By Tyler Cooper

In 2010, 9.3 million people worked from home full time, a 34.6% increase in the past decade.

To many this trend doesn’t come as a surprise as more entrepreneurs and companies are adopting work from home policies to reduce costs, while increasing worker enjoyment and productivity.

In fact, a study just released from Stanford found that employees who work from home are 13% more productive.

Interested in this trend, our team at BroadbandNow began to wonder:

“If you can live and work anywhere, which city has the best broadband access, lowest cost of living, and overall quality of life.”

Move over, New York; below are the top 10 results:





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#1 – Chattanooga, TN Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index With over 66% of Chattanooga’s 540,000+ residents having access to 1gbps internet speeds, it’s no wonder EPB has been making headlines as a great example of what municipal broadband can do for a local economy. Combine this blazing fast internet with a good wellness index and below average cost of living and it’s no surprise that Chattanooga is our top pick for freelancers, online entrepreneurs, and remote workers looking to maximize their spending power while still enjoying all the conveniences of a mid-sized city. Plus most people pay no state income tax in TN.

#2 – Kansas City, KS-MO Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index Thanks to the recent deployment of Google Fiber, Kansas City comes in at #2 on our list. Sporting average broadband speeds 133% faster than other American cities, a great cost of living, and a solid wellness index, Kansas City is a great choice for people who can live and work anywhere. Also we should mention that AT&T Internet does offer fiber service… it’s just not widely available.

#3 – Tampa, FL Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index Tampa, FL comes in at number 3 on our list. Thanks to a solid fiber infrastructure deployed by Verizon FiOS, 91% of Tampa’s residents have access to a fiber optic connection. This paired with warm weather and no state income tax makes Tampa a great place for people who can call anywhere home.

#4 – Virginia Beach, VA Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index With 63% of residents having access to Verizon FiOS‘ fiber-to-the-home, Virginia Beach, VA comes in at number 4 on our list. With great fiber coverage, average cost of living, and a solid wellness index Virginia Beach can be a great place to call home if Florida’s year round heat isn’t your thing.

#5 – Sioux Falls, SD Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index With a low cost of living and one of the highest wellness index on our list, Sioux Falls, SD comes in number 5 on our list. If you’re looking for a small town vibe with midwestern charm then look no further than Sioux Falls. Thanks to MidContinent Communications, 85% of residents have access to fiber optic internet.

#6 – High Point, NC Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index High Point, NC comes in at number 6 on our list. Thanks to a combination of excellent internet access provided by North State Fiber, a low cost of living, and a great wellness index.

#7 – Orem, UT Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index About 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, the cozy town of Orem, UT comes in at number 7 on our list. Thanks to it’s small town charm, high wellness score and low cost of living, we think Orem looks like a great place to check out. As far as broadband Orem has widespread access to ultra fast 1gbps broadband internet through UTOPIA resellers.

#8 – Cedar Falls, IA Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index In at number 8 is Cedar Falls, IA. With astounding 100% fiber coverage, this small town of just under 40,000 residents has a low cost of living and a high wellness index. Note: Uses Cedar Rapids wellness score

#9 – Mason, OH Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index Number 9 on our list is Mason, Ohio. Just about 22 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Mason sports high fiber coverage, an affordable cost of living and a solid wellness index. Fiber speeds up to 1gbps are offered through Cincinnati Bell. Note: Uses Cincinnati’s wellness score

#10 – Greenfield, IN Fiber Coverage Cost of Living Wellness Index Number 10 on our list is the small town of Greenfield, IN. With a population just over 21,000 this small town has 100% fiber coverage thanks to NineStar connect. Note: Uses Indianapolis, IN’s wellbeing score.

How This List Was Built:

We started by compiling a list of all of the major and minor cities in the US. From there we collected fiber optic penetration, cost of living, and then included the Gallup-Healthways Well Being index to the mix.

Once we built the initial dataset, we eliminated all cities with a cost of living index above 100, all cities with a well-being score under 60, and all the cities with less than 60% fiber coverage.

From there we gave cities with a larger population covered by fiber a slightly higher ranking overall because a city like Chattanooga, TN with about 360,000 people having access to fiber is more likely to have a good freelancing community than a city like Greenfield, IN that has about 21,000.