Fields of wheat in central Kansas are almost harvestable.
Ricardo Reitmeyer | Getty Images
The population is about 2100. New Oddsha, Kansasabout 100 miles from Wichita and Topeka, Kansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Locals say its reputation is the 65-foot tower that supports the drilling framework of the first commercial oil well west of the Mississippi River.
But as an old Oil TownNeodesha has been struggling with population decline and aging Housing Supply for many years.
When the Standard Oil Co., a former Standard Oil company’s refinery, closed in 1971, “the population was cut in half overnight.”
“We’ve seen the decline in every small community over the last 50 years,” Johnson said. “The thing with small communities is that if you don’t grow up, you’re dying.”
Last year, Neodesha collaborated with Makemymove, an online relocation market that connects workers to communities trying to attract new residents.
Incentives include tax exemption and free college
this Towns now offer Qualified new residents incentives such as tax exemption to 2026 and property tax refunds, as well as daycare assistance to working parents, as well as access to existing allowances, including Student Loan Repayment Assistance Up to $15,000 and pass Neodesha Promise Scholarship Program.
Makemymove has worked with 88 communities in the United States to screen applicants and connect them to local resources.
Evan Hock, co-founder and COO of Makemymove, said more than 30 people are moving to Neodesha since the program was launched in 2024.
“We have awarded more than $1 million in scholarships and I feel we are helping the community and making real progress,” said Ben Cutler, who grew up in Neodesha. (Neodesha’s Commitment Plan Tuition fees for participating colleges or associate degree programs and vocational schools nationwide will be covered. )
“One of my main focus is to help build communities and in any way help New Odsha become a more attractive community for young families, and I think we’ve made real progress in that – I certainly hope that.”
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Meanwhile, efforts are being made to build hundreds of new homes, apartments and duplexes in the area, as well as develop retail and commercial spaces, and renovations of several historic buildings on Main Street.
“We have to cherish what we have, but make sure we make Neodesha an attractive place for people to come,” Johnson said.
These cities will pay you to move there
Other communities across the country Cash incentives or voucher programs are also provided for those willing to move to raise the ante.
For example, workers move to stop You can receive up to $10,000 for rent in the first year, or up to $15,000 for home purchases.
Another West Virginia Tourism Department program is providing cash incentives $12,000 Use free partner spaces and outdoor entertainment packages with people who have moved to the state for at least two years.
this Shoal Economic Development Bureau Offer $10,000 in cash to full-time remote employees willing to move to the Shoal community in northwest Alabama.
“It’s a cost-effective way to develop economically,” said Hawke of Makemymove. The community “usually gets rewards within the first year.”
But “incentives are not really why people move.” He said affordability is key, but communities play a big role.
“They are looking for quality of the location and want community connections, which is what motivates the move,” Hawke said.
“A family friendly place”
As residents from major cities across the country move more and more to the Midwest and Midwest, housing costs are less severe and buildings can meet demand, prompting people’s reward programs to flourish. Report display.
United Breadline’s annual 2024 study It is found that cities and suburbs from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are increasingly shifting to more “living” locations with lower daily living costs.
Kaitlyn and Jack Sundberg and their dogs Max and Bella were in front of the home they bought in Neodesha, Kansas.
Courtesy: Kaitlyn Sundberg
Kaitlyn Sundberg never thought she would Move to Kansas. Sundberg lives in Southern California with her husband Jack, but it’s hard to down payment In your own home.
“We live with my in-laws and we can’t afford anything,” Sundberg said.
Sundberg’s husband worked as an estimator for telecommunications companies, greatly expanding his job search – and finding opportunities as a planning manager Southeast Kansas.
When they visited Neodesha, “it seemed like a family-friendly place,” Sundberg said.
“We spent a Saturday looking for a house – there were kids riding bikes and I just cried,” she said.
The couple moved to New Odsha with their two dogs 18 months ago, even before the incentive program started. After the neighbors brought her job, Sundberg is now executive director of the town’s new Early Learning Center and advised her to apply for the position.
“It’s the hardest part to stay away from family, but I never want to go back,” she said.
