Can Remote Workers Reverse Brain Drain? Exploring the Tulsa Experiment

For years, cities across America, especially those located away from the bustling coasts, have been grappling with a phenomenon known as brain drain. Talented young professionals leave their hometowns in search of better opportunities in larger urban centers, leaving these smaller cities with a diminishing pool of skilled workers. But what if the rise of remote work could reverse this trend?

Enter Tulsa, Oklahoma. Business leaders and local officials in Tulsa had long puzzled over how to retain professionals in the heartland. Rather than solely focusing on keeping native Tulsans rooted in the city, they decided to turn the challenge into an opportunity—by recruiting remote workers from other parts of the country.

In 2018, the George Kaiser Family Foundation launched the Tulsa Remote program, offering $10,000 to remote workers willing to relocate to the city for at least a year. Since then, more than 3,300 people have taken the offer, bringing a new wave of talent and energy to the city. The big question is: Can remote work help reverse brain drain in cities like Tulsa? And what does this mean for the future of workforce distribution?

The Remote Work Shift: A New Opportunity for Mid-Sized Cities

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward remote work. In the spring of 2020, remote work surged from 4% to 43 PERCENT of the workforce. This shift opened up unprecedented opportunities for cities far from the traditional hubs of talent—New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles—to attract highly skilled professionals.

With more workers no longer tied to big city offices, programs like Tulsa Remote became an attractive option for those looking for a change of pace and a lower cost of living. The Harvard Business School recently studied the program, finding that remote workers who moved to Tulsa saved an average of $25,000 on housing costs annually compared to those who didn’t move. This financial freedom is a game-changer for many, allowing them to buy homes and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Steven Briggs, a 55-year-old data scientist, was one such remote worker who took advantage of the program. Moving from Dallas to Tulsa in 2021, he found that the city offered him opportunities for a fulfilling life—at a fraction of the cost.

The Economic Impact of Tulsa Remote

Remote work programs like Tulsa Remote aren’t just benefiting the individuals who move there. The influx of professionals is also proving to be a boon for the city and the state. Harvard researchers estimated that Tulsa Remote participants generated $14.9 million in annual income tax revenue and $5.8 million in sales taxes for the state of Oklahoma.

This economic boost helps reverse the outflow of talent that had plagued the city for years. Between 2015 and 2019, Tulsa was losing approximately 1,000 more college-educated residents each year than it gained. Most people who moved to Oklahoma were over the age of 45 and had incomes below the state average. But since 2020, a 40% increase in working-age professionals (ages 25-44) moving to Oklahoma has injected new life into the local economy.

Prithwiraj Choudhury, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, highlighted the significance of this trend: “Because of remote work, a large part of the workforce is able to relocate, and there is the possibility of reversing brain drain.” Other heartland cities should pay attention to Tulsa's success.

Building a Community Around Remote Work

One of the potential downsides of remote work is the lack of community engagement. Without an office to commute to, how do remote workers build ties in their new city?

Tulsa Remote has addressed this issue by curating events and opportunities that help participants integrate into the community. Justin Harlan, managing director of Tulsa Remote, shared that the program offers farm-to-table dinners, movie nights, and lectures from local celebrities to foster connection among participants. Nearly 75% of participants who complete the program have chosen to stay in Tulsa, showing that the city’s welcoming approach works.

Jasmine Renae Ball, a financial planner who moved from Los Angeles, found the transition to Tulsa life not only affordable but also enriching. After relocating to Tulsa in 2020, she bought a three-bedroom home for around $185,000—one-third the cost of smaller apartments in Los Angeles. Ball persuaded her retired parents and younger sister to move to Tulsa, transforming a temporary experiment into a long-term lifestyle change.

The Challenges of Gentrification

Of course, there are challenges to bringing in waves of remote workers to cities like Tulsa. One concern is gentrification—when an influx of wealthier residents drives up housing prices and costs of living for locals.

While Tulsa’s housing prices have risen 9% since last year, program organizers and researchers like Professor Choudhury note that the scale of the impact from Tulsa Remote’s 3,300 knowledge workers remains modest in a city of one million. Still, as remote work programs expand, cities will need to balance attracting talent with maintaining affordability for longtime residents.

Can Remote Work Reverse Brain Drain?

The Tulsa Remote experiment shows that remote work has the potential to reverse brain drain in mid-sized cities and less populated states. With programs like Tulsa Remote proving successful, more cities are likely to adopt similar strategies. Other cities such as Topeka, Kansas, and Savannah, Georgia have already followed suit, offering cash incentives to attract remote workers.

But the key to reversing brain drain goes beyond financial incentives. As Tulsa’s experience demonstrates, it’s about building a community, creating a sense of belonging, and offering the opportunity for a higher quality of life—whether through affordable housing or meaningful engagement.

For smaller cities looking to retain and attract talent, remote work presents a golden opportunity. If cities can offer the right mix of affordability, quality of life, and community, they may just be able to reverse brain drain and revitalize their economies.

Final Thoughts

Remote work has transformed the way we think about employment and location. Cities like Tulsa are proving that brain drain can be reversed by attracting knowledge workers from bigger cities through thoughtful, community-driven programs. The success of initiatives like Tulsa Remote signals a future where remote work can help bridge the gap between opportunity and affordability, allowing more professionals to choose where they live—not based on their job’s location, but based on the lifestyle they want to lead.