Thanks to the covid-19 pandemic and the hiring economy for the past two years, "zoom towns," boom towns due to their support for remote work, continue to be on the rise. And guess what? THREE of the Top 25 "zoom towns" are right here in Illinois: Decatur, Champaign and Peoria.
Who's to say Effingham can't follow some of these models and help its own economic development at the same time?
According to a April 11, 2022 Ownerly article on "Zoom Towns USA: America's Best Cities for Remote Workers:"
Affordable housing, high-speed Internet, outdoor green space, childcare options and more—we rank the top 25 U.S. cities that offer a lot to remote workers.
Despite declining COVID-19 levels, America’s “Great Resignation” is continuing apace. In February, for example, nearly 4.5 million people quit their jobs, and there were twice as many open jobs than unemployed workers, according to government data.
While more employers bring workers back to the office as the pandemic appears to wind down, the tight labor market suggests flexible work options are here to stay. Many companies have permanently embraced remote work.
Where are the best cities to live if you are no longer tethered to a work commute? Ownerly analyzed 445 cities across the nation, looking at rent and housing prices, cost of living, safety data, level of broadband and free Wi-Fi coverage. Besides expanding our list of cities by nearly 50% from our 2021 Best Zoom Towns list , we also added new metrics that include cost and availability of childcare, restaurants and coworking spaces. This year, we also leaned on city-level data rather than metro-level data wherever possible.
For the original article and complete list of Top 10 and Top 25 cities, click here. And here at The Heart, we don't think it is any mistake that the image tagline is "CULTURE, Community and Connectivity."
