Between the explosion of the gig economy and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel nurses saw an uptick in demand since the concept was first introduced during the nursing shortage of the 1970s. That demand has leveled off somewhat in the past three years as the pandemic has wound down, but the freedom that comes with being able to choose assignments and working with a variety of different people more often still makes travel nursing an attractive career path. Opting for a somewhat nomadic lifestyle, however, means making informed decisions not only about where the work is, but whether even a short-term assignment is viable due to cost of living. To that end, healthcare hiring marketplace Vivian Health has assembled the Travel Nurse Location Index, revealing where in the nation travel nurses can find the best work/life balance—and where striking that balance might be a bit more challenging. The index rates each state a score out of 100 based on a range of criteria, including average weekly salary, job availability, number of hospitals, and cost of living estimates. When considering cost of living for its index, Vivian took into account average rent as well as transportation costs and monthly utilities. Data for the number of hospitals per 100k people came from the American Hospital Association, while cost of living estimates were derived from Sperling's Best Places and compared to the national average. See our slideshow above for the top and bottom 5 states for travel nurse opportunities, and click here for the full index. Related: Ditching the deductible: Cost reductions through creative "first-dollar" coverage Collaborating with communities to deliver affordable health care The future of employer-sponsored health care