SEATTLE and SAN FRANCISCO, April
28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Great Reshuffling
underway and the prospect of permanent work-from-home arrangements
becoming more likely, the popularity of a "digital nomadic
lifestyle" is likely to trend upward. This new report from Zillow®
and Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP) ranks the top U.S. destinations best
suited for digital nomads.
Digital nomads are those able to move from location to location,
staying connected to work and family digitally, while experiencing
new adventures in unfamiliar destinations. Whether looking for a
new city or town to experience for one month or six months, digital
nomads may be exploring various locations in hopes of eventually
making a permanent move.
"It is clear that this past year has caused many to reconsider
their housing needs and wants -- and sometimes that means not
wanting to be tied to one spot for too long," says Zillow economic
data analyst Nicole Bachaud.
"Amenity-rich places with a lot of affordable rental units with
shorter leasing terms are appealing to many people who no longer
have to punch in at the office. More than 1-in-10 Americans have
already moved in the past year, but we think the Great Reshuffling
is just getting started."
Nearly 11 million American workers currently describe themselves
as digital nomads, an increase of 49% from 2019, according to
Independent talent provider MBO Partners' 2020 State of
Independence research study. In 2020, the number of traditional
workers working as digital nomads grew 96%, from 3.2 million to 6.3
million, according to the study.
With National Moving Month right around the corner, Zillow and
Yelp analyzed each company's rich datasets to create a "Digital
Nomad Index," which ranks the top U.S. metros most favorable to the
lifestyle.
Each metro earned an index score based on how well it performed
across various criteria. Jacksonville,
Florida, ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for digital nomads,
followed by Austin, Texas. Filling
out the top five are Boise,
Idaho; Nashville, Tennessee;
and Charleston, South
Carolina.
"These destinations boast a mix of outdoor adventure and city
perks that are appealing to the many young professionals who have
transitioned to the nomadic lifestyle due to their new-found
ability to work from anywhere," says Yelp Trend Expert Tara Lewis.
"They're great for digital nomads, and offer a variety of highly
rated local businesses and activities these folks are looking for,
like shared office spaces, furniture rental, hiking, RV repairs,
paddle boarding and more."
The metros were scored on availability and relative
affordability of rental units listed on Zillow that offer lease
terms of less than one year, merged with Yelp data measuring
consumer demand and the share of particularly curated business
categories like vacation rentals, furniture assembly, auto and RV
repairs, nightlife, and outdoorsy activities, among others. Yelp
identified the places that were strongest in business categories
associated with large relative growth during the pandemic, and
Zillow pageview data was incorporated to suggest demand for a
particular metro.
A recent Zillow survey finds more than 1 in 10 Americans
(11%) say they have already moved in the past year. Yelp's recent
Economic Average report found that the pandemic housing frenzy has
continued through the first quarter of 2021, with consumer interest
in real estate agents up more than 90% from a year ago in every
state. Consumer interest for junk removal services more than
doubled in every state as people prepared to move or declutter.
Top 10 U.S Metros for Digital Nomads, According to Yelp and
Zillow:
1. Jacksonville,
Florida
Typical rental rates: $960 per month1
Taking the top spot is the largest city (by land area) in the
continental United States –
Jacksonville. With the chance to
work and play in the midst of a plethora of beautiful outdoor
scenic views in every direction and year-round weather that make
almost every day a beach day, Jacksonville could be one of the most popular
destinations for digital nomads. Page views to Jacksonville rental listings increased 120%
over the same time last year.
Jacksonville is the most
affordable metro in Florida for
the typical digital nomad.2 It's also one of the top
metros for consumer interest in business categories that a digital
nomad might need or enjoy: Furniture assembly, shared office
spaces, TV mounting, golf lessons, brewery tours, and more.
Local favorites include highly rated gems like Black Sheep
Restaurant, Bold Bean Coffee Roasters and Secret Tiki Temple, and vacation getaways like
Amelia Island, Ponte Vedra and Jacksonville Beach are a short drive away.
2. Austin,
Texas
Typical rental rates: $1,323 per month
Austin is home to countless
cultural, musical, and artistic amenities making it an ideal place
for remote-work nomads looking for a wide variety of options for
entertainment.
