The Top 5 Cities Freelancers Need to Consider

The days of working a 9 to 5 are slowly becoming a thing of the past, with more and more people opting to work from home, freelance or even start their own businesses or side gigs.

A recent Gallup Poll showed that telecommuting has become a more popular option as well. In fact, “Thirty-seven percent of U.S. workers say they have telecommuted, up slightly from 30% last decade but four times greater than the 9% found in 1995.” A majority of these individuals are white collar professionals making over $75,000 per year.

According to a recent study by small business accounting software company FreshBooks, a majority of self-employed freelancers work in marketing, legal, management consultant, information technology, finance and the trades.

What some freelancers don’t know is that there are cities in the United States that offer tax advantages and a low standard of living for freelancers. Here is a list of the benefits the cities on our list have to offer:

• Median price of homes in the metro area
• Rental prices for a one bedroom apartment downtown
• Low municipal and state taxes
• Cost for personal health care plans
• Cost of internet (high-bandwidth)
• Coffee shops with Wi-Fi internet
• Bars that offer co-working spaces open at 3 pm

1. Las Vegas, Nevada

Median listing price: $241,500
Median one-bedroom rental price: $827

The city of Las Vegas is the least likely location that most freelancers think when they are looking for a new place to live. This city was rated as the second US location for bars that stay open in the afternoon for co-working spaces. Other major perks of freelancing in Las Vegas? There is no income tax, the housing prices are affordable and the number of coffee shops that offer free Wi-Fi is the same number as Seattle.

If you can stay disciplined and avoid the distractions that Sin City has to offer, you can sit poolside and work on your business under the sun.

2. Salt Lake City, Utah

Median listing price: $347,200
Median one-bedroom rental price: $790.15

Many of you are asking, what does Salt Lake City offer? The metro downtown area has a high number of beverage shops, meaning there are plenty of locations for freelancers work from. If you decide to take a break from writing one day, skiing in the Wasatch Mountains is a great option.

What’s more, living in an environment surrounded by nature will make you feel healthier and can remove the stresses associated with working and living in a concrete jungle. Also, faster fiber internet is widely available.

3. St. Louis, MO

Median listing price: $179,900
Median one-bedroom rental price: $683.79

One of the benefits of living in St. Louis is the cost of housing is relatively low. In terms of workspace, there are many co-working spaces available as it is becoming a popular trend. If you are a medical writer or your freelance business is connected to healthcare, it has the top medical schools in the nation, one example being Washington University. It alone provides networking opportunities with professionals and university employees.

To get some downtime in St. Louis, you may consider visiting one of the many museums, some of which offer free admission, like the St. Louis Art Museum.

4. Pittsburgh, PA

Median listing price: $166,300
Median one-bedroom rental price: $700.38

At some point in life, you will want to consider buying an apartment or condo. In Pittsburgh, a down payment of 20% is a requirement if you decide to buy a residential property. Pittsburgh is known for having a high capital of coffee shops in the metro area, and although the internet service in some locations is slow, you won’t get bored at home knowing there is a Starbucks around the corner.

It has many museums, universities and it is slowly becoming a technology hub, which will give you an advantage over other freelancers if you work in this industry.

5. Atlanta, GA

Median listing price: $274,300
Median one-bedroom rental price: $867.41

In the southern hospitality city of Atlanta, there is a Freelance Forum that contract workers attend to meet people like themselves or potential prospects. The fiber network in Atlanta now has faster internet service which was established by Google making it a better place than ever before to live a telecommute lifestyle. It is a top metro area out of a list of 10 U.S. cities for renting and home buyer affordability.

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