The number of American freelancers is growing. According to one estimate, 59 million Americans freelanced at some point in 2019. One survey by marketing consultant Edelman predicts that 90 million will be freelancing by 2028. (These are the 26 jobs you’re most likely to quit.)
The median hourly rate for freelancers across all categories is $28, but employers save money because the overall cost of freelance labor is usually lower, and it’s easier to regularly lay off or swap-out freelancers. Companies that use freelancers generally don’t offer benefits like workers’ compensation or employer-provided health insurance to them. (Even if you don’t freelance full-time, here are 28 smart ways to make extra money.)
Freelancing is indeed a trade-off. It allows workers to make their own schedules and to have full control of where they work in exchange (usually) for no benefits or job security. They also pay higher payroll taxes because they’re considered both a business and an employee in the eyes of the IRS.
Some types of freelance work allow more generous tax deductions (such as the full value of a commercial truck) than other types of work that require only a computer, a small work space, and internet access.
To identify the best cities for freelancers, 24/7 Tempo reviewed The Best Places to Freelance in the USA, a report compiled by the website-creation site ToolTester. The site ranked major U.S. cities across 14 metrics, including tax rates, working and meeting space costs and availability, average distance from the nearest transit station, and Wi-Fi cost and speed, among other factors. (Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau and are for July 2021.)
Click here to see the 25 best cities for freelancers
If you are in the business of contract-based self-employment, consider the 25 best cities on this list. The advantages they offer vary. The monthly cost of renting a workspace, for instance, ranges from $194 in Mesa, Arizona, to $365 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Wi-Fi costs vary from $54 in Denver to $117 in Raleigh, North Carolina. In Milwaukee, the average distance to a public transit point is just 131 feet compared to 6,141 feet in Jacksonville, Florida.
25. New Orleans, LA
> Score: 65.3
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $235 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $101 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 203 feet
> Total population: 384,000
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24. Milwaukee, WI
> Score: 65.3
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $256 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $92 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 131 feet
> Total population: 577,000
23. Chattanooga, TN
> Score: 65.4
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $254 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $109 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 180 feet
> Total population: 181,000
22. Mesa, AZ
> Score: 65.8
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $194 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $105 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,204 feet
> Total population: 504,000
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21. Atlanta, Georgia
> Score: 66.4
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $279 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $78 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,529 feet
> Total population: 499,000
20. Fort Lauderdale, FL
> Score: 67.1
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $365 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $78 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 876 feet
> Total population: 183,000
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19. Raleigh, NC
> Score: 67.2
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $316 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $117 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 745 feet
> Total population: 468,000
18. St.Louis, MO
> Score: 67.2
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $288 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $73 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,312 feet
> Total population: 302,000
17. Philadelphia, PA
> Score: 67.7
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $280 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $73 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 262 feet
> Total population: 1.6 million
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16. Plano, TX
> Score: 68.9
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $260 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $87 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,312 feet
> Total population: 286,000
15. Fort Worth, TX
> Score: 70.5
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $281 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $92 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,522 feet
> Total population: 919,000
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14. Irving, TX
> Score: 70.9
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $207 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $88 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 2,133 feet
> Total population: 257,000
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13. Tampa, FL
> Score: 71.2
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $270 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $87 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 3,675 feet
> Total population: 385,000
12. Charlotte, NC
> Score: 71.9
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $275 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $92 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,257 feet
> Total population: 875,000
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11. Durham, NC
> Score: 72.4
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $222 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $92 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,532 feet
> Total population: 284,000
10. Miami, FL
> Score: 72.6
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $220 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $78 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 354 feet
> Total population: 442,000
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9. Denver, CO
> Score: 72.6
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $284 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $54 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 417 feet
> Total population: 716,000
8. Knoxville, TN
> Score: 73.1
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $254 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $78 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 256 feet
> Total population: 191,000
7. Salt Lake City, UT
> Score: 74.1
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $288 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $55 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 600 feet
> Total population: 200,000
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6. Kansas City, MO
> Score: 74.3
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $250 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $103 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 492 feet
> Total population: 508,000
5. Indianapolis, IN
> Score: 74.8
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $230 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $96 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 3,471 feet
> Total population: 888,000
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4. Memphis, TN
> Score: 76
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $310 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $78 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 656 feet
> Total population: 633,000
3. Houston, TX
> Score: 76
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $254 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $68 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 1,667 feet
> Total population: 2.3 million
2. Jacksonville, FL
> Score: 76.4
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $245 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $78 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 6,142 feet
> Total population: 950,000
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1. Dallas, TX
> Score: 79.4
> Avg. cost of coworking spaces: $267 per month
> Avg. cost of Wi-Fi: $92 per month
> Avg. distance from transit station: 614 feet
> Total population: 1.3 million
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