At $1,700 a month, this is the cheapest beach town for digital nomads to rent this summer — and nearly a quarter of the population also works remotely

As remote work continues to reshape where Americans choose to live, coastal destinations are increasingly competing not just on scenery, but also on internet speeds, cost of living and laptop-friendly infrastructure.

Affordable beach living still exists in some corners of the coast

Wave Connect analyzed 40 coastal towns across the U.S., evaluating them based on factors including internet speeds, coworking spaces, average summer temperatures, rent prices, cost of living and neighborhood safety.

While Naples, Florida, claimed the No. 1 overall spot for remote workers thanks to its 303 Mbps internet speeds, established work-from-home community and three coworking spaces, New Smyrna Beach stood out for its affordability.

The beach town boasts a median monthly rent of just $1,700 — hundreds less than Naples’ typical $2,300 monthly rent and significantly below many California beach communities, where median rents range from roughly $2,400 to $3,500 per month.

New Smyrna Beach also offers download speeds averaging 275 Mbps, which is fast enough for video meetings, streaming and large file transfers. And average summer temperatures hover around a warm but manageable 81.5 F.

Although the town doesn’t currently have any dedicated coworking spaces, more than one in five residents already work remotely, suggesting that digital nomads won’t be alone when setting up at a local coffee shop or beachfront cafe.

Remote work is changing where Americans live

The rise of digital nomads isn’t slowing down. According to an MBO Partners’ most recent State of Independence study, 18.5 million American workers were considered digital nomads in 2025, marking a 2.2% increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics research shows remote work remains far above pre-pandemic levels, even as many employers have adopted hybrid work arrangements.