ST. LOUIS – Many businesses relied on remote working through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some have shifted workflow in that direction for good. When it comes to remote working, a new study finds St. Louis to among the best cities to provide such opportunities.

Coworking Cafe, a nationwide coworking space search website, recognized St. Louis as the second-best location in its “Best Cities for Remote Workers” study.

Research teams analyzed criteria from dozens of US cities to complete the rankings, including local internet speed and coverage, availability of coworking places and cost of living.

St. Louis was recognized for having the cheapest cost of living, second-best entertainment density and third-best walkability among large US cities analyzed in the study.

“The adoption of remote work during the pandemic offered greater mobility to employees who wanted to build a life outside the nation’s coastal urban centers,” says Coworking Cafe amid St. Louis’ ranking.

The study says industries such as healthcare, biotechnology, aerospace, printing, publishing and electrical equipment manufacturing all benefited from remote working opportunities in St. Louis throughout the pandemic.

Research teams named Atlanta the best city for remote workers, praising its WiFi speeds and coworking density.