The 10 best American cities for working from home

Updated


Thirty-five percent of American workers are freelancers, a survey, by the Freelancers Union and Upwork finds. With technology freeing us to work virtually anywhere and companies saving money by keeping payrolls lean, the ranks of the freelancers just keep growing.

Published for three consecutive years, the study, "Freelancing in America," estimated there were 53 million freelancers in 2014 and 55 million in 2016. That doesn't include workers drawing company salaries who telecommute some or most of the time.

The trend has a powerful influence on living patterns and real estate. When your office is your home, or your friend's home, or your favorite cafe, then certain factors — like the price of coffee and the availability of Wi-Fi — matter more than car commute times.

Cities that are heaven for freelancers have lower-priced rents and real-estate prices since freelancing typically pays less than a payroll job. Freelancers can get by without a car, so the freelancer's world can be a friendly, dynamic neighborhood filled with comfortable cafes and welcoming bars, all within easy reach by foot or bicycle.

Realtor.com, published by the National Association of Realtors, compiled the report "Escape the Office: Top 10 Cities for Freelancers and Telecommuters," based on:

  • Home purchase prices

  • Rental prices

  • High-bandwidth internet connections

  • Health care costs

  • Local and state taxes

  • The number of bars per capita open at 3 p.m.

  • The number of gyms per capita

  • The number of coffee shops with free Wi-Fi per capita

  • Walkability, or the ease of walking to essential errands, shopping and conveniences

Here are Realtor.com's data and its top 10 cities for freelancers and telecommuters:

What's your experience of working from home, wherever you live? Share with us in comments below or on our Facebook page.

Advertisement