How relocation reward programs work: the personal experience of a woman who traded New York for Oklahoma

The coronavirus culture, where one can work from anywhere, will not disappear with vaccines, and this has created an opportunity for small towns to attract new residents. The so-called digital nomads are in high demand and are now being offered money to move. How to get $ 10 thousand for moving, to the publication CNBC told Lindsay Marvel.

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Almost a year ago, when the pandemic was in full swing in New York, Lindsay Marvel packed her things, left her apartment in Brooklyn, bought a car and went to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“I was just kind of in survival mode, I was scared,” she admitted.

The nonprofit Tulsa Remote is offering $ 10 in relocation and social programs to connect digital nomads and help them adjust to their new city.

A year later, Marvel said, “It was a blessing. I would not want everything to turn out differently, neither during a pandemic, nor at any other time. "

She recently bought a house thanks to the money she paid and the fact that living in Tulsa is much cheaper than in New York. And social life exceeded her expectations.

“I think this year, just during the pandemic, I've made more friends than I ever did in college or when I had to keep in touch with so many people,” Marvel said.

Tulsa is one of a growing number of cities offering cash benefits to remote workers. There's even a website called MakeMyMove.com that tracks them.

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The new program in West Virginia seems to offer the most. It combines a monetary and financial incentive of $ 20 for people who have moved there.

Ascend WVA is a $25 million program funded by Intuit executive chairman and state native Brad Smith, who says he is benefiting from new trends.

“There are two trends: a shift toward remote work and a shift in geographic preference toward more rural areas, and they intersected perfectly with West Virginia's most valuable assets,” he noted.

These communities and amenities are in high demand. Ascend WVA will open later this year with 50 locations, but has already received more than 7000 applications. The goal over seven years is to attract more than 1000 new residents, who will increase their purchasing power without taking local jobs.

In addition to Smith's financial contribution, West Virginia is supporting the program through the Governor's Office, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Economic Development. They are investing equally in amenities such as broadband, affordable housing, and the infrastructure needed to make these communities hospitable to remote workers, Smith said.

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“Those who move will have the opportunity to work in co-working spaces with other colleagues who are also full-time employees of companies, and this will begin to create a synergy where these people can spend time in our local communities, they will be able to form relationships and perhaps eventually start a business there “,” Smith shared his thoughts. “But this in no way creates competition for jobs in West Virginia, which brings fully employed people to the state, strengthening our infrastructure, our economy and our communities.”

This is very similar to what is happening in Tulsa, which began its program long before the pandemic.

According to Zillow, the price of a home in the city is up 11% from last year to $ 147, but it is still well below the national average.

“Being from places like Brooklyn and Seattle, we don’t really understand how much anything costs,” Lindsey laughed. “So people are willing to pay a little more.”

She stated that she had no plans to leave Tulsa anytime soon.

“New York is amazing. This is the best city in the world, but, you know, it will always be there. I can travel, but I don't have to be there all the time. I know I made the right decision,” concluded Lindsay Marvel.

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