As it becomes more and more likely that the U.S. will not return to its former lifestyle with workers spending each day bent full-time over their desks in an office, it is time for each company to work out remote work solutions as part of its future talent strategy, according to Colliers. And that means figuring out which metro areas are most likely to attract remote workers.

Colliers identified five categories that make a location attractive for remote work. It selected quality of life, an environment that facilitates remote work, affordability, workforce and earnings, and safety. Then it analyzed the top 25 metro areas in the U.S. best suited for remote work and ranked them based on various criteria within each category. 

Not surprisingly, a city might score well in one category but poorly in another. For example, San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley in California had the highest score for quality of life (87) and remote working environment (86) but scored only 19 for affordability – the lowest in the country — and 39 for safety – the third lowest.