Best US Cities for Domestic Digital Nomads With Fast Wifi

Six US cities give remote workers fast home internet and a base for a few months or longer. This list covers Ookla speed tests, fiber plan prices, rent, coworking spaces, and crime data for each city. The picks suit people who already live in the United States and can move between states without a visa.

How This List Was Chosen

Ookla reported a national median fixed download speed of roughly 300 Mbps in late 2025. This list favors cities that tested above that level or sell multi-gigabit fiber plans. Rent, coworking, safety, and time zone also count. The list runs from the strongest test results to the two cities that rest on fiber plan availability. Anyone without US citizenship or residency should confirm that their visa status allows remote work before moving. For help weighing the trade-offs, read the guide on how to balance cost, safety, and internet when picking a destination.

1. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

Durham had the fastest median fixed download speed of any US city in Ookla’s first-half 2026 report, and Raleigh placed third. The two cities are close enough that many remote workers treat them as one base.

Internet: Durham tested at 380.47 Mbps and Raleigh at 375.17 Mbps for median fixed download speed from January to June 2026, according to Ookla.
Cost: Zumper lists average rent in Raleigh at $1,750 across all home types, 8% below the national average, and one-bedroom apartments at $1,495. Durham one-bedrooms average between about $1,225 and $1,570, depending on the source.
Coworking: American Underground has spaces in Durham and Raleigh, and Frontier RTP offers space in Research Triangle Park.
Safety: The FBI reported 488.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Raleigh and 619.2 in Durham for 2024.
Time zone: Eastern Time, so the UK is usually five hours ahead.

Raleigh also ranked fifth among US cities for mobile download speed, at 335.10 Mbps, which makes a portable wifi hotspot a workable backup. Rent figures differ by source because each one samples different listings.

Best for: remote workers on US Eastern hours who want tested speeds, coworking choices, and rent below the national average.

Courtyard of a converted red-brick warehouse campus in a Southern city on a clear morning, with string lights overhead

2. Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas

Google Fiber chose Kansas City as its first market, and other fiber builders followed. Ookla data from late 2025 to early 2026 place the metro first among large US metros for median fixed speed.

Internet: The metro had a median fixed download speed of 410 Mbps, according to Ookla data reported by CommercialCafe. Google Fiber lists 1 Gig at $70 a month and 8 Gig at $150.
Cost: Rentometer shows the average one-bedroom apartment at $1,318 in Kansas City, Missouri, and $1,151 in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2026.
Coworking: Plexpod has several locations, with day passes listed from $25. Spark Kansas City sits in the Power & Light area.
Safety: The FBI reported 1,547.1 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Kansas City, Missouri, for 2024, and 1,047.2 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Time zone: Central Time, so the UK is usually six hours ahead.

The Missouri side had the highest violent crime rate of the six cities, so neighborhood research matters more here than elsewhere on this list. The Durham result above comes from a city-level list for a different period, so the two rankings do not compare directly. Anyone who plans to move between several of these cities may find coworking memberships for frequent travelers cheaper than buying day passes in each one.

Best for: remote workers on Central Time who want high tested metro speeds and low rent, and who will check crime data by neighborhood.

Stone fountain on a tree-lined city boulevard at sunset, with streetcar tracks curving past in the foreground and warm lamplight coming

3. Austin, Texas

Three fiber providers compete for the same households in Austin, which helps keep speeds high. The city also has more than 150 coworking spaces, according to Upflex.

Internet: The Austin metro had a median fixed download speed of 381 Mbps, third among large US metros in Ookla data. Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber, and Grande compete for the same households.
Cost: RentCafe lists the average one-bedroom apartment at $1,412 as of June 2026, while downtown rents average $3,247 across apartment sizes.
Coworking: Capital Factory sits downtown at 701 Brazos Street. Day passes in the city generally cost $25 to $45, depending on the space.
Safety: The FBI reported 466.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents for 2024, the lowest rate of the six cities.
Time zone: Central Time, so the UK is usually six hours ahead.

Rent varies widely by neighborhood, so the citywide figure says little about a specific area. Texas, like Florida and Tennessee, does not tax wages at the state level. For more on living and working in the city, read the Austin digital nomad guide.

