If You're into Side Hustles, Consider These Cities

In recent years, many of us have adopted side hustles – work outside our main jobs – to make ends meet.

So LLC.org, a business-formation information service, put together a list of the 30 best cities in which to start a side hustle. Its metrics included:

• The unemployment rate,
• The percentage of the population working from home,
• The average daily commute time,
• The average hours worked per week,
• The percentage of population with access to broadband Internet service,
• The percentage of population who own a smartphone,
• State limited liability corporation filing fees,
• State income tax.

Here is the top 10, with the best score first.

1. Salt Lake City,
2. Gilbert, Ariz.,
3. Scottsdale, Ariz.
4. Madison, Wis.
5. Chandler, Ariz.
6. Colorado Springs
7. Seattle
8. Fremont, Cal.
9. Raleigh, N.C.
10. Minneapolis.

Salt Lake City: “With a population of slightly more than 200,000, it’s a city that’s not too big and not too small,” LLC.org said. Salt Lake’s unemployment rate of 2.1% is fifth lowest of the 170-plus cities tracked by the group. “The city has the fourth-lowest average daily commute of just 18.4 minutes, making it ideal for those who want to allocate extra time for a side hustle.”

Gilbert: “The metro Phoenix area has seen explosive growth within the last several years,” LLC.org noted. “It grew by an average of 291 people every day in 2020.” The study also cited affordable LLC filing fees ($50), a low income tax rate (4.5%), and the majority of the population having access to broadband Internet.

Scottsdale: “Scottsdale is the second of six Greater Phoenix cities on our list,” LLC.org said. “Similar to Gilbert, Scottsdale offers aspiring side hustlers an affordable place to get started. A total of 35% of the city’s population works from home, giving plenty of flexibility to work on a side hustle.”

Madison: Madison is the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin. It has a low unemployment rate of 2.2%. The city offers an average commute of only 18.7 minutes. A total of 93% of the population has broadband Internet access.

Chandler: This is another Phoenix suburb. “Chandler has experienced greater Phoenix’s growth in recent years and offers an affordable place to get started with a side hustle,” the study said. A vast majority of the city’s population has access to broadband (96%) and owns a smartphone (96%).

The Best Cities For Young Professionals

Meanwhile, Forage, a career service platform for students, has created a list of the best cities for young professionals in terms of work-life balance. It ranked cities in three categories: financial security, mental and physical well-being, and social interaction.

The top 10 finishers were

1. Madison
2. Lincoln, Neb.
3. Boulder, Col.
4. St. Paul
5. Cambridge, Mass.
6. Minneapolis
7. Waukesha, Wis.
8. Seattle
9. Evanston, Ill.
10. Somerville, Mass.

Madison, Minneapolis and Seattle made both lists.