Atlanta ranks as the best U.S. city for hybrid workers, according to a new analysis by Hubble that measures whether cities actually support a flexible workweek through coworking, commuting, housing, internet access and employment opportunities.
The ranking comes as employers continue pulling workers back toward the office. More than 80% of new U.S. job postings in the second quarter of 2026 did not advertise remote or hybrid options, according to Robert Half data cited in the analysis.
But the analysis argues that job postings alone do not capture whether a city works well for employees splitting their time between home and the office.
Atlanta leads, but the Midwest dominates
Hubble analyzed U.S. cities with more than 100,000 residents across 20 measures covering workspace availability, commuting, housing, employment and quality of life.
The 10 highest-scoring cities were:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Boulder, Colorado
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Naperville, Illinois
- Birmingham, Alabama
Atlanta took first place largely because of its coworking infrastructure and flexible-work ecosystem. It has 41.7 coworking spaces per 100,000 residents, the highest rate among U.S. cities above 100,000 people in the analysis. Coworking memberships also average less than $200 per month.
St. Louis followed with inexpensive coworking, short average commutes and high park density. Pittsburgh ranked third, helped by strong public transportation, walkability and broadband coverage.
The Midwest made up five of the national top 10, with Ann Arbor, Overland Park, Grand Rapids and Naperville joining St. Louis.
The regional rankings produced a different picture of what makes hybrid work practical.
South
Top 10: Atlanta, Birmingham, Plano, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Miami, Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Little Rock and Huntsville.
Atlanta also led the South, while Birmingham ranked second nationally in the region, helped by low costs and affordable coworking. Plano came third, with relatively affordable housing and a high share of workers in hybrid-compatible occupations.
Washington, D.C. stood out for public transportation, biking and alternative commuting, although its average commute was the longest among the region’s top 10.
Midwest
Top 10: St. Louis, Ann Arbor, Overland Park, Grand Rapids, Naperville, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Lansing, Lincoln and Kansas City.
St. Louis led the region, followed by Ann Arbor and Overland Park. The Midwest benefited from relatively affordable housing, shorter commutes and larger homes that can accommodate dedicated home offices.
Ann Arbor had about 845 hybrid job listings per 100,000 residents, more than double the top-10 average cited in the analysis.
Northeast
Top 10: Pittsburgh, Cambridge, Buffalo, Boston, Rochester, Albany, Stamford, Hartford, Syracuse and Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh topped the Northeast and ranked third nationally. Cambridge followed, with particularly strong walking and biking infrastructure and more than half of commuters using something other than driving alone.
Boston had the region’s highest number of hybrid job listings per capita, while Philadelphia ranked last among the Northeast’s top 10 and had the region’s longest average commute at 33.2 minutes.
West
Top 10: Boulder, Salt Lake City, Scottsdale, Bellevue, Denver, Fort Collins, San Francisco, Seattle, Irvine and Gilbert.
Boulder led the West and ranked fifth nationally. Nearly 30% of its employees primarily work from home, while its coworking supply and biking infrastructure also scored highly.
Salt Lake City came second, offering relatively affordable coworking and housing compared with other Western contenders. Scottsdale ranked third, supported by a high concentration of hybrid-compatible businesses and a 28% share of residents working primarily from home.
San Francisco and Bellevue offered deep pools of hybrid-compatible jobs, but their high costs pulled down their overall rankings.
What makes a city work for hybrid employees?
The analysis points to a mix of practical factors rather than simply counting remote jobs. A workable hybrid city needs places to work outside the home, manageable commutes and housing that can accommodate a home office. Reliable internet and a strong supply of jobs that can actually be performed remotely or partially remotely also matter.
The result is a ranking where traditionally expensive technology hubs compete with smaller and more affordable cities.
The study’s methodology scored each city across 20 metrics in five categories, then weighted the results into an overall score. Commute time, coworking costs and housing costs were scored more favorably when they were lower, while factors such as broadband coverage, workspace availability and hybrid employment opportunities received higher scores when they were greater.