Best for: remote workers who want a large coworking scene and strong fiber competition, and who will compare neighborhood rents.

Wooden boardwalk beside a lake at sunrise, with a row of glass downtown towers softly visible in the distance and two empty kayaks

4. St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg sits on Tampa Bay and ranked fifth among large US metros in the same Ookla-based list that placed Kansas City first.

Internet: The metro had a median fixed download speed of 353 Mbps, with Frontier and Spectrum leading the market.
Cost: Rentometer lists the average one-bedroom at $1,836 as of May 2026, and RentHop shows downtown one-bedrooms at about $2,150.
Coworking: COhatch St. Pete opened in the historic Harlan Hotel in December 2023, and Industrious has a downtown space at 200 Central Avenue.
Safety: The FBI reported 619.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents for 2024.
Time zone: Eastern Time, so the UK is usually five hours ahead.

Florida ranked second among states for fixed speeds in the first half of 2026, at 338.43 Mbps, but results differ by city. Miami ranked last among all US cities in that report, at 113.51 Mbps. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so winter and spring are easier months to plan around.

Best for: remote workers who want a waterfront base on Eastern Time and can plan around hurricane season.

Long pier stretching into a bay at dusk, with sailboats in a small marina, palm trees, and a coral and golden sky reflected on the water

5. Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga’s city-owned utility, EPB, runs fiber to homes and businesses across its service area. A July 2026 EPB announcement lists residential plans from 1 Gig to 5 Gig with equal upload and download speeds.

Internet: EPB sells 1 Gig at $67.99 a month, 2.5 Gig at $77.99, and 5 Gig at $97.99. The utility says its network can deliver up to 25 Gig.
Cost: Trulia lists average rent at $1,560 across all home types, about 18% below the national average and down 8% from a year earlier. Rentometer shows the average one-bedroom apartment at $1,274.
Coworking: Society of Work operates in the Edney Innovation Center at 1100 Market Street and sells day passes and desk memberships. The choice of spaces looks narrower than in the larger cities.
Safety: The FBI reported 823.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents for 2024.
Time zone: Eastern Time, so the UK is usually five hours ahead.

ISP Reports ranked Chattanooga first among major US cities, with a weighted maximum advertised speed of 17,141 Mbps. The ranking uses the fastest plan sold at each address and does not measure tested speeds. A guide to finding reliable wifi speed before booking a stay explains how to confirm what a specific address delivers.

Best for: remote workers who want low rent and affordable multi-gigabit fiber in a smaller city.

Long pedestrian bridge over a wide river below a forested ridge in early autumn, with golden and coral leaves and soft morning mist

6. Salt Lake City, Utah

ISP Reports measured 87% fiber coverage in Salt Lake City, and Google Fiber sells plans up to 8 Gig in select neighborhoods.

Internet: ISP Reports gave the metro the top weighted maximum advertised speed among large metros, at 7,215 Mbps. Google Fiber lists Core 1 Gig at $70 a month, Home 3 Gig at $100, and Edge 8 Gig at $150.
Cost: Rentometer listed the average one-bedroom apartment at $1,732 in February 2026.
Coworking: Kiln has a downtown space at The Gateway and a second location in Holladay.
Safety: The FBI reported 864.2 violent crimes per 100,000 residents for 2024, the second-highest rate of the six cities.
Time zone: Mountain Time, so the UK is usually seven hours ahead.

The ISP Reports figure reflects the fastest plan sold, and a current Ookla median for the city was not available at the time of writing. Winter inversions can push air quality above an index of 100, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Utah Division of Air Quality. Utah’s national parks are a few hours away by car, which suits a remote work road trip.

Best for: remote workers on Mountain Time who want several fiber options and outdoor weekends, and who can plan around winter air quality.

Clear morning view of a valley city with a snow-dusted mountain range rising behind low downtown buildings, sunlight turning the peaks

Search Flights to Your Next US Base

Raleigh-Durham, Kansas City, Austin, and St. Petersburg tested above the national median speed in Ookla data, and Chattanooga and Salt Lake City offer multi-gigabit fiber plans. The best fit depends on your work hours and budget, and the wifi at a specific address is worth confirming before you sign a lease. When you are ready to move, search flights to your next US base on FlyBibe and compare routes from where you live now.