Key Takeaways:
- Albany, NY, and Santa Maria, CA, lead as the most expensive metro areas for open workspaces with median rates of $250/month. Santa Maria also checks the highest median monthly rate for dedicated desks at almost $500.
- Colorado Springs, CO, rapidly climbed the top to rest in the fourth spot nationally with a median monthly price of $200 for open workspaces — on par with Washington, D.C.
- Boise, ID, offers the most affordable subscriptions for open workspaces, at only $93/month.
- Virtual offices in Rochester, NY, are a quarter of the price registered in Trenton, NJ, standing at a monthly rate of $50, creating the steepest gap between metro areas out of all of the coworking subscriptions.
Many factors at play can affect the price of coworking memberships and make them vary from one place to another — and even from one month to the next. Apart from the obvious value of location and the different cost of living in each state, metropolitan area, or city, the coworking operator, amenities provided and intense competition in various markets can all greatly influence the price of different coworking subscriptions.
With this in mind, we highlighted the U.S. metropolitan statistical regions (MSAs) with the highest and lowest pricing for the most popular coworking subscription types, all the way from the East Coast to the West Coast and from north to south. We also looked at the individual options for open workspaces, dedicated desks, and virtual offices and rated MSAs according to their median starting prices for each membership category. Finally, we created a dynamic tool that you can use to compare pricing in your area and check the median rates for each subscription.
The Monthly Price Tag of Open Workspaces, from Coast to Coast
Highly popular among remote workers, solopreneurs and even small teams, open workspaces enable well-equipped workstations in a collaborative environment. As such, they’re the ideal option for those looking for professional solutions among a community of like-minded people while enjoying the flexibility that comes with this type of membership — specifically, a short- or long-term commitment; affordable pricing; and dynamic seating (as desks may be subject to availability).
Most Expensive Metro Areas — Albany & Santa Maria Boast Priciest Subscriptions, at $250
While the national median price for open workspaces stood at $149 at the end of Q4 of 2023, some metro areas go significantly above that rate. In particular, Albany, NY, and Santa Maria, CA check the highest prices for open workspaces at $250 each.
First up, Albany has quickly emerged as a robust research and tech hub for many professionals with the IBM Research center at its core — an enticing employment landscape that’s bound to attract a dynamic workforce. And, on the opposite coast, Santa Maria is known for more than its excellent wine country: the area is also driven by thriving industries like aerospace, manufacturing, high-tech research and military, thereby generating a plethora of diverse job opportunities for its residents.
Predictably, the New York City metro area follows as the second-most expensive area for open workspaces with a median monthly rate of $239, up by $40 from the 2023 rates. Here, a total of 304 coworking spaces offer this type of coworking subscription, including a whopping 70 that belong to global provider Regus and 37 to WeWork. With world-renowned operators, premium amenities and a location that’s hard (if not impossible) to beat, it’s only natural that New York boasts prices at the higher end of the spectrum.
Washington, D.C. comes in third place with a median price of $200 for an open workspace subscription across its 157 coworking locations. This is the same rate as in Colorado Springs, CO, where the median price has gone significantly up from its $110 rate in 2023. In D.C., the thriving economy and robust job landscape — especially considering the government sector that has been known to favor remote work in recent years — make coworking a highly favorable solution for many working professionals. Meanwhile, Colorado Springs is a popular choice for many remote workers due to its beautiful natural landscapes, more affordable cost of living, and powerful education and job sectors.
Most Affordable Metro Areas — Boise Shines as Most Inexpensive, with Open Workspaces at Only $93
On the other hand, Boise, ID, and Wichita, KS are the only two metro areas where the median monthly rate rests below the $100 mark at $93 and $97, respectively. In Boise’s case, the price dropped slightly since 2023, when it stood at $99. Mostly known for its scenic outdoors, The City of Trees is also considered one of the best places in the country for job-seekers, benefitting from a booming economy and a high number of job postings that almost doubled between 2020 and 2022.
Next, Greenville, SC is yet another metro area where open workspace subscriptions stand at an affordable rate of only $110 per month. And, despite its main industry being hands-on (manufacturing), coworking spaces are still available for Greenville residents with giant industry players like Regus and Spaces present in the market.
In terms of affordable open workspaces, 28 other metro areas stand out with a median monthly price of $119. Among them, those that check the highest number of coworking spaces are Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, and Portland, OR.
Dollars for Dedicated Desks: Unraveling the Monthly Price Puzzle of Dedicated Workspaces
For those who value work in an open, collaborative environment — but who also need a stable and personalized space to call their own — dedicated desks are the preferred coworking option. That’s because a dedicated desk ensures that the workstation of one’s choice is their own during their entire subscription period. Additionally, these generally come with storage space, which is convenient for keeping documents and equipment overnight or over the weekends.
Most Expensive Metro Areas — Two California Metros Boast Highest Rates, at Almost $500
In the Santa Maria, CA metro area, the median monthly price for a dedicated desk reaches the $500 mark to claim the highest rate among all of the locations analyzed and significantly above the national median rate of $322. In fact, the metro ranked as the most expensive in this category in 2023, as well, when the median was $20 less.
