Can I be an Uber driver in suburban towns? Is it profitable?

Yes, you can, but there may be some hardships you have to overcome.

First of all, whether you live in the city or a rural town, as an Uber driver, you get to choose where you work.  If you are close to cities or areas of high needs, you will be fine.  It just requires you to commute to those areas the days you want to work.

If you want to stay in your own neighborhood, that can be a challenge because in rural or suburbian towns, there may not be as many riders (or rideshare users in general) and you are driving more to make the pick-ups.  These are challenges you'd have to overcome.  People in rural areas usually have their own cars, so their needs can be sporadic, say when they are going to the airport, their car is in the shop, or getting home from a night of drinking.  People in rural areas are usually distributed, so you'd have to drive much farther to pick them up.  You do NOT get paid for those trips, so that can be a big risk and an expense. (In some regions, Uber recently proposed that they start charging a reduced fee for pick up distance as well.)

With that said, the flexibility of being an Uber driver can be great, especially if you are a part-time driver trying to make a few bucks during downtime.  For example, you can choose your own hours and only go out only when the demand is elevated.  You can also drive to and camp out in areas that have higher needs, such as your town train station.

(We have even heard of drivers who sit at home, waiting for a ride, and only hop on a car when there is a request near by!)

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Uber Driver, CEO of TaxiFareFinder and Unleashed, LLC