Remote and hybrid workers are looking for more than a desk and Wi-Fi, and coworking spaces are starting to reflect that shift.
CoworkingCafe’s newest analysis, "The Best U.S. Cities for Amenity-Rich Coworking", shows that one in four U.S. coworking spaces now offers at least one standout amenity, from pet-friendly policies and wellness spaces to childcare-related support and EV charging.

Main findings: 2,090 of 8,222 coworking spaces (or 25.4%) offer at least one standout amenity. The Northeast leads slightly, with 27% of spaces offering elevated amenities, followed closely by the West at 26.8%. In the South, podcast rooms are the most common premium amenity. In the West, EV charging stands out, while the Midwest and Northeast lean more heavily into podcast rooms, fitness centers and networking-oriented perks. San Francisco and Denver lead for pet-friendly coworking, with 26% of their coworking spaces welcoming pets. Denver leads in total number of pet-friendly spaces, with 24, while San Francisco has 18.

Cambridge, MA, stands out for wellness-focused coworking, with 85% of coworking spaces offering sport or relaxation amenities such as lounges, fitness centers, wellness rooms or break areas. Minneapolis is ahead on childcare-related amenities: 29.4% of its coworking spaces offer childcare-related amenities, including mother’s rooms, nursing facilities or on-site childcare support. Irvine, CA, ranks first for EV-friendly coworking, with charging stations available at 27% of its coworking spaces – more than double the share of the second-ranked city.

Jigar Shah is now Chief Information Officer at WeWork, a role effective January 2026 after leading tech strategy since 2023. He is consolidating platforms across 28 countries, pulling AI, data and infrastructure into one stack, following earlier work at Yardi Systems.

John C. Santora, WeWork CEO, publicly backed the transformation.

The latest CoworkingCafe analysis looks at where independent coworking operators are gaining their strongest foothold across the U.S.

The study analyzed 73 U.S. cities with populations above 200,000 and ranked them by the share of coworking operators that are independently owned (defined as companies with less than four coworking spaces within a single city).

While larger brands still account for nearly 60% of the coworking markets analyzed, the report shows that locally owned operators are carving out a strong presence in cities where remote-work demand, manageable business costs and active entrepreneurial communities create room for independent flex spaces to grow. Main findings below.

St. Paul, MN, ranks #1 for independent coworking. Indie operators make up 80% of the city’s coworking market, with eight of its 10 providers locally owned. St. Paul also has a strong remote-work base, with more than 20% of local workers teleworking, compared to the national average of 13.3%.

At #2, Wichita, KS, where indie operators represent 67% of the coworking market, with eight local providers among the city’s 12 coworking businesses. Baltimore, MD, has the largest independent coworking market among the top 15. Ranking third overall, Baltimore counts 21 independent coworking operators, representing 62% of its local market. Nearly 18% of its workforce is working remotely.

Density wise, St. Petersburg, FL, has more than four independent operators per 100,000 residents, the highest concentration. It also has the highest remote-work rate among the top performers, at 21%, while its self-employment rate of 6.2% exceeds the national benchmark of 5.9%.

The Midwest stands out as the strongest region for indie coworking. Seven of the top 15 cities are in the Midwest.

CoworkingCafe’s Q1 2026 report found the U.S. coworking market grew to 9,136 spaces nationwide, up 3.2% quarter-over-quarter, with Los Angeles (351), Dallas-Fort Worth (337), and Chicago (336) leading by location count.

The report also highlighted continued fragmentation beyond major brands like Regus, HQ, Industrious, Spaces, and WeWork, which together control just 23% of the national market.

National square footage stood at 163.94M sqft, up 2.9% compared to Q4 2025. For those tracking it, this still represents just 2.28% of the total US office space… with loads of space to grow into.