San Francisco, Boston, and New York may have long histories in tech, but the remote work era has put new cities on the stage. Now, you can live and work in different places to preserve your work-life balance without sacrificing your career goals. These up-and-coming cities offer new opportunities for your career and your living needs.
Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee is one of the fastest-growing tech states, thanks to business-friendly setups. Nashville is growing, offering several world-class university systems, companies like Oracle moving in, and a thriving social scene. Although real estate is currently a hot commodity, several viable suburbs (each with its own unique character) offer quick access to the city.
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison has quietly built a robust startup scene. The scene — largely focused on biotech and healthcare — offers local and remote jobs for those interested in those industries. On the other side of the equation, an excellent cost of living ratio helps encourage tech workers to settle there as a home base no matter where they work.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
A bastion of the midwest, craft beer, and now tech, Minneapolis offers a booming startup scene and a rapidly growing hub for tech. According to US News and World Report, it ranks number 27 out of 150 metro areas for Best Places to Live, thanks to a reasonable cost of living and plenty of family-friendly neighborhoods.
Boise, Idaho
Boise is another city quietly hosting a robust tech scene. It began luring talent away from sister cities Seattle and Portland and offers a good cost of living for those leaving the expense of giant cities behind. It’s ranked 15th on the US News and World Report Best Places to Live, offering thriving social scenes, excellent outdoor activities, and a reasonable cost of living. Even better, it ranked fifth on Inc.’s Surge Cities, just nudging out San Francisco.
Huntsville, Alabama
The number one spot on the US News and World Report Best Places to Live list is Huntsville. This under-the-radar town is also a magnet for tech and remote work, thanks to a long history with NASA and a strong STEM workforce. The cost of living is extremely reasonable, and job seekers can find tech startups in a variety of industries.
Orlando, Florida
With a slightly lower cost of living than the rest of the country, proximity to the Happiest Place on Earth, and a thriving tech scene, Orlando could offer residents an outstanding work-life balance. It’s becoming a hub for general tech, defense, and finance. Companies such as Deloitte, Oracle, and Lockheed Martin have offices there, and warmer weather should please those turned off by the snow of the midwest and northeast.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
If the cost of living in tech hub Boulder gives you second thoughts about moving to Colorado, Colorado Springs is a good alternative. It features several large tech employers and a lower cost of living than the national average. In addition to a thriving social scene, job seekers can find local jobs in the cybersecurity, aerospace and defense, and general tech fields.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Consistently one of the least expensive cities in the United States in terms of cost of living, Albuquerque offers a good mix of city and suburban life for remote workers. It also boasts a good number of mature startups right in the area. With a good climate, plenty of outdoor scenery, and a diverse population, it has something for almost everyone.
Omaha, Nebraska
Cities in Nebraska form part of the new Silicon Prairie community. Omaha offers a lower cost of living than the national average and access to both remote work and some local tech startups. It’s the hometown of Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway, offers family-friendly things to do, and comes in at number 29 on US News and World Report’s Best Places to Live list.
Bozeman, Montana
Hear us out — Bozeman’s cost of living may be higher than the national average, but it is an outdoor-activity paradise. This small town features some of the most beautiful vistas in the United States and is quickly turning into a tech startup hub thanks to the local university system. The town is home to around 40,000 people, which keeps some of its small-town charms alive, and features a thriving college-town atmosphere.
Working outside Silicon Valley can still drive careers
Silicon Valley offers a thriving tech scene full of bright minds in data science and technology. However, remote work is now even more possible post-pandemic. There are so many great mid-size, affordable cities with good connections to tech. You’ll be able to find the type of lifestyle you’re looking for without sacrificing your career.
How to find jobs that will let you live in these cities
ODSC has a number of ways that you can get the data science job you want and in the city you want. Here are just a few ways:
Reading our data science career advice blogs.
Learn more about data science from wherever you are either at virtual ODSC events like ODSC West or with Ai+ Training.
Uploading your resume and finding data science jobs on Ai+ Careers.