This summer, you might want to steer clear of the coasts if you plan to work remotely and travel in the United States.
According to a May 2023 study by Zumper, an online real estate marketplace, the worst areas in the U.S. for digital nomads are primarily in California and Florida, while the best cities for people who move freely while working remotely are in the Midwest and South.
The best city in the U.S. for digital nomads is Columbus, Ohio, while Fort Lauderdale comes in last.
Zumper evaluated the top 100 U.S. cities based on a number of criteria, including accessibility to mass transit, typical short-term rental costs and air quality.
The top ten American cities for digital nomads are as follows:
- Columbus, Ohio
- Portland, Oregon
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Houston
- St. Louis
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- San Antonio
- Detroit
- Denver
According to analysts, nomads should take the Midwest into consideration because places like Kansas City, Cincinnati and St. Louis offer many of the amenities that are critical to them, such as a low cost of living, fast WiFi and a wide range of entertainment alternatives.
Portland, Houston and Chicago top the rankings of the best locations for digital nomads because of the availability of affordable housing and a large proportion of remote jobs paying at least $100,000 annually.
In contrast, neither New York nor Los Angeles made it onto the list of the top 20 cities for digital nomads. Primarily because of the high cost of living, Los Angeles ranked 24th and New York City 31st.
In some cities, demand for remote jobs is declining, while in others it is increasing. According to a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in the U.S., Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. are the top three cities in the country when it comes to finding remote job opportunities.