No. 7: Springfield named top city in nation for remote work

The Wall Street Journal reported in February that Springfield was the top city in the nation to live in while working remotely.

While the ranking from the national publication may have first come as a surprise, a look at the ranking criteria for the top-10 list told the story of high marks for the Queen City in cost of living, broadband fees and availability, home prices and nearness of parks.

Titled “For Remote Workers, These U.S. Cities Are Great Places to Live,” the article included a chart showing Springfield earning strong scores in all categories to claim the No. 1 spot. Criteria were generated through a WSJ/Ipsos survey of 1,050 people.

One of the most important factors cited by remote workers surveyed was broadband speed. Springfield is completing a fiber network expansion throughout the city. WSJ reports 100% of homes in the city have access to broadband speeds of 100 megabits per second, and for this, WSJ writes, they pay an average monthly price of $32.80. WSJ figures are derived from the broadband advocacy website BroadbandNow.com.

Cities were also rated for their low cost of living, with Springfield in the 94th percentile; proximity to an airport, 64th percentile; and arts venues per household, 65th percentile. Access to the outdoors mattered, too, with 69% of households within half a mile of a park.

Vicki Pratt, then senior vice president of economic development for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, told Springfield Business Journal at the time that it’s impossible to know how many remote workers are in Springfield, but the attraction to such workers is a double-edged sword.

“At the end of the day, that doesn’t solve the problem for existing employers, who are trying to attract workers,” she said. “Many of the people who are living here and working remotely are being offered a wage that a lot of our local companies say they can’t compete with.”

Take Interstate 44 west 71 miles and arrive in the nation’s second-best city for remote work, by WSJ metrics: Joplin.

Doug Hunt, director of entrepreneurship for the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, said his organization has been looking for ways to foster its remote working community. “You can’t buy that type of publicity. It’s fantastic for southwest Missouri,” he said of the ranking.

When people come to the region to visit, he said many decide to stay permanently or move back to retire. “It’s the quality of life and the can-do spirit,” he said.