A panel of economists and real estate experts recently surveyed
by Zillow expect Austin to be one
of the nation's hottest housing markets in 2021. Page views to
rental listings in Austin are the
second highest out of all metros analyzed, up 93% from the first
quarter of last year.
With iconic food trucks and breakfast tacos, unique shops,
boutiques, and live music, Austin
scores the highest on the list for having the highest share of
amenities likely sought-after by digital nomads. Local gems like
Torchy's Tacos, Allens Boots and the Elephant Room help make up the
heart and soul of Austin, and are
among the many highly-rated businesses on Yelp in the area.
In Austin, people can find
Elite Austin a furniture rental
service where Yelpers rave about the great customer service, and
Createscape Coworking, a coworking space known for its abundance of
meeting areas. Furniture rental and coworking spaces are key
categories to help digital nomads maintain their lifestyles and
Austin is among the nation's top
metros for both categories.
3. Boise,
Idaho
Typical rental rates: $1,495 per month
With the Rocky Mountains and plenty of rivers, lakes, and trails
nearby, the Boise area offers
access to an abundance of scenic work-from-anywhere locales and
plenty of easy-to-access outdoorsy activities like skiing and
hiking for when it's time to play.
After hiking through the Boise
foothills, it's an easy walk to Restaurant Row on 8th Street, where
residents can find highly rated businesses on Yelp Like Diablo
& Sons Saloon, Bitter Creek Alehouse, and Fork. Boise is among the nation's top metros for
categories like RV repair, parking, trailer and RV dealers, and
digital nomads can find highly rated businesses like Wandervans and
Leisureland RV Center to help them explore the great outdoors.
Boise ranks among the top 20
for the number of available rental units, providing a wide variety
of options for nomads who want to jump right into the action.
Locals may have recognized the desire of nomads to come to their
city, as it also ranks second amongst the metros for the largest
year-over-year increase in rental listings offering lease terms
less than one year.
4. Nashville,
Tennessee
Typical rental rates: $1,369 per
month
Located on the Cumberland River in the north central part of the
state, Nashville is a digital
nomad destination that checks all the boxes. Known for country
music, hot chicken and a great shopping scene, "Music City" is home
to iconic businesses like Hattie B's and Prince's Hot Chicken
Shack, Robert's Western World, and White's Mercantile.
Page views to rental listings in the metro increased 18.6%
compared to the same time last year, indicating continued demand to
this popular destination.
5. Charleston, South
Carolina
Typical rental rates: $1,645 per
month
Charleston landed in the top 5
in large part because of the immense amount of available rentals,
scoring higher than the other six South
Carolina metropolitan areas analyzed, which means increased
chances of finding a place that fits the digital nomad
lifestyle.
Here, people can visit nearby Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach for some sun and sand, and find
amazing restaurants like Leon's Fine Poultry and Oysters, Husk and
Xiao Biscuit.
6. San Jose,
California
Typical rental rates: $2,511 per month
Known as the Silicon Valley hub of technology companies,
San Jose also offers digital
nomads a bustling international food scene featuring authentic
cuisine from India, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and beyond. And it doesn't hurt
having the beach only a short drive away.
San Jose is the most expensive
metro on this list, but also features the third-highest inventory
levels for rental units offering lease terms less than one
year.
7. Fort Collins,
Colorado
Typical rental rates: $1,795 per month
Situated beside the Cache la Poudre River at the base of the
Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins
boasts a fantastic array of craft breweries, a vibrant biking
culture, and access to beautiful natural areas. Most notably home
to New Belgium Brewing Company, Horsetooth Reservoir, and Noosa
Yoghurt, attractions that are just the tip of the iceberg of what
this city has to offer.
"Colorado's craft beer Capital"
offers plenty of great vibes in the area packed with outdoor
recreational opportunities and sunshine most of the year — the
perfect combination for the digital nomad.
8. Asheville, North
Carolina
Typical rental rates: $1,782 per
month
"Tucked peacefully in the Appalachian mountains, Asheville is truly a hidden gem. From live
bluegrass at the Orange Peel to culinary masterpieces at
Tupelo Honey, and adventures along the Blue Ridge Parkway, it's
easy to see why people are drawn to this destination," says
Lewis.
