More people than ever are choosing to work from home and new research from broadband provider Fibrus has identified the 10 places in Cumbria best suited for remote working.
Carlisle tops the list, followed by Dalton-in-Furness and Cockermouth.
The analysis takes into account broadband speeds, housing affordability, transport links, access to green spaces and the availability of co-working spaces such as libraries and coffee shops with free wi-fi.
Fibrus commissioned the research in response to a surge in the popularity of working from home. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 14 per cent of people work from home all the time while another 28 per cent split their time between home and office, so-called hybrid working.
Those with degree-level qualifications and in higher-paid jobs are even more likely to work remotely.
Suzanne Elsworth, a freelance copywriter and journalist, has worked from home since she and her husband moved to Cockermouth from Cheshire in 2009. She said: “We moved here as a lifestyle choice. Cockermouth is a gorgeous place to live. It’s still a real town with brilliant independent businesses. If I fancy a screen break or need something, I just walk into town.”
Although she has a home office, Suzanne sometimes makes use of The Vicky Business Centre, which hires out fully equipped serviced office space and is one of the reasons Cockermouth scored highly in Fibrus’ research.
She explained: “I love the flexibility of home working but it can get lonely. The Vicky is great – you meet other people. I also find that, particularly if I have a big job, going to a place of work helps me focus.”
Suzanne signed up with Fibrus as soon as its ultrafast full fibre broadband came to Cockermouth in 2024.
She added: “The service from day one was really great. The broadband has never failed – that’s a joy – and I get the speeds I need for uploading and downloading data-heavy images. We’re also paying a lot less than we were paying our previous provider.”
Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer, Fibrus Group, believes that Suzanne’s positive experience and flexible lifestyle demonstrate the attractiveness of home working for many professionals.
“Last year, we commissioned a futurist to look at the potential of rural communities as engines for growth, and remote working was just one of the pillars of growth over the next 25 years.
“We know anecdotally from our customers how much enhanced connectivity has already enabled people to return to their hometown without compromising career prospects, possibly to start a family or to set up their own business, but we were interested to see how Cumbria’s towns stacked up when it came to other factors that would create a really attractive proposition to a remote worker or someone who regularly ‘works from home’ – especially through the lens of someone considering Cumbria from further afield.”
Less than three years after entering Cumbria, Fibrus has delivered full fibre connectivity to over 120,000 homes and businesses across Cumbria, through both commercial rollout and the UK Government-funded Project Gigabit. These plans are continuing to boost digital connectivity across the region. Combined with Cumbria’s natural beauty, this is helping to position the county as an increasingly attractive place to live and work remotely.
Linda added: “At Fibrus, we set out to transform connectivity in rural areas, bringing them out of the digital dark ages and giving people real choices, such as the option of working from home.
“That’s something city dwellers take for granted, but in much of rural Cumbria it wasn’t practicable until we came along.
“We will not stop championing rural communities and driving progress until every home and business is truly connected.”
Nick Elgey, Sales and Marketing Consultant for estate agent Hackney & Leigh, which has offices across the Lake District, has noticed a marked increase in professionals moving to Cumbria.
He said: “They are able to relocate because they have the ability to work from home and they are drawn here for a better quality of life and, in many cases, more affordable property prices.”
Their key requirements are fast, reliable broadband and, for those with children, proximity to good schools.
Nick added: “It’s not only young families. We also see people winding down towards retirement, but still doing consultancy work, choosing to move here.”
Although the Lake District is a big pull, he says relocators have helped to boost demand for higher-end properties in Carlisle, which benefits from excellent road and rail links and more affordable housing.
Meanwhile, research by the University of Sheffield School of Economics found that greater remote working has shifted £3billion in annual retail and hospitality spending out of large cities in England and Wales to benefit suburbs and smaller communities.
This latest independent research from Fibrus follows its report last year, The Future of Rural Communities, which challenged assumptions about rural decline and highlighted the potential of these communities as engines of growth.
Authored by an applied futurist, Tom Cheesewright, it forecast that the trend towards working from home – supported by advanced digital infrastructure and AI – would boost rural areas as professionals leave the congested cities for a better life.
Top 10 places in Cumbria for working from home:
- Carlisle
- Dalton-in-Furness
- Cockermouth
- Brampton
- Whitehaven
- Wigton
- Penrith
- Barrow-in-Furness
- Workington
- Ulverston
For more information visit the Remote Working Index map at: https://fibrus.com/remote-working-index-cumbria/
