These Are the Most Affordable Destinations for Long-term Stays in the U.S. and Canada, According to Airbnb
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The pandemic has ushered in a new way of working. No longer are people tethered to a desk for eight hours, commuting back and forth, day in and day out. Instead, the global workforce has gone remote, giving way to the rise of the digital nomad.
Sure, the digital nomad lifestyle existed prior to 2020, but the movement of workers traveling the globe and working in between has boomed in the last few years. According to MBO Partners, the number of digital nomads in the U.S. alone rose by nearly 50% from 2019 to 2020. Even Airbnb itself is getting in on the practice. In April, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told employees they too could work from anywhere.
Though digital nomads, by nature, have the flexibility to go just about anywhere, there are a few destinations that are better suited for their needs, and their budgets, according to Airbnb. On Wednesday, the vacation rental company shared its top destinations in the United States and Canada for both long-term guests and hosts, based on affordability, hospitality, popularity, and host income.
As a spokesperson for Airbnb shared with Travel + Leisure via email, hosts in the U.S. earned a combined total of more than $2 billion from long-term stays from Q1 2021 through Q1 2022. Hosts in Canada earned more than $280 million from long-term stays over the same time period.
In the U.S., Airbnb's report explained, the highest-earning destinations for hosts included La Quinta, California; Delray Beach, Florida; Marco Island, Florida; Palm Springs, California; and Indio, California.
As for the most affordable spots for digital nomads, the team at Airbnb looked at the average price per night for long-term stays in destinations that had 1,000 or more long-term stay nights booked in Q1 2022 to determine which offers the best price. In fact, these all came in under $50 per night.
In the U.S., the top five most affordable spots include Angleton, Texas; Lamberton, Minnesota; Garretson, South Dakota; and at No. 1, Tulalip, Washington, about a 45-minute drive north of Seattle.
In Canada, guests can find long-term affordable stays in Québec City; Thorold, Ontario; Gatineau, Québec; Medicine Hat, Alberta; and the most affordable stays in Trois-Rivières, Québec.
A caveat in these findings is the fact that the most affordable and most desirable don't always align. According to Airbnb's findings, the most popular destinations for long-term stays in Q1 2022 in the U.S. are Los Angeles; New York City; San Francisco; Houston; and Seattle. And in Canada, it's Toronto; Montréal; Vancouver; Calgary, Alberta; and Victoria, British Columbia. But, perhaps this will help digital nomads feel a little more inspired to think outside the box and discover smaller, lesser-known destinations outside their comfort zone instead.
