Working from home is a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. In fact, it seems as though more and more companies are adapting their offices and tasks to make working from home more plausible for their employees. This cuts down on costs for employers and makes employees happy, working from the comfort of their own homes.
Because this trend is growing, it’s possible for you to live anywhere you want, in any city you want, depending on your occupation. This begs the questions: What’s the best possible city to work in when you work out of your home? This list takes into account Internet speed, cost of living, the general happiness of citizens and even more.
The Best Cities to Work From Home
1. San Francisco
San Francisco is the perfect place to live if you work from home. It’s a fantastic city with a mild climate. Cost of living can get pretty expensive, but the city still offers fast Internet, great businesses and companies to work for, along with beautiful views and delicious food. The city is even working on getting Internet connections on public transportation vehicles.
2. Washington, D.C.
Working for the government has never been easier. There are actually laws in place that mandate government agencies to allow their employees to work from home, so naturally, living there is a great place for a telecommuter. The access to the Internet and the fact that it’s a pretty cool city doesn’t hurt either.
3. Boston
Boston comes pretty close to the top of almost every list of the best telecommuter cities. In fact, Boston topped a lot of other major telecommuter cities in a survey commissioned by Microsoft.
Among the report’s finding:
- Most responders said they were more productive when working from home.
- The top complaint listed was the lack of face-to-face interaction with colleagues.
- Fewer than half of the companies surveyed had telecommuting policies.
- Within those companies that did have such policies, a little more than a third of workers took advantage of the opportunity. Those workers listed achieving work-home balance, saving on gasoline and avoiding long commutes as their top reasons for telecommuting.
Not only is Boston a beautiful city and rich in history, it was also named one of the coziest cities to live in. Enjoy working from home in the cozy city of Boston.
4. Chattanooga, Tennessee
At the very top of Broadband Now’s list of best cities to work from home is Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s no wonder, because 66% of the 540,000 people living in Chattanooga have access to some very fast Internet speeds. Add in the charm that Chattanooga has plus the low cost of living, and it’s no wonder that telecommuters absolutely love working in this city.
5. Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas
Since the metropolis of Kansas City reaches into two different states, you can have your pick of Midwestern living. Kansas City also comes close to the top of Broadband Now’s list of telecommuter cities. Recently, Google Fiber was installed in the city, which makes the broadband speed 133% faster than in other cities in America. It’s hard to beat that.
As for Kansas City itself, it is home to several sports teams and big corporations. Plus, there’s nothing like Kansas City barbeque! This would be an excellent place to call home.
6. Virginia Beach, Virginia
If beach living is your calling, Virginia is a great place to settle down. Since 63% of its residents can access Verizon FiOS’s fiber-to-the-home, you can be sure to appreciate the beach views even more as you lounge on the boardwalk and work.
7. Phoenix
If technology is your area of expertise, you may want to consider living in Phoenix. It’s home to several tech conferences, like the Catalyst Conference which will be hosted by Girls in Tech this year. Don’t worry about the travel costs and still enjoy an educational conference. Plus, if you aren’t crazy about the winter cold, Phoenix is a great place to live.
8. Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City was voted one of the best places to find a job, so if you’re looking for one, you may want consider this city. If you’re into the outdoors, Salt Lake City has plenty of opportunities for biking, hiking and adventure sports. After a hard day at work inside, you’ll be able to enjoy some exercise outside. Don’t forget your skis.
9. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Another place known for its fitness component, Colorado Springs is a beautiful place to live. Colorado Springs has more than 40 Internet providers, so you will have plenty to choose from as you set up your home office.
10. Cedar Falls, Iowa
Amazingly enough, Cedar Falls, Iowa, has 100% fiber optic coverage in the city. If you don’t want to live in a huge metropolitan area, the city only has 40,000 residents. You won’t feel like you’re being crowded, plus the cost of living is fantastic. Since fiber optics are the fastest form of broadband Internet technology, you’ll be able to upload and download files in no time. Plus, Netflix won’t take nearly as long to buffer.
11. Syracuse, New York
While New York City is a pretty cool place to live, you may enjoy Syracuse a little bit more. It’s super close to the city that never sleeps, but the prices you’ll pay for real estate and other necessities will be so much cheaper. It’s the perfect place to telecommute, especially if your company is based out of New York City.
12. Austin, Texas
If you want to telecommute from a city rich in culture and music, you may want to consider living in Austin, Texas. Ranked as the 10th healthiest city in America, you might also be doing yourself a favor if you want to get fit. Not to mention, Austin was given a solid A when it comes to being one of the happiest cities in the United States.
These American cities may be great for some telecommuters, but maybe if your job allowed you to live anywhere, you would choose a foreign country. Check out these top three cities to telecommute in different countries.
13. Vancouver, Canada
It may be very expensive to live there, but Vancouver constantly shows up on best cities lists. With a nice climate and beautiful views, it’s not hard to see why people really think it’s the best place to live. If you want to work from Vancouver, you won’t have too much of a culture shock. It’s an English-speaking city, so there won’t be a language barrier. If you are environmentally conscious, you’ll be pleased to know that Vancouver is ranked the 10th cleanest city in the world.
14. Copenhagen, Denmark
Known for its great health care and childcare, Denmark could be a really great place to call home. There are tons of activities to do in warm weather, plus it’s also a very safe place to live. Denmark is one of the top 10 countries when it comes to Internet speed, so working from home won’t be a problem for you.
15. Seoul, South Korea
Since Seoul has the best broadband Internet penetration of any city in the world, you really can’t go wrong when it comes to living there and working from home. Even if you would rather work in a café somewhere, the Internet is available in lots of locations, making it easy for you to work on the go. Not to mention, trains, buses, and subways have Wi-Fi available. Public transportation is very cheap, and food and housing are affordable as well. What’s not to love about Seoul?
Conclusion
There are great cities all over the world that you, as a telecommuter, can call home. The telecommuting trend won’t go away, so make the most of it by living in your dream city.
Good article. However, most of those cities are crowded and expensive. I remote work from a beautiful and cheap area of Washington called Leavenworth. Home to many festivals and themed upon the the Bavarian Alps towns. Lots of sunshine. We have fiberoptics, cheapest electricity in the country.
Hi Mike,
As an Austinite, I can attest to yes it’s getting crowded and expensive here!
Thanks for sharing your city with us — it sounds beautiful!
Lots of cities in the midwest should be on the list. Housing is very inexpensive. As long as FedEx comes to your house, that’s all you need to work from home.
And high-speed internet =) Thanks for stopping by, Diana! Hope you’re doing well!
@ Sarah
Los angles “best city Work From Home” more plausible for their employees.
Regards
Hazel
This is such a great list! I’ve had my eye on Chattanooga for quite some time since it is super affordable and has some great coworking spaces too. The faster internet speeds and the charm of the old city certainly make it that much more appealing. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed the list, Ashlee. Where are you currently located?
Great list Sarah,
Too bad Houston isn’t on the list. I have no doubt Houston and other cities will make it on the list. :)
Thanks for sharing.
Cori
Cori, You’re right down the road from me — I’m in Austin. If you’re ever down this way, let me know, we can meet for coffee! Glad you enjoyed Sarah’s post!