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Key Takeaways
- Southampton takes the top spot, with fast internet, lots of coworking spaces, and affordable living
- Lancaster follows closely behind, ranking as the second-best UK city for remote work
- London is the least remote-friendly city, mainly due to its high costs, poor upload and mobile internet speeds, and fewer coworking spaces per 100k people
- Smaller cities like Exeter and Preston are great for remote work, offering a good balance of decent internet speeds and affordable living
A new study reveals the best UK cities for remote work, and the ranking might surprise you.
With the rise of remote working, finding the right city to balance work and lifestyle has become more important than ever. Whether you’re looking for fast internet, coworking spaces, or a strong remote job market, the best cities for remote work can help you stay productive and enjoy a great quality of life.
To determine which cities make the ideal remote work destinations, the research team at RemotePeople, an international recruitment agency, evaluated several factors across key categories: internet speeds, coworking spaces, remote job listings, cost of living, safety, and access to green spaces.
The study also considered how many people are working from home, average data usage, and the availability of parks and play areas to give a full picture of remote work life.
1
Southampton
Southampton has come out on top in a new ranking of the best UK cities for remote work, thanks to the fastest internet speeds in the top 10 and a solid all-round performance.
The south coast city recorded average download speeds of 279.3 Mbps and upload speeds of 174.9 Mbps, by far the highest in the list.
It also offers decent coworking availability, a good safety rating, and moderate living costs. While it didn’t score highest for remote job listings or green space, its consistency across all areas gave it the edge overall.
2
Lancaster
Lancaster took second place, despite being one of the smallest cities in the ranking. It had the second-highest number of remote-friendly job listings per 100,000 people, at 7,206, and some of the lowest living costs. Its internet speeds were slower than the top cities, especially the upload speed, but the affordability and job opportunities made up for it. Coworking options were limited though, with just 1.41 spaces per 100,000 people.
3
Exeter
Exeter placed third, with strong results in remote job listings (7,914) and coworking spaces (9.28 per 100,000). It also scored well for green space and overall internet speed. But its upload speed was a weak spot at only 21.9 Mbps, one of the lowest in the top 10. Even so, Exeter remains a solid option, especially for people looking for job opportunities and flexible workspaces.
4
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent ranked fourth. It had the highest percentage of people who recently worked from home, at 37 percent, and a low cost of living. It also showed 195.7 download speeds and 52.85 safety levels. However, like others outside the top three, it lagged in coworking options and had mid-range internet performance overall.
5
Preston
Preston came fifth. It had the highest rate of people recently working from home, 46 percent, but internet speeds were weaker, especially upload speed at just 21.3 Mbps. It did well on coworking availability and affordability though, which helped balance things out.
6
St Albans
St Albans placed sixth. It led all cities in remote-friendly job listings, with over 10,000 per 100,000 people. It also ranked highly for safety and green space. But it had the highest cost of living in the top 10, and internet speeds were unimpressive, especially upload speed at 23.5 Mbps. That mix of strong and weak results kept it from rising higher.
7
Lincoln
Lincoln followed in seventh place. It had strong remote job numbers (9,935) and relatively low living costs, but very poor internet performance. Upload speeds were only 18 Mbps. It also had fewer coworking options than most of the top cities.
8
Nottingham
Nottingham came eighth. It had the best coworking space availability in the list, with 12.52 per 100,000 people, but fell short in other areas. Internet speeds were slow, remote job numbers were low at 3,302, and safety was mid-range. Still, its high coworking numbers and strong infrastructure helped it keep a spot in the top 10.
9
Norwich
Norwich landed in ninth place. It had decent job availability (7,146 listings), good park access, and a fairly safe environment. But, again, the internet was a problem. Upload speed was just 18.7 Mbps, and coworking space was limited.
10
Oxford
Oxford rounded out the top 10. Like Nottingham, it had a strong showing in coworking spaces (12.50 per 100,000 people), and it also scored well for green space. But its internet speeds were below average, and it had one of the highest costs of living in the group. Remote job listings were moderate at 6,599, but not enough to push it further up.
Complete Ranking of the Best Cities for Remote Work
METHODOLOGY: This study identified the best UK cities for remote work by analyzing nine key factors that affect the overall remote working experience.
These factors cover essential aspects like connectivity, work environment, and lifestyle balance. Data was collected for 60 major cities across the UK, and each factor was scored on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best conditions for remote work.
Here are the factors, along with their respective weights: average download internet speed (15%), average upload internet speed (15%), coworking spaces per 100,000 people (14%), remote-friendly job postings per 100,000 people (11%), recently worked from home (%) (10%), average data usage (GB) (10%), cost of living (10%), safety index (9%), and park and play areas per 100,000 people (6%).
SOURCES: OFCOM – Office of Communications, ONS – Office of National Statistics, LinkedIn, Coworker, Numbeo
