The AI economy is no longer confined to the nation's biggest metropolitan areas. A new CoworkingCafe analysis finds that mid-sized cities are rapidly becoming specialized hubs for artificial intelligence work—offering faster internet, lower costs, and growing coworking networks that attract both startups and remote professionals.
Fayetteville, Arkansas, exemplifies this shift, adding more than 1,000 new AI postings in the past year. Workers earn an average of $96,805 there, supported by 70% fiber coverage and 16 coworking spaces. Huntsville, Alabama, shows even stronger specialization, with AI roles nearly five times more prevalent than the national average. Its 391 new postings pay an average of $127,166, enabled by 62% fiber coverage and a robust tech workforce that increasingly feeds into aerospace and defense AI applications.
In North Carolina's Durham–Chapel Hill region, AI employment climbed by over 500 roles, averaging $127,732 in pay and supported by 32 coworking sites. Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Des Moines, Iowa, have also carved out distinct niches, with average AI salaries of $147,265 and $110,730, respectively—both paired with strong broadband infrastructure. Des Moines' 71% fiber coverage helps overcome its smaller market size by enabling distributed teams and hybrid operations.
Smaller metros, too, are punching above their weight. Boulder, Colorado, added 416 AI jobs with salaries averaging $177,851—more than triple the national concentration of AI roles. Trenton–Princeton, New Jersey, recorded 685 new postings, while Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Rochester, Minnesota, are also gathering momentum thanks to solid research ecosystems and fiber connectivity rates above 40%. Even Lake Charles, Louisiana, stands out for its extreme AI specialization, with roles appearing more than 14 times the national rate.
While major metros still dominate in overall volume, the performance of these smaller and mid-sized markets underscores a more distributed AI economy than in past tech cycles.
Big Cities Still Drive Scale
San Jose remains the national leader for AI job concentration, with AI roles appearing more than six times the U.S. average and over 14,000 new postings in the past year. Average salaries approach $216,000—though the cost of living sits about 13% above the national mark.
New York continues to lead in total hiring, with more than 15,000 new AI postings and nearly 737 coworking spaces spread across multiple industries. Average pay there comes in around $151,000, reflecting both its corporate breadth and steep costs. Seattle added nearly 12,800 AI roles—triple the national concentration—with average pay topping $169,000 and 41% fiber availability.
San Francisco remains a high-dollar startup hub, with 8,500 new postings, average salaries of $178,000, and costs roughly 20% above average. Dallas–Fort Worth offers a somewhat more affordable alternative, adding over 6,000 AI jobs with salaries averaging $128,572, supported by 316 coworking spaces and 54% fiber coverage.
Across all markets, CoworkingCafe's analysis—covering more than 300 U.S. metros—shows that infrastructure, coworking availability, and cost of living are combining to spread AI opportunities more widely than ever before.
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