The Denver skyline. The Wall Street Journal’s
project looked at hundreds of cities around the country.PHOTO: DAVID
ZALUBOWSKI/ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Tom Corrigan, Jason French, Harry Carr
Feb. 11, 2023 5:30 am ET
Where to live is a very personal decision. But with some degree of remote work seemingly here to stay, The Wall Street Journal set out to put data and analysis behind how to identify great places to live if you have the option to work from home.
We started out by commissioning a custom survey, with Ipsos conducting a nationwide poll of 1,050 adults in the U.S. in August 2022. This poll allowed us to identify the top 10 factors people said they cared most about in a remote-work location and to weight them accordingly in our ranking. Our unique ranking
highlights places you may not have thought to put at the top of your list, but that fit the criteria people say they care about the most when it comes to a great place to work remotely.
We also acknowledged that the decision about where to live can be driven by personal preferences that are not one-size-fits-all. For instance, do you want to live in a certain state to be closer to family? Are you more of a warm weather person, or do you want cold winters for skiing? Urban city or small town? College town or retirement community? Political leaning may even be a factor for you. In addition to our custom weighted ranking, we developed an interactive tool that lets you decide what’s most important in a remote-work location.
Here’s how we developed both the ranking and the tool: *Methodology for weighted ranking*
Only data from counties in metropolitan statistical areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, were considered. We excluded micropolitan areas and areas that are neither metropolitan nor micropolitan. We didn’t include Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories. About 10% of otherwise eligible counties were excluded from the ranking, because of gaps in the data. Some places were then added in manually, regardless of missing data, to ensure that at least two locations were included for each of the 50 states.
Data were collected from the most recent available sources. Where data was provided by ZIP Code or other geography, it was then subsequently mapped to the corresponding county or county-equivalent place. We then identified the largest population center within each county or county equivalent. Because the data are standardized to focus on counties and county-equivalents, some cities are included multiple times if they span more than one such district.
The ranking consists of 10 metrics. Raw data for these 10 factors were standardized and weighted according to the results of the Ipsos poll. The weighted scores were averaged for a final composite score for each county. Data on population, weather and political inclination were not weighted or factored into the ranking.
Weighted metrics
*Internet speed (30.3% of total score)*
Percent of households where a 100 megabits per second or faster download plan is available, as of November 2022. The data was provided by ZIP Code, then mapped to corresponding counties. (Source: BroadbandNow.com)
*Housing price (19.4%)*
Average listing price for counties with an average of at least 15 active monthly listings. Metrics reflect the average across the monthly median values for active home listings from January through November 2022. (Source: Realtor.com)
*Cost of living (8.3%)*
We used an index from July 2022, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that surveys prices for a basket of consumer goods and services. Data was provided at the county or county-equivalent level, standardized and divided evenly into three groups: “more affordable,” “mid-range” and “less affordable.” (Source: Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness)
*House size (8.1%)*
Average listing square footage for counties with an average of at least 15 active monthly listings. Metrics reflect the average across the monthly median values for active home listings from January through November 2022. (Source: Realtor.com)
*Broadband price (7.5%)*
Minimum price for 100 Mbps or faster download plan available to 50% or more of the households in a given ZIP Code, as of November 2022. ZIP Codes were mapped to the corresponding counties, and an average minimum price was calculated for each county. Some places, such as New York City, offer discounts on internet service for qualifying low-income households. (Source: BroadbandNow.com )
*Unemployment (6.9%)*
The unemployment rate measures the relative health of the local economy. We used the median county-level unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, from October 2022. (Source: Moody’s Investor Services)
*Airports (6.4%)*
We calculated the proximity of the nearest airport defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as a primary hub that’s small in size or larger. Data was initially sourced by ZIP Code, then mapped to the corresponding county and associated with the appropriate ZCTA as defined by the Uniform Data System for the Health Resources Services Administration. Proximity is defined by the average proximity of ZIP Codes in the county, weighted in line with the proportion of the population of the county in the corresponding ZCTA. (Source: OurAirports.com)
*Restaurants (6.2%)*
The number of food establishments by count from County Business Patterns data collected by the 2020 U.S. Census. Amenities per 1,000 households were calculated as the number of amenities of a specified type, divided by the number of county households, and multiplied by 1,000. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
*Arts (3.9%)*
The number of arts and entertainment establishments by count from County Business Patterns data collected by the 2020 U.S. Census. Amenities per 1,000 households were calculated as the number of amenities of a specified type, divided by the number of county households, and multiplied by 1,000. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
*Parks (3.1%)*
We calculated the proportion of the population who live within half a mile of a green space, as defined by the Trust for Public Land. This is not half a mile as the crow flies, but based on an actual walkable path, based on a walkable road network provided by Esri. Where places cross county lines, the proportion of the population living within each county is taken into account. To make the analysis possible, we assume that the proportion of the population living within half a mile of a green space is consistent within each place. (Source: Trust for Public Land)