The Wall Street Journal identifies cities with the attributes that people say they want most when working remotely. Use our tool to find the best city for you.

 

Springfield, Mo., topped The Wall Street Journal’s list of places to work remotely. The area has a relatively low cost of living and access to high-speed broadband, and downtown has many bars, restaurants and theaters. BARRETT EMKE FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

By Ray A. Smith

Updated Feb. 13, 2023 3:09 pm ET

When people think of great places to work remotely, what usually comes to mind is some resort-worthy locale like a beach in Hawaii or North Carolina, or a cabin in the Rockies.

But what about Springfield, Mo.?

The Springfield metropolitan area, with a population of about 480,000 people, topped The Wall Street Journal’s list of great places to work remotely. Other cities in the top 10 include Conway, Ark., Kansas City, Kan., and Lafayette, Ind., a metro area of about 225,000 people that was recently named the top-ranked emerging housing market, according to The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Market Index.

The Wall Street Journal created the ranking of great places to work from home by first asking the survey firm Ipsos to conduct a nationwide poll in August 2022, identifying 10 top factors that people said they cared most about in a remote-work location. The Journal then weighted those factors to come up with our list of cities and towns that fit those priorities.

The list, of course, can’t take into account every reason remote workers move to a particular city. People may choose a city because that is where they grew up, or where their family is, or because they really do only want that beach or mountain view.

But the list does provide a window into places that often aren’t on the radar of remote workers, even though they offer many of the qualities that people say they are looking for, such as affordability, high-speed internet and more living space. And as more people have the opportunity to work remotely, the list—and the interactive tool we’ve created that allows people to plug in their own priorities—can be a handy resource in widening the potential places that remote workers can consider. (See the full methodology behind the list.)