The Best US Cities for Digital Nomads in 2023

By Alex Kerai

Oct 19, 2023

7 min read

Work-from-home doesn’t have to mean actually sitting at home at a desk. As a digital nomad you can travel the country and the world, while still working remotely. Sounds like fun, right?

Using our highly-selective ranking system, we found the best US cities for digital nomads. So what are you waiting for? Pack a bag, bring a laptop, and let’s go explore.

United States map highlighting the ten best cities for digital nomads in 2023

Who are digital nomads?

Digital nomads have been around since the early 1980s, but only gained popularity recently.¹ Back then, people used laptops, tablets, and PDAs to stay connected on the go, and the term even made it into a 1992 travelogue.² Office culture meant that most workers couldn’t fully embrace the nomadic lifestyle, though.

Nearly thirty years later, the term has come to mean something new again. The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to work-from-home and reduced the need for many working professionals to have a physical office. Laptop computers, Wi-Fi, and smartphones have made it possible to work from just about anywhere nowadays, and digital nomads are highly mobile and “location independent,” as described in Digital Nomads: In Search of Meaningful Work in the New Economy.^3,4Many digital nomads view it as a lifestyle and commit long-term, but they don’t travel as often as you might think. (They’re different in that regard from van lifers.)

In short, digital nomads have the freedom to travel and work from anywhere. With the increasing prevalence of remote work plus the ubiquity of mobile, wireless technology, anyone is able to become a digital nomad and move somewhere new.

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#10 San Francisco, CA

The Bay area has everything you could want as a digital nomad, including fast internet speed (#3 in the nation) and tons of state recreational areas to explore. You should be wary of the high monthly rent, but don't worry—when you're ready to bounce, there's an airport 11 miles away.

Average monthly rent in San Francisco is $4.53
San Francisco internet ranks #3 for fastest internet speed with an average speed of 124.2 Mbps
The closest national park, Pinnacles National Park, is 108 miles away from the city
11.1 miles from the nearest major airport

#9 Las Vegas, NV

Vegas. Sin City. The Entertainment Capital of the World. You’ll be hard-pressed to get work done here, but with 65 free public Wi-Fi spots, you can roam the city and still be productive. And when you need some space to really roam, Death Valley is only 42 miles away.

Average monthly rent in Las Vegas per square foot is $1.67
Las Vegas internet ranks #9 for fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 124.2 Mbps
The closest national park, Death Valley National Park, is 42 miles away from the city
6.6 miles from the nearest major airport

#8 Chicago, IL

The Windy City is the coldest one in our top 10, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing. Indiana Dunes National Park is close by and Illinois has 140 state recreational areas to explore.

Average monthly rent in Chicago per square foot is $2.97
Chicago internet ranks #33 for fastest internet speed with an average speed of 104.1 Mbps
143 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Indiana Dunes National Park, is 42 miles from the city

#7 Dallas, TX

With 7.5 million people living in the metro area, it’s no surprise that Dallas has some of the fastest internet speeds in the US. Plus, the airport is one of the largest in the world, so you can fly anywhere to explore.

Average monthly rent in Dallas is $1.88 per square foot
Dallas internet ranks #8 for fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 117.1 Mbps
96 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Hot Springs National Park, is 253 miles away from the city
5.1 miles from the nearest major airport

#6 Houston, TX

Houston has the lowest average monthly rent per square foot, which makes it one of the most appealing options on our list. And while Hot Springs National Park is over 350 miles away, the Gulf of Mexico is only 50.

Average monthly rent in Houston is $1.59 per square foot
Houston internet ranks #10 for the fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 115.7 Mbps
105 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Hot Springs National Park, is 355 miles away from the city
9.6 miles from the nearest major airport

#5 Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix is the warmest city on our list with an average annual temp of 76.3º—good thing there’s public Wi-Fi ’cause you’ll want to stay outside year round ! The largest US state capital has a lot to offer, from Saguaro National Park to low-cost rent.

Average monthly rent in Phoenix is $1.96 per square foot
Phoenix internet ranks #42 for fastest internet speed with an average speed of 96.2 Mbps
114 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Saguaro National Park, is 112 miles away from the city.
3.7 miles from the nearest major airport

#4 Seattle, WA

Home to some of the largest companies in the world (Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft), Seattle is more than just a rainy seaport. And sure, the rent is expensive, but Mount Rainier National Park is close by (only 44 miles away from the city), so you can hike and explore all 236,000 acres to your heart’s content.

