Jen Smith in front of her front door in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jen Smith — a participant in the Tulsa Remote program, which offers $10,000 toward a new home — in front of her brand-new Oklahoma digs.
Jon Ratzlaff/Tulsa Remote

Flexible work schedules and remote work are not going away.

In an effort to benefit from the trend, a number of places across the US are giving new residents big incentives, like cash or land.

Shannon Milliman, who moved from Portland, Oregon to Florence, Alabama in 2021, took advantage of Alabama's Remote Shoals program, which offered $10,000 to those relocating.

The grant made it easier for me, my husband, and our five children to choose this path. In a new community, we wanted to give and receive.

These incentives are being used to boost the population in smaller cities. The city leaders have seen improvement as a result of the grant.

"We're on the right path," the mayor said. I don't think the program can be described as anything other than a success when you start with zero people moving to town and have more than 100 in less than 18 months.

Other places don't care if you work from home. Out-of-state moving grants are offered by the state of Vermont to find new jobs. There is a town in Pennsylvania that gives away abandoned homes. The biggest program in the country is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where you can get a down payment on a home if you move there. The people who took up the offer are loving it.

25 places in the US give out perks to people who move there.

Did you make a living moving somewhere? We would like to hear about it. Send reporter Jordan Pandy an email.

Tulsa Remote
Jen Smith, a Tulsa Remote participant, in front of her Oklahoma home.
Jon Ratzlaff/Tulsa Remote

The goal of the program is to bring in new residents to Oklahoma. More than 1,400 remote workers have been helped by the program since the beginning of last year. Program organizers told Insider in an email that interest has increased by 300%.

You can put money into the program to purchase or rent a home. $500 travel reimbursements and a $150Airbnb credit are offered by the program.

Insider interviewed four city folks from both coasts who said it was the best decision they've ever made.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be over the age of 18 and live outside of Oklahoma, have a consistent stream of income, and commit to living in the state for at least a year.

A man sits outside a bar in Greensburg, Indiana.
A shot of downtown Greensburg, Indiana.
Darron Cummings/AP Photo

There are a number of incentives offered by the town of Greensburg, which is located between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The town worked with MakeMyMove, an Indianapolis-based group, to create the program, which offers anyone relocating to the area in the next six to 12 months $5,000 cash, roughly $2,000 in gift cards to local businesses, a yearlong membership to a local co-working space and a

The "Grandparents on Demand" program will pair newcomers with local senior citizens who can provide baby sitting services and act as a stand-in at students' Grandparent's Day free of charge.

The Pittsburgh skyline at dusk.
Monessen is just south of Pittsburgh, pictured above.
Ken Redding/Getty Images

A small city in Pennsylvania is giving away free homes.

According to The Wall Street Journal, 10% of the homes in the area are abandoned.

Thousands of dollars in back taxes have been accrued by the properties. The mayor will clear the home's back taxes if you sign the home over to you.

To fix the property up, you need to spend more than three times the amount of back taxes.

Tucson Arizona
Tucson, Arizona.
Nick Fox/Shutterstock

Tucson is the second largest city in the state. During the Pandemic, a local economic-development organization launched Remote Tucson.

One year of free internet, one year of free trials at local co-working spaces, and more are offered by the program.

To be eligible, applicants need to have full-time remote employment outside of the area, and be able to move to Tucson within six months.

the shoals florence alabama
The view from a bridge in Florence, Alabama.
JasmineImage/Getty Images

The Shoals in Alabama is offering remote workers $10,000 to move to the area. The four cities are close to the border with Tennessee and Mississippi and can be reached by plane or train.

The program will give you $2,500 up front for relocation, $2,500 six months after moving, and $5,000 at the end of the first year of residency.

To be eligible, applicants must be over the age of 18 and have a minimum annual income of $52,000.

Southwest Michigan
The pier in Saint Joseph, Michigan.
Raymond Malkemes/Getty Images

A string of ZIP codes in southwest Michigan, right on Lake Michigan, is looking to entice people decamping from nearby Chicago or beyond with up to $15,000 to put toward a home purchase and more. Memberships to athletic clubs, driving ranges, and more are included.

