Virginia city on the list has 36% of its workforce remote, the fourth-highest median yearly income in the study ($87,000) with a 2% unemployment rate, plus reliable broadband, and a walkable city.
- Denver: With solid scores in all four categories, Denver combines good broadband (ninth in the study) and public wi-fi density (10th) with coworking space density (12 per 100,000), and a high entertainment score.
- Alexandria, Virginia: A high median yearly income ($76,000), one of the lowest unemployment rates (2%), and the ninth-highest coworking density (13 per 100,000) all make George Washington’s adopted hometown a great place to work.
- Carlsbad, California: The only California city on the list rounds out the top 10 with more than 33% of its workforce remote, the fourth-highest median yearly income ($82,000), reliable broadband, and a solid walkability score.
For the study, Coworking Café examined U.S. cities with at least 100,000 residents, breaking down the metrics into categories for economy (45% of total score), remote work (30%), connectivity (15%), and infrastructure (10%).
