Cities in Illinois and Oklahoma attract workers with free land and cash

A new trend has emerged from the pandemic and cities across the country are dangling financial incentives in front of remote workers who are considered up for grabs now that they work remotely and can work from anywhere. Dozens of US cities, especially in middle America are competing for remote talent. Tulsa, Oklahoma, for example, is offering individuals $10,000 cash and other benefits including office space and professional resources to put down their roots in the southern city. Grafton, Illinois is another city offering free land to transplants who want to build homes. Workers who wish to move to  Lewisburg, West Virginia with a full-time remote job will receive $12,000. 

Riverside Grafton is the latest city to entice workers to its shore. It is trying to grow its population of 650 residents. Mayor Mike Morrow said that workers who purchase a $5,000 lot from the city and build on it within three years will be reimbursed for the cost of the land. Many overlooked cities that have struggled to retain citizens and attract new cohorts of professionals see the rise of remote workers as an opportunity to build their economy and create better-paying jobs. Meanwhile, for workers who are newly untethered from their offices, it is an opportunity to move to cheaper locales, save money for everything from buying a home to building their retirement nest eggs to paying for their children's higher education. 

Source: CBS News