Average monthly rent in Seattle is $3.36 per square foot
Seattle internet ranks #21 for fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 111 Mbps
164 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Mount Rainier National Park, is 44 miles away from the city
10.9 miles from the nearest major airport

#3 Austin, TX

With 123 state recreational areas and an airport nearby, Austin is a great place to explore! The city also has free public Wi-Fi hotspots and average internet speeds over 100 Mbps. Austin is the highest-ranked Texas city on the list, which is saying something since the state has three cities in the top ten.

Average monthly rent in Austin is $2.11 per square foot
Austin internet ranks #32 for fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 104.2 Mbps
134 public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Big Bend National Park, is 344 miles away from the city
6.7 miles from the nearest major airport

#2 Portland, OR

Portland has a great vibe and culture, making it a wonderful city to explore. There are 234 state recreational areas and Mount Rainier National Park is only one state away. Although rent is expensive, the city has fast internet speed and over 150 Wi-Fi hotspots.

Average monthly rent in Portland is $2.34
Portland internet ranks #27 for fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 106.2 Mbps
153 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Mount Rainier National Park, is 234 miles away from the city
5.9 miles from the nearest airport

#1 Atlanta, GA

With average monthly rent hovering around $2 per square foot, Atlanta is one of the most affordable cities on our list. It also has Wi-Fi averages over 100 Mbps and nearly 140 public hotspots. But what takes it over the top? A large share of remote jobs available, temperate weather, and over 115 state recs areas make Atlanta a great city for digital nomads.

Average monthly rent in Atlanta is $1.94 per square foot
Atlanta internet ranks #13 for fastest internet speeds with an average speed of 114.1 Mbps
138 free public wi-fi hotspots in the city
The closest national park, Great Smoky Mountains National park, is 146 miles away from the city
8.1 miles from the nearest airport

What do digital nomads need to work remotely?

The two most important things digital nomads need are a remote job, a laptop, and a cell phone with data. From there, it’s up to you!

If you found the perfect place, don’t worry! There are five easy steps to fixing your Wi-Fi, and if that doesn’t solve it you can boost your Wi-Fi signal and run a speed test to check for problems. Of course, you may end up needing to switch providers, and we have a list of favorites to help with that.

Now if you’re going to go off-the-grid nomad, there are a couple other things we suggest … For starters, in rural areas water, snacks, and a working cell phone are a must. You’ll want to find mobile hotspots if you're traveling around, but satellite or DSL internet should work if you're staying in one place.

Finally, if you're on a budget, we have some tips. Laptops and phones with long-lasting battery life are key, as are public Wi-Fi hotspots (Seattle has the most).

Just like in the 1980s, you just need a remote-friendly job and mobile technology to make your dream of being a digital nomad become reality.

Best mobile hotspots for digital nomads

Provider	Best for	Our plan pick	Price	Data allotment	Learn more
Visible	Best value	$25 Unlimited Plan	$25/mo	Unlimited (5Mbps)	Free Trial
US Mobile	Best prepaid option	$45 Unlimited Premium Plan	$45/mo	50GB	View Plans
Mint Mobile	Best budget plan	Unlimited Data Plan	$15/mo	10GB	View Plans
Tello	Best international plan	Unlimited Text, Talk, and Data Plan	$29/mo	25GB	View Plans