The median list price for relevant rentals in Asheville rose 8% year-over-year, signaling
increasing demand in the area.
9. Las Vegas,
Nevada
Typical rental rates: $1,275 per
month
Las Vegas boasts the second
highest affordability index score out of all the other metros on
our list. More than just the neon lights of the Strip, there is
plenty to see and experience in Sin City. From hiking trails in Red
Rock Canyon, to shopping at Downtown Summerlin to exploring
the Arts District of Downtown Las
Vegas.
10. Salt Lake City,
Utah
Typical rental rates: $1,761 per month
Salt Lake City is most-popular
for its accessibility to some of the world's most-popular ski runs
and other outdoor recreation activities, like hiking, biking,
camping and fishing, all within 30 minutes of the city.
From bike trails in Millcreek Canyon, to four seasons of
world-class outdoor adventures at highly rated destinations like
Solitude; nomads have endless options to live life to the fullest,
just outside their back door.
Methodology:
The Digital Nomad Index is designed to
highlight cities best suited for the lifestyle based on a mix of
factors pertinent to those in the community. The collection of Yelp
indicators and Zillow variables were each given 50% of the overall
weight for the final index. Scores reflect data from Q1 2020 to Q1
2021. The metro in each state that ranked highest in the index was
considered for inclusion in the final list.
Zillow analyzed five main variables:
- Year-over-year inventory of rentals with leasing terms less
than 1 year
- Year-over-year pageviews of rentals with leasing terms less
than 1 year
- Typical affordability of rentals with leasing terms less than 1
year
- Typical inventory counts of rentals with leasing terms less
than 1 year
- Year-over-year price growth of rentals with leasing terms less
than 1 year
Yelp started by finding U.S. metros that had the most positive
change in consumer actions—page views, reviews, photos—in the
12-month period between March 2020
and February 2021, compared to the
previous 12 months, to identify places that had experienced the
biggest relative growth during the pandemic, including from digital
nomads. Yelp then filtered out places that had already been on the
upswing before the pandemic—namely, that had experienced the
biggest increases in the prior 12-month period, March 2019 to February
2020, compared to March 2018
through February 2019.
Then we identified business categories that had grown the most
in the cities with the biggest pandemic-era growth, and curated
those categories most likely to be associated with digital nomads.
We then ranked the 600 largest U.S. metro areas outside the 30
largest by the share of consumer actions and businesses that are in
those business categories, reflecting metros with the most
amenities sought after by digital nomads.
About Zillow Group:
Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and
ZG) is reimagining real estate to make it easier to unlock life's
next chapter.
As the most-visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow® and its affiliates
offer customers an on-demand experience for selling, buying,
renting or financing with transparency and nearly seamless
end-to-end service. Zillow Offers® buys and sells homes directly in
dozens of markets across the country, allowing sellers control over
their timeline. Zillow Home Loans™, our affiliate lender, provides
our customers with an easy option to get pre-approved and secure
financing for their next home purchase. Zillow recently launched
Zillow Homes, Inc., a licensed brokerage entity, to streamline
Zillow Offers transactions.
Zillow Group's brands, affiliates and subsidiaries include
Zillow®; Zillow Offers®; Zillow Premier Agent®; Zillow Home Loans™;
Zillow Closing Services™; Zillow Homes, Inc.; Trulia®; Out East®;
StreetEasy® and HotPads®. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal
Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).
About Yelp Inc.:
Yelp Inc. (www.yelp.com) connects people with great local
businesses. With unmatched local business information, photos and
review content, Yelp provides a one-stop local platform for
consumers to discover, connect and transact with local businesses
of all sizes by making it easy to request a quote, join a waitlist,
and make a reservation, appointment or purchase. Yelp was founded
in San Francisco in July 2004. Since then, Yelp has taken root in
major metros in more than 30 countries.
1Reflects February 2021
ZORI for rentals with lease less than 1 year.
2This analysis assumes digital nomads make an annual
household income of roughly $90,000,
representing the median household income of those working jobs
likely to be remotable.
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SOURCE Zillow; Yelp Inc.