14 US cities, data read Oct 2026
Best US cities for digital nomads
14 American cities compared on rent, internet, walkability, transit, breweries and the local indie hacking scene. Every number links to the page it came from.
What matters most to you? Pick any.
No sign-up and no paywall. Government data where it exists, hand-checked sources where it does not, and a clear label when something is an estimate.
The 14 cities, lowest 1-bedroom rent first
Rent is a 1-bedroom near downtown: HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent, utilities included, for the ZIP codes within 2 miles of the center.
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Car neededTucson Arizona
$1,1001-bed near downtown- Walk
- 14.6 /20
- Bike
- 41 /100
- Airbnb
- $155 /night
-
Car neededChattanooga Tennessee
$1,2451-bed near downtown- Walk
- 13.5 /20
- Bike
- 33 /100
- Airbnb
- $207 /night
-
Car neededLas Vegas Nevada
$1,3401-bed near downtown- Walk
- 13.9 /20
- Bike
- 24 /100
- Airbnb
- $155 /night
-
Car neededRiverside California
$1,7001-bed near downtown- Walk
- 13.3 /20
- Bike
- 26 /100
- Airbnb
- $235 /night
-
Car helpsAtlanta Georgia
$1,7101-bed near downtown- Walk
- 15.7 /20
- Bike
- 33 /100
- Airbnb
- $219 /night
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Car neededNashville Tennessee
$1,7251-bed near downtown- Walk
- 15.5 /20
- Bike
- 36 /100
- Airbnb
- $304 /night
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Car neededAustin Texas
$1,7301-bed near downtown- Walk
- 15.8 /20
- Bike
- 36 /100
- Airbnb
- $246 /night
-
Car helpsPortland Oregon
$1,7601-bed near downtown- Walk
- 17.1 /20
- Bike
- 55 /100
- Airbnb
- $173 /night
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Car neededAsheville North Carolina
$1,8001-bed near downtown- Walk
- 14.6 /20
- Bike
- 19 /100
- Airbnb
- $237 /night
-
Car helpsDenver Colorado
$1,9301-bed near downtown- Walk
- 15.8 /20
- Bike
- 47 /100
- Airbnb
- $172 /night
-
Car helpsMiami Florida
$2,2401-bed near downtown- Walk
- 15.1 /20
- Bike
- 28 /100
- Airbnb
- $214 /night
-
Car neededAnaheim California
$2,4801-bed near downtown- Walk
- 14.4 /20
- Bike
- 23 /100
- Airbnb
- $377 /night
-
Car neededSan Diego California
$2,6601-bed near downtown- Walk
- 15.5 /20
- Bike
- 28 /100
- Airbnb
- $296 /night
-
Car optionalChicago Illinois
$2,6701-bed near downtown- Walk
- 16.8 /20
- Bike
- 11 /100
- Airbnb
- $239 /night
Ranked your way
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All 14 cities on the map
Tap a pin for the city and its 1-bedroom rent.
Every number shows its source
This is what a city page looks like, using Miami, including a figure we have not collected yet.
Compare every city side by side
Housing is based on a 1-bedroom near downtown: HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP codes within 2 miles of the center, utilities included, so it describes the same place as the walkability score. The metro-wide column is HUD's rent for the whole metro area, usually lower because it includes outlying parts. The current-tenants column is the Census median inside the city. Home value is a Zillow index. Walkability is the EPA index within 2 miles of downtown, out of 20. Airbnb is a nightly median or average, see each city page. July high and January low are NOAA 30-year averages. Good air days is the EPA count for the county in the latest full year. Breweries are open ones inside the city on Open Brewery DB.