The best US metro areas for digital nomads

Rank	Metro	Mean speed test	Count of Wi-Fi Spots	% of remote jobs available out of all jobs	Average monthly rent cost per sq. ft.	Distance from airport (mi.)	Distance to closest national park (m.)	National park name	Avg. annual temp (F)	Number of state rec areas
1	Atlanta, GA	114.1	138	3.26%	$1.94	8.1	146	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	64.5	115
2	Portland, OR	106.2	153	2.26%	$2.34	5.9	93	Mount Rainier National Park	56.5	234
3	Austin, TX	104.2	134	3.80%	$2.11	6.7	344	Big Bend National Park	70.7	123
4	Seattle, WA	111	164	2.72%	$3.36	10.9	44	Mount Rainier National Park	53.5	289
5	Phoenix, AZ	96.2	114	2.72%	$1.96	3.7	112	Saguaro National Park	76.3	83
6	Houston, TX	115.7	105	1.85%	$1.50	9.6	355	Hot Springs National Park	73	123
7	Dallas, TX	117.1	96	2.47%	$1.88	5.1	253	Hot Springs National Park	68.1	123
8	Chicago, IL	104.1	143	3.39%	$2.97	6.9	42	Indiana Dunes National Park	53.4	140
9	Las Vegas, NV	116.2	65	2.03%	$1.67	6.6	101	Death Valley National Park	71.5	52
10	San Francisco, CA	124.2	119	5.08%	$4.53	11.1	108	Pinnacles National Park	59.3	294
11	Washington, DC	127.4	85	3.77%	$3.16	3	84	Shenandoah National Park	57.6	3
12	San Antonio, TX	117.2	61	1.82%	$1.51	7.7	280	Big Bend National Park	70.4	123
13	Nashville, TN	115.4	55	3.07%	$2.06	6.6	79	Mammoth Cave National Park	61.8	87
14	Denver, CO	105.1	99	2.51%	$2.37	18.6	76	Rocky Mountain National Park	66	74
15	Indianapolis, IN	101.2	70	2.56%	$1.30	8.1	139	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	54.8	79
16	Philadelphia, PA	126.1	68	2.12%	$2.39	6.9	188	Shenandoah National Park	58.2	173
17	Jacksonville, FL	111.2	44	2.32%	$1.58	11.4	251	Congaree National Park	69.9	215
18	Charlotte, NC	110.8	47	2.25%	$1.77	5.7	96	Congaree National Park	62.6	84
19	Louisville, KY	95.6	63	1.63%	$1.26	5.7	81	Mammoth Cave National Park	60	76
20	Baltimore, MD	119.7	46	2.05%	$1.87	8.5	111	Shenandoah National Park	58.7	75
21	Tucson, AZ	91.9	76	1.32%	$1.65	7.4	76	Saguaro National Park	71.9	83
22	Sacramento, CA	111.7	40	3.06%	$2.25	9.4	105	Yosemite National Park	62.4	294
23	San Jose, CA	111.3	63	3.37%	$3.43	2.5	32	Pinnacles National Park	71	294
24	Raleigh, NC	107.9	61	1.92%	$1.70	11.1	190	Congaree National Park	61.8	84
25	Minneapolis, MN	94.8	67	2.61%	$2.14	7.1	236	Voyageurs National Park	49.4	682
26	Tulsa, OK	88	53	2.51%	$1.10	6.6	214	Hot Springs National Park	62.2	71
27	Oklahoma City, OK	102.3	41	2.22%	$1.13	7	261	Hot Springs National Park	60.6	71
28	Pittsburgh, PA	114	34	2.18%	$1.81	13	105	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	53.2	173
29	Huntsville, AL	114.2	26	1.33%	$1.22	12.5	169	Mammoth Cave National Park	62.1	63
30	Baton Rouge, LA	94	25	2.72%	$1.26	5.7	297	Hot Springs National Park	78.9	67
31	Miami, FL	112.7	23	2.39%	$2.65	6.2	40	Biscayne National Park	78.3	215
32	St. Louis, MO	91.5	35	1.75%	$1.38	12.5	11	Gateway Arch National Park	59	225
33	Omaha, NE	95.1	65	1.88%	$1.23	4	359	Gateway Arch National Park	54.1	102
34	Virginia Beach, VA	112.9	24	1.52%	$1.64	12.7	158	Shenandoah National Park	70	83
35	Los Angeles, CA	110.8	83	2.06%	$3.53	12.1	71	Channel Islands National Park	62.7	294
36	Milwaukee, WI	94.2	42	2.11%	$1.59	6.4	96	Indiana Dunes National Park	51.2	208
37	Salt Lake City, UT	95.9	52	2.63%	$2.04	4.9	131	Great Basin National Park	56.2	94
38	El Paso, TX	99	13	1.25%	$1.25	7.2	47	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	67	123
39	Albuquerque, NM	70.8	66	1.82%	$1.08	3.9	162	White Sands National Park	59	81
40	Columbus, OH	81	46	2.26%	$1.34	6.2	111	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	55.1	184
41	Orlando, FL	94.7	43	2.08%	$2.01	8.7	207	Biscayne National Park	74.7	215
42	Cincinatti, OH	94.1	43	1.65%	$1.45	9.9	159	Mammoth Cave National Park	56	184
43	Columbia, SC	79.4	30	2.26%	$1.33	6.5	25	Congaree National Park	64.7	70
44	Harrisburg, PA	99.9	12	2.25%	$1.38	8.5	143	Shenandoah National Park	57	173
45	Madison, WI	78.3	64	2.78%	$1.77	5.6	163	Indiana Dunes National Park	48.8	208
46	Colorado Springs, CO	106.1	41	1.50%	$1.84	6.8	90	Great Sand Dunes National Park	48.3	74
47	Augusta, GA	92	16	1.31%	$1.23	7	73	Congaree National Park	65.8	115
48	Detroit, MI	97.5	23	2.21%	$1.52	6	133	Congaree National Park	52.6	140
49	Chattanooga, TN	106.3	15	0.86%	$1.45	6	112	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	63.3	87
