The 10 best American cities for working from home Money Talks News
Marilyn Lewis
4/10/2017
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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
Click through to see Realtor.com’s data and its top 10 cities for freelancers and telecommuters
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