The first round of the program is already full, but applicants for the next iteration must be willing to purchase a $200,000 home in southwest Michigan. They must be willing to become a full-time Michigander if they can get a Michigan driver's license. Current full-time, remote employment outside of Michigan is required of applicants.

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The Jasper County Courthouse in Newton, Iowa.
The Jasper Country Courthouse in Newton, Iowa.
Eddie Brady/Getty Images

Relocators who purchase a home in the city ofNewton in Iowa will be given cash upon closing.

Those who buy homes worth more than $185,000 and homes worth between $100,000 and $179,999 will get $5,000 in cash. The homes are eligible if they started construction in 2020.

The "Get to KnowNewton Welcome Package" is valued at $2,500 and includes gifts from local businesses and opportunities to attend events like the Iowa Speedway.

Coastal village of Ketchikan, Alaska.
Coastal village of Ketchikan, Alaska.
Royce Bair/Getty Images

The Choose Ketchikan program was launched in November of 2016 and is a 90 minute flight from Seattle.

The applicants have to be fully employed. The person or family must live outside of Alaska to work for a company that is also outside of Alaska. All submissions are reviewed at the beginning of every month. A video interview is held for the monthly finalist.

You may be invited to a four-day working vacation to experience the community of 8,200 people after that. Current residents answer questions and give advice to visiting finalist.

Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend can be as high as $2,000 a year for all residents. Alaska Airlines is offered discounts and reimbursements by Choose Ketchikan. New residents can get three months of high-speed internet for free.

Traffic is seen in this photograph taken with a slow shutter speed in Hamilton, Ohio.
A shot of the Butler County Courthouse in Hamilton, Ohio.
Jon Gambrell/AP

Hamilton, Ohio, a city of 63,000 about 20 miles north of Cincinnati, encourages recent college graduates to apply for its talent attraction program.

$300 a month is given to scholarship recipients to help with student loan payments.

You need to have graduated from a STEAM program within the last seven years to be eligible for the scholarship. You can't live in the city of Hamilton if you want to live in an urban neighborhood.

To be considered for a full-time remote position, applicants need to be employed in the county. Preference is given to people who would like to give back to the community. The applications are reviewed on a regular basis.

The Dunleith Historic Inn
The Dunleith Historic Inn in Natchez, Mississippi.
StevenGaertner/Getty Images

There are mansions on the banks of the Mississippi River in Natchez, Mississippi. The name of the town was given to it by the Native American tribe that built the trade port.

Shift South is an incentive program that gives up to $6,000 to eligible workers.

The program is aimed at remote workers who want to enjoy a lower cost of living. People who apply must have a job.

The benefits include a $2,500 payment for relocators. To be eligible for the program, recipients must purchase a home worth $150,000 or more.

"We are the first and only city in the Deep South to offer an incentive package like this to remote workers, and we're excited to do it," said the mayor. "Wherever people are able to work from home, we can think of no better place than Natchez."

Trucks and busses driving through farmland in Harmony, Minnesota.
Harmony, Minnesota.
Jim Watson/Getty Images

Workers who move to the city can get up to $12,000 in cash to buy a home.

If you want to build a new home, you will need to pay a minimum of $2,000. The subsidy is dependent on the estimated market value of the property in need of some tender loving care. If the home's market value is more than $250,000, you will receive a maximum $12,000 rebate from the economic development authority.

If you want to skip out on the process of building your own home, spec homes are a good choice. There are no restrictions on residency.

One of the top ten rated caves in the US is located in the small town of Harmony, which has a population of less than 1000 people.

A city hall building in Lincoln, Kansas
Lincoln City Hall in downtown Lincoln, Kansas.
Bob Weston/Getty Images

Outside of the city's downtown, there are free residential land plots. The city will allow people to build a home on the lot if they meet certain design guidelines.

The deposit of 8 cents per square foot is required before the house can be built. The cost to build a custom home in the state is close to $100 per square foot.

You don't have to be a resident of Lincoln to participate in the program. There is no requirement to build a home for flipping.

The Post Rock Scout Museum is one of the museums in Lincoln.

The girl is named Taylor Borden. Leanna Garfield contributed to previous versions of the story.

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