With 261 unique locations, Dallas-Fort Worth ranks fifth in the country for the most coworking spaces, according to a new report from CoworkingCafe. Dallas alone saw the number of remote workers almost quadruple between 2019 and 2021, helping fill the nearly 100 locations in the city.
Coworking spaces have exploded in recent years. According to coworker.com, there were 19,345 coworking spaces across 172 countries and over 3,000 cities in December 2021. This figure grew to 15,076 locations only 12 months later, a jump of over 28%.
The format started in Northern California in 2005 with the opening of the San Francisco Coworking Space. Since that time, the industry has grown substantially. For example, the New York metro area now has 594 spaces, the most in the country. Among states, California occupies the top spot with 1,188 spaces, followed by Texas with 652.
The unique work arrangement was popularized partly by the meteoric rise of New York-based WeWork and its founder, Adam Newman. At its peak, the volatile company was valued at an incredible $47 billion.
As of 2022, the company maintains 756 locations in 38 countries, covering nearly 45 million square feet of space.
Why is Dallas-Fort Worth such a hub for this type of working arrangement? According to the survey, “Southern hospitality, year-round good weather and lack of state income tax could easily be seen as standalone selling points for remote workers, the fact that Dallas provides 98 coworking spaces is also a huge benefit”.
With 10 coworking spaces each in Plano, Fort Worth, and Irving, North Texas is an obvious choice for many freelancers.
Like many places, Dallas has experienced a surge of remote workers. In 2019, they represented 5% of the workers in the metropolis. Just two years later, in 2021, that number reached 19%.
A study from the gaming website MrQ ranks Dallas as the second-best location for remote working based on the number of positions available. With 106,831 remote job offerings, Dallas is second to only New York City’s 110,400 roles.