We all know about Silicon Valley being the tech capital of the United States. The greater San Francisco Bay area is home to Google, Apple, HP, and about a billion other tech companies.
But rent is expensive in San Francisco. So where should a tech geek like you move?
There are lots of other technologically-oriented cities in the United States. Whether it’s Google Fiber, good tech salaries, or cheap rent and internet rates, here are some of the best cities in the United States for tech geeks like you:
5) Kansas City
Kansas City is located in both Kansas and Missouri. It straddles the border of the two states. Kansas City doesn’t have much going for it – although I’m sure it’s lovely. It does have one of the country’s most unique ISPs, however.
That ISP is Google Fiber, which offers speeds up to 100 times faster than the average American ISP (1000Mbps). It’s not even that expensive – it costs $70 per month or $120 per month for internet and TV.
Don’t want to pay that? There’s also a free Google Fiber plan which costs $0 per month (with a $300 activation fee).
If you’re choosing a new city based on Google Fiber, then you’ll want to choose one of the following cities, all of which have recently received Google Fiber:
-Austin, Texas
-Provo, Utah
-Other potential cities added in the future include Portland, San Jose, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta
Want to download movies in an instant and never experience lag again? Google Fiber lets you live your internet speed fantasies. And no, it’s not weird to move to a new city purely for the internet connection.
4) Austin
We’ve already told you one major reason to move to Austin – Google Fiber.
However, even before Austin received the blessed touch of Google Fiber, it was a real tech city. The annual SXSW Festival has spawned many tech companies – including Twitter. Today, Apple, Samsung, AT&T, and Microsoft all have large offices in Austin, making it one of the best places to find skilled tech labor beyond Silicon Valley.
3) Seattle
Seattle’s long, grey winters and rainy weather practically beg tech workers to stay inside and work at their computers all day. And that’s exactly what many of them do in Seattle.
Seattle (or more specifically, Redmond) is famously home to Microsoft. Seattle is also home to Boeing, Amazon, and a number of other tech giants.
Want to work in tech? Seattle has one of the highest tech salaries in the region at $95,048.
Seattle doesn’t have the same advantages as the first two cities on our list (great ISPs), but it likely will soon: the city is engaged in active discussions with ISPs (particularly Comcast) for their lackluster service, which shows that Seattle genuinely cares about its internet users.
2) Portland, Oregon
Portland is undeniably one of the weirdest cities in the United States. That’s okay: Portland is proud of its reputation.
Along with weird comedy festivals, eco-friendly residents, and local cuisine, Portland is quickly developing a reputation as “Silicon Forest”.
HP, IBM, and many smaller chipmakers all call Portland home.
1) Boston, Massachusetts
For years, Boston has watched its top talent leave the city after graduating from places like MIT and Harvard.
Boston, however, has realized that a better business model would be to keep that talent in town. That’s why it created something called the Innovation District which aims to provide startups with all of the tools they need to be successful.
The project is still in its young stages. Today, the ‘ID’ offers plenty of networking events, common workspaces, and other things startup need to be successful. Boston is also the only city on this list to have pro sports teams in all four big leagues. (Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins).
The cities listed above were chosen for different reasons. Some cities had great ISPs. Others had decent rent prices and strong tech salaries. Calling a city a great “tech” city is a general term: but if you’re a tech geek, you’re sure to love the cities listed above.
