Tulsa Remote Expands, Cumberland Offers $20,000 to Remote Workers

Remote work has remained a standard practice for many employees years after the pandemic normalized working from home. This shift has prompted local governments in the United States to compete for new residents by offering direct cash payments to people who can live anywhere.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, operates one of the most extensive programs in the country. Tulsa Remote, which began before the pandemic, pays eligible remote workers $10,000 to relocate to the city and secure housing. The initiative started with approximately 70 participants in 2019. Today, the program has grown to serve more than 3,500 people.

Justin Harlan, the managing director of Tulsa Remote, explained that the program began as an experiment to diversify the local labor force, which had historically relied on the oil and gas sectors. While the program only requires residents to stay for one year, data shows a 90% retention rate beyond that period. Since 2019, 75% of participants still live in Tulsa.

Cumberland, Maryland, has joined this trend with a new pilot program called Choose Cumberland. The city, located about 130 miles from Washington D.C., is offering a total of $20,000 to up to 10 individuals who agree to move there. This amount is split into $10,000 in relocation cash and another $10,000 for a home down payment or approved renovations. Recipients must make Cumberland their primary residence for at least five years.

Mayor Ray Morriss noted that Cumberland’s population dropped from over 40,000 to fewer than 19,000 after large manufacturing employers closed starting in the 1970s. He stated that the city aims to attract people who bring their jobs with them. The program seeks to reverse the long-term decline in the Appalachian community.

Faith Langevin moved from Atlanta to Tulsa in 2022 after seeing the $10,000 incentive. She and her husband, both remote workers, received the payment. Langevin cited the lower cost of living and the social support provided by the program as key factors in her decision. When asked about regrets three years later, she said there were none.

Evan Starr, an associate professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Business, studied the Tulsa Remote program to understand its long-term effects. He found the retention rates to be high, indicating that residents are not leaving immediately after the one-year requirement expires. Starr believes remote work will persist, creating new levels of geographic mobility for employees.