Mpls, St. Paul ‘side hustle’ economy, availability ranked according to new study

(FOX 9) - The gig economy, or side hustles, have become more prevalent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a new study sought to find which cities provide the most ideal environments for them.

The study, conducted by LLC.org, analyzed key factors across 170 cities and created a list of the top 30 best cities for side hustles in 2023, with Minneapolis ranking No. 10 and St. Paul coming in at No. 21.

The survey factors included, "flexibility for side hustlers, affordability and accessibility to start a side hustle."

According to the study, "The analysis looked at eight equally weighted metrics including side hustle affordability (LLC filing fees and income tax rates), flexibility to start a side hustle (percent of residents who work from home, average weekly working hours, and average commute time), economic environment (unemployment rate), and accessibility factors."

The top five best cities to start a side hustle in included (from first to last), Salt Lake City, Utah; Gilbert, Arizona; Scottsdale, Arizona; Madison, Wisconsin; and Chandler, Arizona.