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No one wants to be quarantined and everyone is just trying to make the best of it.
However, some cities are better places to be stuck at home than others. We often think about what cities have to offer in terms of night life, dining out, and exciting things to do. However, for the millions of Americans stuck at home in formerly exciting cities, the nearby theme park or vibrant theatre scene aren’t doing much.
What do they care about? Spacious apartments, speedy internet, plentiful take-out options, and nearby green space.
We set out to find the cities where those sheltering in place have it the relative best.
Best Cities To Be Quarantined
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Irvine, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
- San Diego, CA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Chandler, AZ
- San Jose, CA
- Raleigh, NC
- Orlando, Fl
- Austin, TX
Scottsdale, Arizona is the best city in the US to be quarantined. Residents of Scottsdale and other cities that make up the top 10 may not be enjoying their time stuck at home. However, they do enjoy larger than average apartments and faster internet to help them stream away their troubles. If that’s not enough, when they do get outside, there is plentiful green space to get some fresh air while socially distancing.
Keep reading to see why these 10 cities made the grade, or jump to the bottom to see where your city landed.
How We Determined The Best (And Worst) Cities To Be Quarantined
We ranked each city 1 to 99 in four areas:
- Average apartment size
- Amount of parkland per person
- Percent of residents with broadband internet
- Number of takeout options
Average apartment size comes from RENTCafe. The bigger the apartment, the better for stir-crazy quarantiners. Not only can space make working from home, working out from home, and hobbies better, it also helps distance yourself from family and roommates. This doesn’t take into consideration city house size, or home owners, and just looks at apartment rentals.
The amount of parkland came from the Trust For Public Land. The more public green space per 1,000 residents, the higher the city ranked. We looked at the number of restaurants listed for each city on Doordash. The more restaurants available for delivery, the more food options residents can get without leaving their house.
Finally, we used the trusty US Census to see the percentage of residents in each city with broadband internet– including cable, fiber, or DSL. Not only does fast internet help with working from home, it also helps residents engage in video communication with friends, play online games, and stream entertainment.
1. Scottsdale, AZ
Park Land Per 1k People: 124.3
Broadband Internet: 81.8%
Apartment Size: 946 sq ft
Take-out Options: 1060
Scottsdale is the best city in the US to be quarantined. Why makes being stuck at home sweeter in Scottsdale than other places? First of all, those homes are pretty big. The average Scottsdale apartment is 964 square feet. That’s almost double the size of what they’re coping with in Honolulu. Throw in over a thousand restaurants with delivery and lots of public land and it’s easy to see that things could be a lot worse than Scottdale.
2. Irvine, CA
Park Land Per 1k People: 39.1
Broadband Internet: 86.1%
Apartment Size: 912 sq ft
Take-out Options: 1695
In 2nd place, we have Irvine, California. 86% of residents in Irvine had broadband internet– the third highest rate in the nation. That speedy internet means more folks in Irvine can prop their feet up, stream Netflix, and order from one of the many delicious restaurants a stone’s throwaway.
3. Las Vegas, NV
Park Land Per 1k People: 70.5
Broadband Internet: 71.6%
Apartment Size: 884 sq ft
Take-out Options: 1755
Las Vegas is known for their vibrant nightlife, but apparently it’s a good place to stay home. The third best place to stay home in the nation, to be precise. What makes Vegas so great? Outside of the strip, they have beautiful, sprawling nature for the perfect stay-cation. Las Vegas has the 7th highest amount of parks per resident
4. San Diego, CA
Park Land Per 1k People: 34.9
Broadband Internet: 80.7%
Apartment Size: 848 sq ft
Take-out Options: 2463
San Diego residents may have small apartments, but great internet and world class food show space isn’t everything.
5. Virginia Beach, VA
Park Land Per 1k People: 54.9
Broadband Internet: 81%
Apartment Size: 973 sq ft
Take-out Options: 540
Virginia Beach residents have the 3rd largest apartments. If that isn’t enough, Virginia Beach has a large amount of public land for people to take in some fresh air when they get too stir crazy.
6. Chandler, AZ
Park Land Per 1k People: 23.4
Broadband Internet: 82.4%
Apartment Size: 922 sq ft
Take-out Options: 910
The booming city of Chandler may have slowed down significantly, but residents at home have a lot to be grateful for. For one, roomy housing gives them more space to live their lives at home. Chandler also has the 5th best internet access of any citizen.
7. San Jose, CA
Park Land Per 1k People: 15.8
Broadband Internet: 81.6%
Apartment Size: 879 sq ft
Take-out Options: 1458
In the heart of silicon valley, many tech workers are now working from their smallish apartments. Lucky for them, 81% of the city has broadband internet, so when they complain to their friends about those tiny apartments, the video picture is great quality. Throw in some great dining options, and the apartments aren’t so bad.
8. Raleigh, NC
Park Land Per 1k People: 29.6
Broadband Internet: 79.2%
Apartment Size: 962 sq ft
Take-out Options: 550
In 8th place we have Raleigh, North Carolina, edging out its sister city Durham by over 60 spots. Raleigh’s roomy apartments, excellent internet, and high amount of public leisure space make it one of the best cities to be quarantined.
9. Orlando, Fl
Park Land Per 1k People: 10.8
Broadband Internet: 73.5%
Apartment Size: 949 sq ft
Take-out Options: 1596
While Orlando has been economically rocked by theme park closures, residents sheltering in place have some advantages of those in other cities. Orlando is a sprawling city, with spacious housing. The city also has a surprising amount of take out options, 1596 to be exact.
10. Austin, TX
Park Land Per 1k People: 22.9
Broadband Internet: 80.9%
Apartment Size: 859 sq ft
Take-out Options: 1564
In 10th place we have Austin, Texas. While Austin is known for keeping it weird and a vibrant tech scene, it is also the 10th best city to be quarantined. While Austin has the second smallest apartments in the top 10 (only smaller than San Diego), they also have fast internet and a decent amount of outdoor space per resident for a nice change of scenery.
Summary On The Best Cities To Be Quarantined
Overall, while everyone is struggling with quarantine– residents in some cities have a few advantages to help them cope.
Fast internet, spacious apartments, take-out, and beautiful parks don’t make up for the lack of human contact and everyday normality. However, they certainly help. Sure, binge watching Tiger King and ordering no-contact delivery is probably not how you imagined an exciting Saturday night a few months ago, but it could be a lot worse.
Don’t believe me? Just imagine spending every day, all day in a studio with dial up, no nearby parks, and a few crummy dining options.
Where do quarantined residents have it the worst?
- Newark, NJ
- Hialeah, Fl
- Paterson, NJ
- Buffalo, NY
- Laredo, TX
- Tucson, AZ
- Cleveland, OH
- Arlington, TX
- McAllen, TX
- Boston, MA
The Best Cities To Be Quarantined, Ranked From Best To Worst
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
