Study reveals best, worst US cities for remote workers

Lawnstarter, an Austin, Texas-based online marketplace that provides lawn maintenance and outdoor services for consumers and lawn care professionals, went fully remote in 2020. So this year it commissioned a study of the best and worst U.S. cities for remote workers. The findings are based on criteria such as Internet quality, cost of living, household income and access to coworking spaces and food-delivery services.

Unsurprisingly, given the region’s surge of popularity during the pandemic, Tampa Bay ranks No. 3 on the list, behind only Frisco, Texas, and top-ranked Plano, Texas. Eight of the top 10 cities are in the South, including No. 9 Jacksonville, thanks to factors such as low or no state income taxes and quantity and quality of outdoor recreation spaces.

“Between a salary that can go further, plenty of room to spread out and reliable Wi-Fi, the South leaves little for remote workers to desire — except snow in winter, but that’s easy to appease,” Lawnstarter states in a news release about the study.

California cities, on the other hand, did not fare well at all. All 10 of the lowest-ranked cities are in the Golden State, with Santa Ana bringing up the rear.

“Unless you have a California-sized salary to match the state’s generally high-dollar lifestyle,” the release states, “you might look for greener remote pastures elsewhere.”