Not to be outdone, a second California metro also stands out with pricey dedicated desks: San Francisco has a median rate of $429, climbing up from its former seventh place in the previous year, when this type of coworking subscription cost $400. Referred to as the “AI capital of the world” and integrating Silicon Valley, it’s only natural that pricing in the area is highly competitive, given that coworking spaces are a favorable solution for many remote workers operating in the tech sector. Accordingly, leading operator Regus has a strong presence in the market with 23 out of the total 79 spaces that offer this kind of subscription, as well as WeWork (9) and Spaces (8).
Then, New York City holds onto its third position (the same as last year) in terms of dedicated desk subscriptions with a median rate of $425, despite going down in price by $25. The Big Apple was closely followed by the Miami, FL metro area, which likewise boasts a hefty rate of $400 for dedicated desks — on par with San Diego, CA and Austin, TX.
Notably, all three of these metros climbed to the podium in the span of one year, going from the 17th spot in Miami’s case, the 23rd in San Diego’s and sixth in Austin’s to fourth place nationally now. Moreover, in 2023, the dedicated desk rates logged in Miami and San Diego stood at $350 and $339, respectively. However, Austin went down in price in terms of dedicated desks (albeit by only $5) to be the only metro on our list to show a price drop year-over-year.
Most Affordable Metro Areas — Indianapolis Has the Most Accessible Dedicated Desks
Creating a massive gap of almost $300 between the extremes in this category, Indianapolis, IN shines as the least-expensive location for dedicated desks with a median rate of only $209. Known for its affordable cost of living, great educational opportunities, and thriving job market, this Midwest metro makes it easy for coworkers to get a dedicated and personalized workstation to call their own. Similarly, at only $10 more, Ann Arbor, MI is another ideal location for affordable dedicated desks, followed by Hartford, CT, which stands at a monthly median of $245 — $14 more than its 2023 rate.
In the same way, Tulsa, OK and Albuquerque, NM both stand below the $250 threshold at $249 for a monthly dedicated desk subscription, only $4 more than in 2023 in Tulsa’s case, whereas it is exactly the same rate this year in Albuquerque.
Virtual Value: Revealing the Most Recent Price Points for Monthly Virtual Offices
Virtual offices have emerged as a highly popular coworking solution for professionals who don’t necessarily require a physical footprint, but rather need a professional business address to attribute to their company or individual work endeavor. For this reason, virtual offices are the most affordable type of coworking subscription and, apart from the business address, they include benefits such as phone/fax numbers, secretarial services and mail/package handling.
Most Expensive Metro Areas — Trenton Logs Highest Rate for Virtual Offices, 4x the One in Rochester
While all types of coworking subscriptions can vary significantly according to location, virtual offices register the largest price gap between metro areas. To that end, Trenton, NJ comes on top with the most expensive monthly membership of $215 — almost double the national median ($119) registered in Q4 2023. Interestingly, this is also four times higher than the prices in Rochester, NY, which stand at an affordable $50 for virtual offices.
Back west, Boise, ID, is the second-most expensive metropolitan area in terms of virtual offices with a median price of $209. That said, it’s worth noting in both of these cases (Trenton and Boise) that the metros only log six and five coworking spaces, respectively, so the median price is determined by a small sample. What’s more, in Boise’s case, four of the five coworking spaces on the market belong to Regus — an operator known for its standard pricing regardless of location. At the same time, the 98 coworking spaces that include virtual office subscriptions in the Chicago, IL metro area drive a median price of $205 for virtual offices, which represents a $76 increase from last year’s rate.
Otherwise, the priciest metro areas for virtual offices are rounded out by Des Moines, IA, Lexington, KY and Reno, NV, all resting at a monthly rate of $205. Just like in Chicago’s case, the prices in these metros are also influenced by Regus’ presence, as well as HQ’s in Lexington.
Most Affordable Metro Areas — Rochester Sees Most Affordable Virtual Offices at $50
At the other end of the spectrum, the affordable virtual offices in Rochester, NY — which maintained its 2023 rate of $50 — are followed by those in Deltona, FL, where a monthly membership goes for $60. Also significantly below the national median are St. Louis, MO ($62), North Port, FL ($65) and Richmond, VA ($70).
Of course, because virtual offices ensure a professional business address for businesses and entrepreneurs, the prestige attributed to certain locations can certainly affect the price. Even so, it’s important to note that virtual offices are perhaps most dependent on the variables among all coworking subscriptions. More precisely, while some memberships can only provide a business address and mail-handling services, others stretch their offerings by also including secretarial services, phone answering, access to certain amenities and even a certain number of hours of meeting room usage per month. All of these factors can cause prices to vary and reach extremes both in large, vibrant areas and in smaller, less-dense communities.
See the Median Coworking Subscription Prices in Your Area
Use our interactive bar chart to see local median coworking subscription prices, as well as how your city compares to the wider area:
Methodology
- The study focused on median starting prices per person per month for virtual office, open workspace and dedicated desk coworking subscriptions.
- To determine the most and least expensive regions, we sorted Metropolitan Statistical Areas based on the median monthly subscription price for each membership type (middle value from the ordered list of starting prices). The MSAs were considered for this study as per defined by the The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
- MSAs with fewer than five separate listings were excluded to ensure a statistically significant sample size.
- The number of coworking spaces considered in each MSA is strictly determined by whether they provide each type of subscription analized. For instance, coworking spaces that don't offer virtual offices in the Chicago metro were not counted when looking at virtual office prices that area.
- The study relied solely on the listing data available on CoworkingCafe as of January 19th, 2024.
Fair Use & Redistribution
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