50	Riverside, CA	111.8	17	1.06%	$2.55	13.7	53	Joshua Tree National Park	80	294
51	Wichita, KS	94.8	21	1.84%	$1.02	6	319	Voyageurs National Park	58.9	103
52	Springfield, MA	107.3	7	3.02%	$1.82	12.2	261	Acadia National Park	60.6	129
53	Birmingham, AL	84.5	26	2.47%	$1.32	4.1	241	Shenandoah National Park	64.6	63
54	Fresno, CA	84.5	15	1.76%	$1.66	3.6	59	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	67.2	294
55	Provo-Orem, UT	91.1	15	2.64%	$1.83	3.6	121	Great Basin National Park	66.1	94
56	Greenville, SC	101.2	13	1.26%	$1.47	10.4	93	Indiana Dunes National Park	61.6	70
57	Palm Bay, FL	87.5	5	1.96%	$1.62	5.9	186	Biscayne National Park	82.1	215
58	Spokane, WA	85.4	35	1.85%	$1.54	5.6	168	North Cascades National Park	50.6	289
59	Greensboro, NC	89.3	25	1.60%	$1.34	8.3	158	New River Gorge National Park	60.1	84
60	Kansas City, KS	100.6	8	1.78%	$1.37	13.5	231	Gateway Arch National Park	64.3	103
61	Little Rock, AR	59	22	2.37%	$1.11	3.9	41	Hot Springs National Park	72.8	85
62	Cleveland, OH	75.6	45	1.68%	$1.63	10	22	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	53.3	184
63	Memphis, TN	83.9	29	1.05%	$1.17	8.5	184	Hot Springs National Park	63.8	87
64	New Orleans, LA	88.1	35	1.89%	$1.49	11.3	357	Hot Springs National Park	71.5	67
65	Rochester, NY	69.1	39	2.24%	$1.43	3.8	245	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	58	333
66	Bakersfield, CA	91.3	30	1.11%	$1.68	73.8	75	Sequoia National Park	76.8	294
67	Lexington, KY	76.6	40	1.11%	$1.29	7.7	111	Mammoth Cave National Park	55.7	76
68	Grand Rapids, MI	83.4	33	1.84%	$1.62	9.3	116	Indiana Dunes National Park	50.8	140
69	North Port, FL	104.3	2	0.43%	$1.88	17.4	166	Everglades National Park	83.1	215
70	Savannah, GA	97.5	12	0.58%	$1.66	6.7	119	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	68	115
71	Ogden-Clearfield, UT	104.6	5	0.71%	$1.54	2.7	185	Grand Teton National Park	61.6	94
72	South Bend, IN	90	16	1.00%	$1.45	3.9	49	Indiana Dunes National Park	52.5	79
73	Fayetteville, NC	85.8	11	0.77%	$1.40	4.3	142	Congaree National Park	72.5	84
74	Reno, NV	84.8	28	1.89%	$1.87	3.2	94	Lassen Volcanic National Park	56.1	52
75	Albany, NY	83	26	2.66%	$1.78	7	307	Acadia National Park	51.4	333
76	Charleston, SC	92.9	18	1.24%	$2.02	10.6	69	Congaree National Park	66.5	70
77	Buffalo, NY	80.1	25	1.68%	$1.58	8.3	189	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	52.1	333
78	Dayton, OH	81.2	19	0.65%	$1.14	10	168	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	61.1	184
79	Lafayette, LA	76.3	16	1.18%	$1.14	2.3	319	Hot Springs National Park	78.8	67
80	Cape Coral, FL	87.2	8	0.84%	$2.02	12.2	108	Everglades National Park	84.7	215
81	Des Moines, IA	71.6	23	2.84%	$1.31	5.4	278	Gateway Arch National Park	52.8	143
82	Syracuse, NY	92.1	16	1.61%	$1.68	4.8	301	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	52	333
83	Lancaster, PA	86.4	9	0.98%	$1.48	5.8	153	Shenandoah National Park	62.7	173
84	Jackson, MO	79.67	1	1.10%	$1.04	12.1	218	Gateway Arch National Park	67.6	225
85	Fort Wayne, IN	68.9	30	1.47%	$1.17	11.1	102	Indiana Dunes National Park	52.5	79
86	Lansing, MI	67	13	2.40%	$1.25	3.6	152	Indiana Dunes National Park	57.3	140
87	Knoxville, TN	65.12	37	1.41%	$1.62	11.1	44	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	60.3	87
88	Hartford, CT	90.6	11	2.52%	$1.79	12.1	286	Acadia National Park	52.7	103
89	Asheville, NC	81.2	22	0.67%	$1.71	11.4	48	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	57.5	84
90	Mobile, AL	79.9	18	0.94%	$1.16	11.9	373	Hot Springs National Park	67.3	63
91	Toledo, OH	58.2	19	1.27%	$1.09	14.1	105	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	53.8	184
92	Boston, MA	120.9	48	3.01%	$4.80	2.8	190	Acadia National Park	54	129
93	Allentown, PA	84.5	10	1.18%	$1.83	4	221	Sequoia National Park	54.6	173
94	New York City, NY	123.6	107	2.90%	$6.39	8.7	284	Shenandoah National Park	56.9	333
95	Boise, ID	56.9	39	2.70%	$1.89	3.5	274	Grand Teton National Park	55.2	74
96	Charleston, WV	32.7	8	2.53%	$0.88	2.7	35	New River Gorge National Park	56.7	60
97	Youngstown, OH	69.5	1	0.59%	$1.03	43.3	59	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	58.3	184
98	Myrtle Beach, SC	59	16	0.77%	$1.64	2.5	125	Acadia National Park	73.1	70
99	Urban Honolulu, HI	78.4	32	1.36%	$3.44	4.2	141	Haleakalā National Park	79.5	24
100	Portland, ME	60.8	16	1.19%	$2.39	2.9	120	Acadia National Park	49.1	49

