Working Remotely from Rural Colorado: What You Need to Know

The pandemic changed everything about where people can live. For the first time, millions of workers realized they did not need to be in a city — or even near one — to do their jobs. And a significant number of them started looking at places like Westcliffe, Colorado.

If you are considering making the move and bringing your career with you, here is what you need to know about working remotely from rural Colorado.

Starlink has been a game changer. For years, the biggest obstacle to remote work in rural areas was internet access. Satellite internet was slow and unreliable. That changed with Starlink. Most areas of Custer County now have access to Starlink, which provides speeds fast enough for video calls, large file transfers, and cloud-based work. It is not cheap — the equipment costs several hundred dollars and the monthly service is around $120 — but it works.

Cell service is inconsistent. Verizon has the best coverage in the area, but even Verizon has dead zones. AT&T and T-Mobile coverage is more limited. Before you buy a property, test your carrier's service at the actual location — not just in town. Many remote workers use a cell booster to improve signal at their home.

Power outages happen. Rural Colorado gets winter storms, and power outages are part of life. If your work requires continuous connectivity, you need a backup plan — a generator, a battery backup system, or a UPS for your router and computer. Most remote workers in the area have some combination of these.

The time zone works in your favor if you are on Eastern time. Mountain Time means you start your workday at 7 or 8 AM local time if you are working with East Coast colleagues. That leaves your afternoons free for the things that make living here worthwhile — a ride before dinner, a hike after lunch, an hour of fishing before the evening call.

Co-working options are limited but growing. There is no WeWork in Westcliffe. But the library has wifi, a few coffee shops have workspaces, and the community of remote workers is growing. Some people find the isolation of working from home in a rural area to be exactly what they wanted. Others miss the social energy of an office. Know which one you are before you make the move.