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These are the best and worst cities for remote workers: report

by Julia Mueller

Story at a glance

  • A new WalletHub survey looked at the 182 largest cities in the U.S. to see which places are the happiest.
  • The survey found that Fremont, Calif., just outside of San Fransisco, is the happiest city in the U.S.
  • While different things make different people happy, the survey linked Fremont residents’ annual income, low divorce rate and low depression rates as contributing factors to the city’s happiness level.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many American workers out of the office, and many are staying in remote work setups even as the country eases away from pandemic restrictions, signaling a potentially permanent change in the workplace landscape.

But the ease of the work-from-home model may depend on where that home is in the U.S.

A new analysis from LawnStarter analyzed 200 of the biggest U.S. cities based on 20 factors —including the local cost of living, internet quality and even access to food delivery services — to determine the best and worst cities for remote workers.

Plano, Texas, took the top spot with affordable rent, low crime, a high average household income and the highest broadband coverage. Frisco and Austin in the state also snagged slots on the top 10 — Texas, notably, has no state income tax.

The American South dominated the top 10, with Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina taking up eight spots. The analysis notes overall affordability and earning potential as positives in those areas, as well as internet and broadband connectivity.


Seattle, Wash., in the Pacific Northwest came in fifth place, and Kansas City, Mo., took eighth.

California monopolized the bottom 10 on the list, with Santa Ana clocking in at the very bottom slot among the 200 biggest cities. The state’s overall inaffordability and low workplace accessibility — from co-working spaces to to home square footage — brought many of its cities below average.

Another analysis earlier this year found New Jersey and Washington, D.C. topping the list of best states for remote workers — though the capital clocked in at number 116 on the new LawnStarter list.

Here are the 10 best cities for remote workers, according to LawnStarter:

  1. Plano, Texas
  2. Frisco, Texas
  3. Tampa, Fla.
  4. Atlanta, Ga.
  5. Seattle, Wash.
  6. Durham, N.C.
  7. Austin, Texas
  8. Kansas City, Mo.
  9. Jacksonville, Fla.
  10. Charlotte, N.C.

Here are the 10 worst cities for remote workers, according to LawnStarter:

  1. Santa Ana, Calif.
  2. Salinas, Calif.
  3. Glendale, Calif.
  4. Garden Grove, Calif.
  5. Escondido, Calif.
  6. Lancaster, Calif.
  7. Chula Vista, Calif.
  8. Palmdale, Calif.
  9. Oxnard, Calif.
  10. Oceanside, Calif.

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