Methodology

To rank the best cities for digital nomads, we used the mean average metro area speed from HighSpeedInternet.com’s list of the top 100 US metros with the fastest internet speeds. We ranked each metro on seven different factors to find which ones would be the best for digital nomads.

To find the percentage of available remote jobs, we searched Indeed.com for each metro.

Each measurement was normalized on a 0-1 scale with 1 corresponding to the measurement that would most positively affect the final score and 0 corresponding to the measurement that would most negatively affect the final score. These adjusted measurements were then added together with the weights mentioned below to get a score of 100.

Each metro was ranked based on the factors below:

Average Download Speed Mean (20%) - a faster speed positively impacts the score
Number of Free WiFi hotspots (20%) - more available hotspots positively impacts the score
% of available remote-friendly jobs (10%) - higher percentage of remote-friendly jobs within a 25 mile radius positively impacts the score. Data pulled from Indeed.com on 01/18/2023.
Average monthly rent cost per square foot (30%) - lower monthly rent costs positively impacts the score
Miles from Nearest Airport (5%) - closer airports positively impacts the score
Miles from Nearest National Park (5%) - closer national parks positively impacts the score
Average Annual Temperature (5%) - higher annual temperatures positively impacts the score
Number of State Recreation Areas (5%) - more state recreation areas positively impacts the score

Sources

Roberts, Steven K. “High-Tech Nomad,” Popular Computing, 1984, pg. 116-122.
Malamud, Carl. Exploring the Internet: A Technical Travelogue. Prentice Hall, 1992, pg. 326
Hannonen, Olga. “In search of a digital nomad: defining the phenomenon.” Information Technology & Tourism 22, no. 3 (September 2020): 335–353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00177-z
Woldoff, Rachael A.; Litchfield, Robert C. Digital Nomads: In Search of Meaningful Work in the New Economy. Oxford University Press, 2021, pg. 4–6.

“State pages,” The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot™ Directory. Accessed May 31, 2022.
Trevor Wheelwright and Peter Holslin, HighSpeedInternet.com, “The Top 10 Fastest and Slowest Metros for Internet.” Accessed June 15, 2022.
“Average Rent in the U.S,” Rentcafe.com. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“Job Search | Indeed,” Indeed.com. Accessed January 19, 2023.
Staff, “S. National Parks by State,” National Park Trips, January 1, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“Closest Airport to,” Closest airport. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“S. Climate at a Glance Background,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“Average Annual Temperatures for Large US Cities,” Current Results: Weather and Science Facts. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“United States,” U.S. Climate Data. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“Closest National Parks,” Stacker. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“America’s Parks,” stateparks.com. Accessed January 19, 2023.
“Historic ParkScore® Rankings,” Trust for Public Land. Accessed January 19, 2023.

Written by

Alex Kerai

Alex began writing for student newspapers and has managed to turn that into a career. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote about small businesses for Biz2Credit and Business.org. Before that, he spent time in communications for higher education institutions, created marketing materials for nonprofits, and worked for entertainment companies in Los Angeles. Today, he reports on emerging consumer trends and his work can be seen on The Penny Hoarder, Business.org, Move.org, WhistleOut.com, CableTV.com, SafeWise.com, HighSpeedInternet.com, and SatelliteInternet.com. When he's not writing, Alex watches too much TV, plays guitar, reads and writes fiction, and goes on nature walks.