I left Washington, DC, for Oklahoma and can finally afford to live on my own thanks to the Tulsa Remote Program
- Ryann Cooke used the Tulsa Remote program to move to Oklahoma from Washington DC.
- Cooke was paid $10,000 and said she was nervous about the move at first.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ryann Cooke, a 27-year-old who works in social media and is originally from Washington, DC. It's been edited for length and clarity.
After being born and raised in Washington, DC and spending the first 26 years of my life there, I knew it was time for a change. I figured: if I want to move, why not look into creative ways to do it? That's how I ended up getting paid $10,000 to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It started, like many things, with the algorithm. I was watching YouTube videos of people who were moving, both in the US and abroad, and came across a woman's video about Tulsa Remote, which is a program that pays people $10,000 to move there. To be eligible, you have to be able to move to Tulsa within 12 months, be 18 years or older, be either a remote employee or self-employed, and be eligible to work in the United States.
I started the application process in April 2022 and moved to Tulsa in June that same year
The application asks for the basics: proof of income, educational attainment, and a brief overview of a regular day at work for the applicant.
I had an interview pretty soon after I finished the application and the interviewer asked me what I enjoyed about DC. I told her how I liked cycling and volunteering. She told me there were a ton of great cycling spots in Tulsa and overall made it sound really appealing.
A few days later, I got an email that I would be accepted once I filled out a background check. I started the interview process in April of 2022 and moved here on June 3 of that same year. In between those dates, I had a "hosted visit" where I came toTulsa and saw some of the co-working spaces that program participants are given access to with a free 3-year membership.
I joined a Slack channel with other Tulsa Remote people and I was taken on a tour where I saw so many incredible cultural things, like Black Wall Street. It seemed like something I wanted to do and I was excited. I wanted to be around like-minded, interesting people.
I was a little nervous about making the switch from DC to Tulsa
I was specifically worried about not having a car because I've spent my whole life in DC catching the train and there's not as much public transportation in Tulsa — talk about culture shock — but I moved to the downtown area and it's actually very walkable.
I was also worried about finding a community to fit into but, much to my surprise, my community is stronger here in Tulsa than it was in DC. The Tulsa Remote community is tight-knit and everyone is really intentional about making friends and putting themselves out there to develop connections. Moving here was great and I've made so many new friends.
The dating scene isn't very fun, but I plan on staying for the time being
I have a great apartment and I've never been able to afford living on my own before, but the cost-of-living is so much lower in Tulsa than in DC. Talk about a win–win. The downside is that dating isn't very fun in Tulsa. It doesn't feel like there are as many people to pick from as there was in DC, but I'm still hopeful.
Next year, I'll have been here for two years and I'm planning on staying here for the time being. When I do eventually move, I think it's going to be to another place that pays me to move there. I found a website that lists places that offer incentives to new movers. I figured, why not? I've had such a great time doing it this time. I never would've moved to Tulsa otherwise.
Did you get paid to move to a new city and would like to share your experience? If so, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com