| City | 1 bed, near downtown | 1 bed, metro-wide | 1 bed, current tenants | Home value | Airbnb night | Walk /20 | Bike /100 | No-car homes | Transit fare | July high | January low | Good air days | Breweries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson, AZ | $1,100 | $1,092 | $1,101 | $321,918 | $155 | 14.6 | 41 | 9.8% | Free | 100°F | 41°F | 123 | 19 |
| Chattanooga, TN | $1,245 | $1,231 | $1,281 | $319,185 | $207 | 13.5 | 33 | 7.9% | $1.50 | 91°F | 32°F | 237 | 11 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $1,340 | $1,435 | $1,320 | $419,144 | $155 | 13.9 | 24 | 8.9% | $2.00 | 104°F | 39°F | 113 | 10 |
| Riverside, CA | $1,700 | $1,705 | $1,786 | $645,110 | $235 | 13.3 | 26 | 5.9% | $1.75 | 93°F | 44°F | 39 | 7 |
| Atlanta, GA | $1,710 | $1,619 | $1,700 | $381,948 | $219 | 15.7 | 33 | 14.9% | $2.50 | 90°F | 34°F | 198 | 20 |
| Nashville, TN | $1,725 | $1,650 | $1,470 | $429,741 | $304 | 15.5 | 36 | 7.2% | $2.00 | 91°F | 30°F | 193 | 20 |
| Austin, TX | $1,730 | $1,530 | $1,593 | $497,418 | $246 | 15.8 | 36 | 7.4% | $1.25 | 97°F | 42°F | 159 | 43 |
| Portland, OR | $1,760 | $1,633 | $1,500 | $527,359 | $173 | 17.1 | 55 | 13.8% | $2.80 | 82°F | 36°F | 283 | 78 |
| Asheville, NC | $1,800 | $1,714 | $1,229 | $448,688 | $237 | 14.6 | 19 | 7.6% | $1.00 | 86°F | 29°F | 268 | 27 |
| Denver, CO | $1,930 | $1,831 | $1,653 | $524,695 | $172 | 15.8 | 47 | 10.3% | $2.75 | 90°F | 18°F | 184 | 82 |
| Miami, FL | $2,240 | $2,121 | $1,743 | $580,866 | $214 | 15.1 | 28 | 18.6% | $2.25 | 88°F | 61°F | 206 | 10 |
| Anaheim, CA | $2,480 | $2,610 | $1,946 | $946,371 | $377 | 14.4 | 23 | 5.1% | $2.00 | 84°F | 46°F | 138 | 14 |
| San Diego, CA | $2,660 | $2,335 | $2,108 | $985,158 | $296 | 15.5 | 28 | 7% | $3.00 | 75°F | 50°F | 64 | 80 |
| Chicago, IL | $2,670 | $1,780 | $1,399 | $334,030 | $239 | 16.8 | 11 | 27.4% | $2.75 | 85°F | 19°F | 149 | 58 |
Two cities at a time, with a verdict on each measure: Austin vs Denver, Austin vs Atlanta, Austin vs Chattanooga, Austin vs Asheville, Austin vs Tucson, Austin vs Riverside, or every comparison.
By state
How this is different
Planning a route? The free nomad budget calculator adds up housing, food and travel across several cities.
Most city rankings blend national averages into a single score. Here each figure is for the city itself, and each one shows its source and date, so you can check it or disagree with it. Read how the numbers are collected, or download the whole dataset.
Common questions
Which US city is cheapest for digital nomads?
Of the 14 cities compared here, Tucson, AZ has the lowest 1-bedroom rent near downtown at $1,100 a month on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent, and Chicago the highest at $2,670. See the full ranking.
Which US city is the most walkable for remote workers?
Portland, OR scores 17.1 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index within 2 miles of downtown, the highest on this list. Ranking of all 14.
Where do the numbers come from?
Rent is HUD Fair Market Rent, population and commuting are Census ACS, walkability is the EPA index, weather is NOAA normals, air quality and hazards are EPA and FEMA, home values are Zillow Research, short stays are Inside Airbnb where it covers the city, and breweries are Open Brewery DB. Every source is listed and the whole dataset is downloadable under CC BY 4.0.
How often is the data updated?
Automated sources are re-read on a schedule and each page shows the month its data was read; the current build reads from Oct 2026. Hand-checked figures such as transit fares show the month they were read. Changes are listed in the updates feed.