Top 10 U.S. Cities for Freelancers

Freelancing is one of the fastest developing trends on the job market, and for good reasons. The advantages associated with this type of career are countless: from setting your own schedule and demands to being your own boss and choosing your projects, freelancing represents a great opportunity for those who manage to capitalize on their skills. However, one of the major issues for freelancing is the fact that they have to ensure health insurance coverage on their own, which can sometimes prove quite expensive, especially in some cities across the US.

While freelancing is a burgeoning sector of the economy in virtually all corners of the world, not all cities offer the same set of opportunities for growth and development. Following, we would like to present you with a list we have compiled of the top 10 US cities for freelancers, based on a study recently published by NerdWallet. The experts at NerdWallet based their scoring algorithm on three important freelancing indicators: percentage of self-employed, affordability of average rent, and affordability of health care costs, which they used to compile a ranking.

Curious to see which the best cities in the US for freelancing are? Let’s take a look at the countdown. We are also advise you take a look at our list of the top 10 richest cities in the world.

No. 10: Lincoln, Nebraska

Capitol of Nebraska, LincolnPublic Domain Image: Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 12.1%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $188.4

Median monthly rent cost: $595

Overall score: 69.1

No. 9: Seattle, Washington

Seattle NebraskaPublic Domain Image: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 14%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $177.62

Median monthly rent cost: $959

Overall score: 69.2

No. 8: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City National MemorialPublic Domain Image: Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 10.9%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $122.99

Median monthly rent cost: $551

Overall score: 70.2

No. 7: Lexington, Kentucky

LexingtonPublic Domain Image: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 12.2%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $154.07

Median monthly rent cost: $614

Overall score: 71.4

No. 6: Minneapolis, Minnesota

MinneapolisPublic Domain Image: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 12.3%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $110.26

Median monthly rent cost: $748

Overall score: 72.1

No. 5: Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee skylinePublic Domain Image: Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 12.3%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $132.69

Median monthly rent cost: $675

Overall score: 72.1

No. 4: Austin, Texas

TexasPublic Domain Image: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Divisio

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 14%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $168.31

Median monthly rent cost: $793

Overall score: 73.5

No. 3: Miami, Florida

MiamiPublic Domain Image: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 14.6%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $189.73

Median monthly rent cost: $820

Overall score: 73.5

No. 2: Portland, Oregon

downtown view of Portland, OregonPublic Domain Image: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 14.7%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $158.58

Median monthly rent cost: $778

Overall score: 77.2

No. 1: Los Angeles, California

Los AngelesPublic Domain Image: The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Percentage of households that feature income derived from self employment: 17.9%

Median monthly health insurance cost: $183.73

Median monthly rent cost: $1,052

Overall score: 81.5