The Top Ten Mobile-Friendly Cities In the U.S.
What makes a mobile-friendly city? We have a few ideas: the prevalence of smartphone and tablet ownership, an abundance of public wireless networks, and fast download speeds, to name a few.
MyMobileLyfe is thrilled to announce the inaugural edition of Mobile Cities, a ranking of ten U.S. cities that help their residents and visitors embrace the mobile “lyfestyle.”
What is the mobile “lyfestyle?” It represents a dramatic change in the way we go about our lives, driven by portable technology. Every day, more people are using their smartphones and tablets to streamline their daily tasks, including shopping, travel, banking, research, and communication.
Navigating through our mobile lives is easier in some places than others. We believe the cities on our list are model locations for today’s mobile “lyfestyle” to take place.
We ranked our ten cities by their performance on the following factors:
- Percentage of smartphone and tablet owners in each city. [source]
- Total number of free Wi-Fi hotspots (and the number of hotspots per 100,000 residents). [source]
- Average Wi-Fi download speeds in each city’s state. [source]
Without further ado, here are the top ten Mobile Cities for 2015!
10. Boston, MA
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 55%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 38%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 140
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 21.3
The largest city in New England is a national “Hub” for culture, business, history, and education. This, and the presence of several highly-renown academic institutions, attracts a vibrant and youthful population.
Of the ten cities on this list, Boston ranks at or near the bottom in the number of free Wi-Fi hotspots and overall smartphone adoption.
9. Philadelphia, PA
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 62%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 37%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 175
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 11.2
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 6.64 Mbps
Philadelphia played a substantial role in America’s history, and today it is a regional and national economic driver.
The number of Wi-Fi locations and the area’s Wi-Fi download speed were considerable factors leading to Philadelphia’s rank on our list.
8. New York, NY
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 48%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 39%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 611
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 7.2
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 7.3 Mbps
A world capital for finance and culture, New York attracts energetic and ambitious people from all over. Mobile is essential to many in the city, whether they are trying to find a world-class restaurant or pass the time on the subway.
New York has the second-highest amount of free Wi-Fi hotspots, but it’s rate of smartphone ownership is the lowest of the ten cities.
7. Atlanta, GA
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 60%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 30%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 349
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 76.5
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 7.25 Mbps
The capital of the South, Atlanta, is the home of several Fortune 500 companies and the world’s busiest airport (and MyMobileLyfe!).
Atlanta has more Wi-Fi spots per 100,000 residents than any other city on this list, but its mobile device adoption rate is among the lowest.
6. Houston, TX
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 62%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 34%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 592
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 26.4
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 5.49 Mbps
Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the nation, and it is a leader in the aeronautics and energy fields.
Average Wi-Fi speed and tablet ownership in Houston are low, compared to the other cities listed here. However, free Wi-Fi hotspots are prevalent, as well as a high rate of smartphone adoption.
5. Chicago, IL
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 57%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 39%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 475
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 17.4
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 8.7 Mbps
Chicago attracts millions of visitors each year with its history, culture, and nightlife, and it is a leader in commerce and technology.
Despite a relatively low rate of smartphone ownership among the ten cities, Chicago earned this spot on our list with high rankings for total Wi-Fi locations and average download speed.
4. Los Angeles, CA
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 66%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 38%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 358
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 9.1
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 10.09 Mbps
Los Angeles is home to the American entertainment industry, and it is a world leader in business, media, and research.
L.A. ranks second among the ten cities in rate of smartphone ownership and wireless connection speed, but ninth in the number of Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents.
3. Dallas, TX
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 76%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 48%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 302
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 23.6
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 5.49 Mbps
Dallas is known for its prowess in technology, banking, healthcare, and logistics. It has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation, serving as home for AT&T and Southwest among others.
The highest rates of smartphone and tablet ownership helped elevate Dallas to the third position in our ranking.
2. San Francisco, CA
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 61%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 36%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 614
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 72.0
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 10.09 Mbps
It’s no surprise to see San Francisco this high on our list. The city and the region are world leaders in mobile technology, and it is popular among tourists because of its landmarks and culture.
San Francisco’s abundance of wireless hotspots and its high average download speed solidified second place in the Mobile Cities ranking.
1. Washington, DC
- Percentage of smartphone owners: 64%
- Percentage of tablet owners: 43%
- Number of free Wi-Fi hotspots: 234
- Wi-Fi hotspots per 100,000 residents: 35.5
- Average Wi-Fi download speed in state: 24.57 Mbps
Washington, D.C. is the center of American political power, and its history and landmarks attract millions of visitors to the city each year.
D.C. leads all cities in average Wi-Fi download speed, and it ranks in the top three for wireless connections per 100,000 residents and mobile device adoption. This was more than enough for the city to earn the top spot on the inaugural Mobile Cities ranking.
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