NextChapter

Best all-round cities for remote workers in the Southeast

Reston is the best all-round city for remote workers in the Southeast, with a score of 94 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Reston, VA: 94 / 100
  • #2 Atlanta, GA: 85 / 100
  • #3 Raleigh, NC: 78 / 100
  • 29 cities ranked in the Southeast
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Reston VA94 / 100
  2. 2Atlanta GA85 / 100
  3. 3Raleigh NC78 / 100
  4. 4McLean VA77 / 100
  5. 5Alexandria VA66 / 100
  6. 6Miami FL66 / 100
  7. 7Alpharetta GA66 / 100
  8. 8Arlington VA66 / 100
  9. 9Chantilly VA65 / 100
  10. 10Nashville TN62 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Reston leads on 94 / 100, and #10 Nashville is at 62 / 100.
  • Chantilly reaches #9 on a sample of 555 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Atlanta is the largest market in the top ten, with 5,566 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Remote work is attached to a city by the employer's base. This list weighs how many openings are remote, how many there are and what the pay is worth locally, to show which cities hire remotely in volume.

How to use it

If you want a remote role, the top cities show where the employers are. You can live elsewhere and still apply to them as a remote candidate.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Reston VA

    94 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    12%
    Pay after cost of living
    $157k
    Remote openings
    97

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 783 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  2. 2

    Atlanta GA

    85 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    7%
    Pay after cost of living
    $135k
    Remote openings
    372

    Hiring most here: Emory University, Oxford College of Emory University, Capgemini Invent

    Based on 5,566 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Atlanta

  3. 3

    Raleigh NC

    78 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    10%
    Pay after cost of living
    $121k
    Remote openings
    143

    Hiring most here: First Citizens Bank, Dewberry, MaintainX

    Based on 1,427 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Raleigh

  4. 4

    McLean VA

    77 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    5%
    Pay after cost of living
    $148k
    Remote openings
    59

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 1,155 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  5. 5

    Alexandria VA

    66 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    5%
    Pay after cost of living
    $139k
    Remote openings
    29

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 584 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  6. 6

    Miami FL

    66 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    5%
    Pay after cost of living
    $117k
    Remote openings
    114

    Hiring most here: University Of Miami, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Princess Cruises / Holland America Line

    Based on 2,344 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Miami

  7. 7

    Alpharetta GA

    66 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    5%
    Pay after cost of living
    $130k
    Remote openings
    30

    Hiring most here: Morgan Stanley, Fiserv, Landis+Gyr

    Based on 576 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alpharetta

  8. 8

    Arlington VA

    66 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $143k
    Remote openings
    80

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 1,989 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  9. 9

    Chantilly VA

    65 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $192k
    Remote openings
    24

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 555 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  10. 10

    Nashville TN

    62 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $138k
    Remote openings
    69

    Hiring most here: Oracle, Amazon, Vanderbilt University

    Based on 1,650 openings.

  11. 11

    Orlando FL

    59 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    5%
    Pay after cost of living
    $100k
    Remote openings
    65

    Hiring most here: Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin Services, Sikorsky Aircraft

    Based on 1,272 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Orlando

  12. 12

    Louisville KY

    58 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $115k
    Remote openings
    90

    Hiring most here: BrightSpring Health Services, Norton Healthcare, GE Appliances

    Based on 2,064 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Louisville

  13. 13

    Herndon VA

    58 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    3%
    Pay after cost of living
    $159k
    Remote openings
    26

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 821 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  14. 14

    Tampa FL

    55 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $100k
    Remote openings
    78

    Hiring most here: DTCC, University of South Florida, Tampa Electric

    Based on 1,738 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tampa

  15. 15

    Charlotte NC

    53 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    3%
    Pay after cost of living
    $125k
    Remote openings
    95

    Hiring most here: Truist Financial, Scout Motors, SMBC Americas

    Based on 3,198 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlotte

  16. 16

    Richmond VA

    53 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    5%
    Pay after cost of living
    $99k
    Remote openings
    58

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 1,136 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

  17. 17

    Tallahassee FL

    50 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $106k
    Remote openings
    34

    Hiring most here: State of Florida, L3HARRIS Technologies, Florida

    Based on 759 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tallahassee

  18. 18

    Frankfort KY

    47 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    3%
    Pay after cost of living
    $139k
    Remote openings
    5

    Hiring most here: Lumen, Oracle, Sazerac

    Based on 153 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Frankfort

  19. 19

    Huntsville AL

    44 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    1%
    Pay after cost of living
    $154k
    Remote openings
    17

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin

    Based on 1,154 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Huntsville

  20. 20

    Norfolk VA

    36 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    4%
    Pay after cost of living
    $103k
    Remote openings
    14

    Hiring most here: Commonwealth of Virginia, Seacorp, United States Fleet Forces Command

    Based on 332 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norfolk

  21. 21

    Mc Lean VA

    32 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    1%
    Pay after cost of living
    $161k
    Remote openings
    2

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 234 openings.

  22. 22

    Fort Belvoir VA

    29 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    2%
    Pay after cost of living
    $133k
    Remote openings
    3

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Teksynap, LMI

    Based on 197 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

  23. 23

    Manassas VA

    27 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    1%
    Pay after cost of living
    $136k
    Remote openings
    3

    Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Electra.Aero, Holder Construction

    Based on 231 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Manassas

  24. 24

    Tysons VA

    27 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    2%
    Pay after cost of living
    $125k
    Remote openings
    4

    Hiring most here: M.C. Dean, Alarm.com Holdings, LMI

    Based on 190 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tysons

  25. 25

    Jacksonville FL

    25 / 100

    Remote share of openings
    2%
    Pay after cost of living
    $97k
    Remote openings
    24

    Hiring most here: Confidential, Intercontinental Exchange, UF Health

    Based on 1,071 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jacksonville

Full ranking

All 29 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Reston VA94 / 100783
2Atlanta GA85 / 1005,566
3Raleigh NC78 / 1001,427
4McLean VA77 / 1001,155
5Alexandria VA66 / 100584
6Miami FL66 / 1002,344
7Alpharetta GA66 / 100576
8Arlington VA66 / 1001,989
9Chantilly VA65 / 100555
10Nashville TN62 / 1001,650
11Orlando FL59 / 1001,272
12Louisville KY58 / 1002,064
13Herndon VA58 / 100821
14Tampa FL55 / 1001,738
15Charlotte NC53 / 1003,198
16Richmond VA53 / 1001,136
17Tallahassee FL50 / 100759
18Frankfort KY47 / 100153
19Huntsville AL44 / 1001,154
20Norfolk VA36 / 100332
21Mc Lean VA32 / 100234
22Fort Belvoir VA29 / 100197
23Manassas VA27 / 100231
24Tysons VA27 / 100190
25Jacksonville FL25 / 1001,071
26Fort Lauderdale FL24 / 100572
27Vienna VA21 / 100163
28Springfield VA15 / 100274
29Boca Raton FL13 / 100344

How this ranking works

A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): remote share of openings 40%, pay after cost of living 30%, remote openings 30%.

A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most.

Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles and posted pay; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best all-round cities for remote workers in the southeast?
Reston is the best all-round city for remote workers in the Southeast, with a score of 94 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
29 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 29 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): remote share of openings 40%, pay after cost of living 30%, remote openings 30%. A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most. Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best all-round cities for remote workers in the Southeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-remote-workers-in-the-southeast

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-remote-workers-in-the-southeast">Best all-round cities for remote workers in the Southeast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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