As long as there’s internet access and a working computer, digital nomads can work from just about anywhere, including coffee shops, public parks, breweries, and at home. This provides nomads with the flexibility to work whenever and wherever they’re most productive while visiting all the different places on their travel bucket lists.
While digital nomads can easily travel all around the world, the US is home to some of the best cities for remote workers. Today, Dr. Arnold Heller highlights four of these nomad-friendly cities that you should know about.
Austin, Texas
Thanks to the City’s friendly locals, vibrant food and music scene, and easy access to free public WiFi, Austin is a fantastic destination for digital nomads. WiFi Map estimates there are 1,664 free public WiFi hotspots in the city, making it possible to work from nearly anywhere. Otherwise, digital nomads can work from local coworking spaceslike Regus, WeWork, and Fibercove. Plus, there are so many great neighborhoods to choose from when moving to Austin: some of the best include Clarksville, Rosedale, Allendale, and Hyde Park. Digital nomads can also enjoy some of Austin’s top attractions:
- The Continental Club
- Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail
- Mount Bonnell
- The State Capitol and Visitors Center
- Zilker Botanical Garden
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is home to approximately 1,275 public Wi-Fi hotspots; top-rated coworking spaces such as LionShare Cowork, Expansive Coworking Space, and Kuna Coworking Space; and an affordable cost of living, making Jacksonville another great option for digital nomads. The cost of living in Jacksonville is six percent lower than the national average, according to PayScale, and the median cost of renting a home or apartment is $1,060 monthly. Some of the best neighborhoods to live in include Mandarin, Baymeadows, and Bartram Park.
In addition to these benefits of living and working in Jacksonville, digital nomads can enjoy warm year-round weather while visiting local attractions like the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, and Talbot Islands State Parks. The Jacksonville International Airport is also nearby, making it easy to jump on a plane when it’s time to visit somewhere new.
San Jose, California
While living in San Jose isn’t quite as affordable as Jacksonville or Austin, it’s still worth visiting as a digital nomad. The City is home to leading tech companies like Apple, Zoom, and Meta, and its approximately 1,278 public WiFi hotspots make it possible to work from coworking spaces, coffee shops, libraries, or breweries. Plus, there’s so much to see and do in San Jose, from the Winchester Mystery House and Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum to the San Jose Museum of Art and Tech Museum of Innovation.
When finding a place to live in San Jose, several affordable yet safe neighborhoods include Berryessa, Blossom Valley, and Cambrian Park. Airbnb and Agoda can both be used to find vacation rentals for short- and- long-term stays.
Stoneham, Maine
The town of Stoneham, Maine is smaller than the other cities on this list, but it’s the perfect destination for digital nomads who wish to spend some time in the wilderness without going fully off the grid. Digital nomads can enjoy free internet access, allowing them to work remotely between swimming, canoeing, hiking, and fishing. Several restaurants and markets are just a 20-minute drive from the Inn, and visitors can plan day trips to other local cities such as Portland, Maine, and North Conway, New Hampshire.
In the event that digital nomads choose to stay in Stoneham for the long term, they’ll enjoy a lower cost of living than in other parts of the US. Some additional benefits of living in Stoneham include:
- Low risk of natural disasters
- Affordable housing costs
- Low risk of violent crime
- More than 3,500 miles of coastlines
- Beautiful natural scenery
Keep Business Best Practices in Mind, Like Forming an LLC
From forming an LLC to investing in the right types of gear to support your nomadic lifestyle, it’s important to keep a few business best practices in mind while traveling from place to place. This means investing in a quality backpack, laptop stand, and pair of noise-canceling headphones and protecting your business from financial and tax liability by forming a legal entity such as a limited liability company (LLC). Online formation services make it even easier to form your LLC while traveling the world, saving you time, money, and stress.
Next, it’s time to advertise! Spreading the word via social media is an obvious place to start but it’s also a good idea to have some business cards on hand to pass out to potential clients. Luckily, there are plenty of tools to assist you in creating free business cards using pre-existing templates.
Naturally, working as a digital nomad also requires lots of file transfers. Depending on what the client needs, you may need to frequently alter file types as well. You can make this easier on yourself by using various online tools, though. For instance, this one allows you to convert Word to PDF in moments. And best of all, it’s free!
Once you’ve launched your LLC, taken advantage of free online tools to prepare your marketing campaign, and purchased your digital nomad gear, you’ll be ready to earn an income while traveling the world. We’ve covered four nomad-friendly US cities in this article, but as long as there’s internet access, you can work from just about anywhere!
Dr. Arnold Heller specializes in developing innovative social studies and global entrepreneurship programs for high schools, establishing/developing sister cities programs, and preparing groups to host student exchanges. Call 404-550-1199.