How Tulsa Lured 1,200 Remote Workers to Move
A program that pays telecommuters to relocate has grown exponentially over the past three years, a new analysis finds.
Over the past three years, Tulsa has been paying remote workers to relocate. Many of them are staying.
Photographer: Sarah Holder
After a year-and-a-half of pandemic, it’s become commonplace to hear about newly remote workers leaving the sites of their erstwhile desk jobs and moving to greener, more affordable pastures. But one city was ahead of this trend, and made these footloose workers part of its economic development strategy several years ago.
A program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to attract telecommuters that predated the remote work revolution has grown rapidly over the past several years. Its triumphs and challenges could point the way as a growing number of cities explore similar initiatives.