You can get paid $10K for moving to this heartland American city
Morning Business Outlook: The U.S. Postal Service is raising prices in 2020 for flat-rate priority packages; Tulsa, Oklahoma is offering qualifying new residents $10,000 to make the move.
How’d you like $10,000? All you have to do is move to Tulsa.
The Tulsa Remote program offers grants to remote and digital workers who move to Oklahoma’s second-largest city. The only requirements are that you are 18 years of age or older, eligible to work in the U.S., have full-time remote- or self-employment outside of Oklahoma and can move to Tulsa within six months.
The program launched last year and drew more than 10,000 applicants. It just reopened for new candidates this week and is tripling in size to accept between 250 and 300 new Tulsans in 2020.
FOX Business spoke to Mike Bodulow, one of the cohorts from the first round of the program. He had moved from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., and started working remotely for a biotech company that develops treatments for rare diseases. But when Bodulow’s partner didn’t need to live in D.C. for her job anymore, they decided to pack up again.
Mike Bodulow (Photo provided)
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Bodulow said he had several friends and professional acquaintances who suggested he apply for the program since they knew he worked remotely. He also considered a similar program offered in Vermont. But after visiting Tulsa, Bodulow said he knew it was for him because everyone was so friendly.
“What made me really want to move to Tulsa was the people,” he said.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA downtown city skyline at twilight. (iStock)
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Bodulow also said he discovered the city has lots of restaurants, bars and free things to do. And compared to Washington, the waits were shorter and the prices were lower.
“I’m more apt to do things and spend money in Tulsa because it’s more accessible,” he said.
The cost of living was noticeably lower after moving. In Washington, the couple had been living in a 1,200-square-foot apartment for $2,400 per month. They moved to a historic, 2,200-square-foot house with a basement and backyard for $1,650 per month in Tulsa.
“I’m happy to be in Tulsa,” Bodulow said. “The cost of living is unbeatable.”
In addition to providing cohorts with $10,000 over the course of a year after they move, the Tulsa Remote program helps them find housing and sets them up with space at 36 Degrees North, a coworking office space.
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TULSA, OK - OCTOBER 14: Downtown Tulsa on October 14, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ann Hermes/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)
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Bodulow said he mostly works from home, but typically does about one day each week in the coworking facility. The office also runs activities such as free lunches and networking events.
Anyone interested in applying can visit tulsaremote.com.
“If you’re thinking about applying for the Tulsa Remote program, you should apply,” Bodulow said. “You should visit Tulsa, be yourself, and you’ll know if you belong here.”