By Karen Rice
Ozark Living
Joplin was recently ranked the second-best
place to work remotely in the United States
by e Wall Street Journal. Another Missouri
community, Springfield, took first place.
e findings were based on a study
of remote workers across the nation who
identified the characteristics that make a city
ideal for remote work. Available data on each
of these factors was gathered for hundreds of
metropolitan areas across the country.
Among the factors important to remote
workers are access to inexpensive high-speed
internet, affordable living, a low unemployment
rate, proximity to airports, and amenities like
restaurants and greenspaces.
Joplin ranked in the 97th percentile for a
low cost of living and currently boasts a 2.35%
unemployment rate. In Springfield, 68.8% of
households are within half a mile of a park.
According to Victoria Pratt, senior vice
president of economic development at the
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce,
Springfield housing costs are 25.5% lower than
the national average and utility costs are 13.8%
less.
"We're excited to be recognized as the
second overall destination in the nation for
remote work," said Travis Stephens, president
and CEO of the Joplin Area Chamber of
Commerce. "Our growing entrepreneurial
ecosystem coupled with our quality
public education and outdoor recreational
opportunities makes Joplin an ideal place for
remote workers."
Remote workers make up about 13% of
American workers, and there are about 25
million of them across the country.
e Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
recently introduced Launched in SWMO, a
website that provides resources specific to
remote workers and entrepreneurs in addition
to a coworking office space that remote workers
can utilize daily, weekly or monthly at the
Joseph Newman Innovation Center.
For more information, visit
www.launchedinswmo.com.
For remote workers, the
Ozarks are a great place to live
24 • April 2023 • OZArK liViNG
