Is Springfield the best U.S. city for remote workers? Here's what these locals think

Affordability was one of several factors Lucas Lawrence considered before moving his young family to the Ozarks from the northwest suburbs of Chicago last summer.

An employee at Crawford and Company, an independent provider of claims management and outsourcing solutions to carriers, brokers, and corporations, Lawrence has the luxury of working remotely. When choosing Springfield as home base, he took into account housing costs, safety, schools, entertainment, and parks and recreation.

"What we are getting for the money is really good," said Lawrence, who considers himself lower-middle class. "I have younger kids, and there's a lot of really good parks around. I also really like the downtown. It's not huge, but just enough to make it perfect. Crime-wise, Springfield has some property crime issues, but nothing like Chicago."

The combination of prices and amenities put the Queen City at the top of Lawrence's list. Several studies have come to similar conclusions in recent months, some more publicized than others, with the common sentiment that Springfield is among the most affordable places to live in America.

Popular websites like Rent.com have ranked Springfield the second-cheapest place to rent an apartment, while others have noted the relatively low cost of purchasing a home. As inflation has had a marked effect on much of the nation's housing market, the Ozarks has garnered even more attention.

One of the nation's foremost publication's, The Wall Street Journal, recently combed through various data to crown Springfield the No. 1 city for remote workers.

The WSJ surveyed 1,050 adults nationwide and used a methodology citing the factors people said were most important when considering a remote-work location, such as cost of living, employment rates and internet quality.

Three Missouri cities were in the top 10, including Joplin and St. Louis, which checked in at No. 2 and No. 8, respectively.

More:How fast is Springfield rent growing? No. 2 in the country, according to one report.

What is bringing remote workers to SGF?

The photo taken from the corner of downtown's South Avenue and East McDaniel Street showed gray and gloomy skies above a line of buildings including Finnegan's Irish Pub, with coat-wearing pedestrians walking the chilly streets.

The image anchoring the lengthy WSJ piece might not have been the most inviting, but the accompanying numbers certainly sold the argument that Springfield and its metropolitan area of roughly 480,000 residents have plenty to offer.

Information the publication considered when determining Springfield's work-from-home desirability included its national ranking in 10 categories, including:

• Average home price ($308,841)

• Lower cost-of-living percentile (94th)

• Average house size (1,850 square feet)

• Unemployment rate (2.15%)

• Proximity to airport percentile (64th)

• Restaurants per household (87th)

• Art venues per household (65th)

• Households with access to 100 MBPS internet (100%)

• Monthly broadband price ($32.80)

• Households within half-mile of a park (68.8%)

To determine work-from-home desirability, the Wall Street Journal gave extra weight to things like internet speed and housing costs, with less for things like airports, art and parks.

David Mitchell, a professor of economics at Missouri State University, liked the use of these metrics.

"All you need is an internet connection when you're a remote worker, so the broadband quality is big," Mitchell said. "Springfield does have a lot of advantages with its cheaper cost of living."

City Utilities in recent years has installed gigabit fiber optic internet to much of the city, with the expansion continuing.

Outdoors enthusiasts have been attracted to the Ozarks when weighing their relocation options, and many have also noticed the city's burgeoning arts scene.

A central location on the U.S. map — a road trip away from dozens of bigger cities and attractions — also makes Springfield an attractive destination.

Mitchell said the work-from-home incomes being generated from larger, more expensive metropolitan areas will help boost the Springfield economy.

"If you're based out of Denver, Colorado for work, that money will go farther here," Mitchell said.

More:Springfield turns to technology, job training programs as labor shortage continues

Attention may be new, but growth isn't

Lawrence said the potential to buy a home in Springfield was another reason it won out.

"The property taxes here are so low, which is why we are going to buy a house here," said Lawrence, adding that is often finding homes for sale in the $200,000 range.

He likes the ability to quickly get to places around town such as Bass Pro Shops, zoos, and comedy clubs without burning a lot of gas or paying toll fees.

"The affordability of Springfield, especially to raise kids, can't be understated," he said.

Victoria Pratt, senior vice president of economic development at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, is seeing the Queen City on more and more national lists, mostly positive.

She hopes it continues.

"With our growth rate, we have been getting on the radar screen a little more often," Pratt said.

Pratt said the recent WSJ piece helps validate the work the Chamber of Commerce has done to improve and promote Springfield. The region has experienced steady growth over the past 15 years, and the Chamber of Commerce is expecting more.

Cost-of-living in the Springfield area is 12.6% lower than the national average, according to Pratt. She said growth rates are trending in the right direction.

"The things we're focused on is growing the workforce and putting resources toward that," Pratt said. "We certainly hope the region grows at a manageable rate."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Is Springfield the best U.S. city for remote workers?