Arkansas is offering remote workers a $10,000 incentive to move to the Ozarks

As winter looms and the coronavirus pandemic threatens to keep city-dwellers indoors for the season, Arkansas is offering a solution in the form of a $10,000 cash incentive to move to the mountains.

The appealing offer is being made by the Northwest Arkansas Council, which has invested more than $1m over six months to bring “top talent” to the Ozarks region of the state through the Life Works Here initiative.

“With one of the best costs of living, plentiful outdoor lifestyle perks, nationally ranked arts, culture and cuisine scenes, and per capita income that’s 14 per cent higher than the national average, the Northwest Arkansas region offers a unique opportunity to create balance for those eager to move from congested and expensive larger cities and suburbs,” the council explains on the incentive website.

If the idea of $10,000 to move to a home in a small town nestled in the Ozark mountains weren’t enough to convince, the incentive will also include a free street or mountain bike to help remote workers navigate the area and take advantage of the “162 miles of paved trails, the 37-mile Razorback Regional Greenway and the 322 miles of world-class mountain biking trails” the area has to offer.

While the council states that the area is a “great place to work, live and play” for anyone from recent graduates to families to entrepreneurs, and will accept all types of talent, the region is especially focused on bringing people who work in the areas of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM).

“We want to attract talent who will help us build a richer long-term talent pipeline that supports our thriving local economy,” the website explains, adding that the area has “more than 10,000 job openings right now and has a shortage of talent to fill available STEAM jobs”.

However, it is important to note the program is only for people who are fully employed and can work remotely in their current jobs.

According to the council, applicants’ skills will be assessed “in relation to our region’s needs, as well as what they can add to our community”.

“We’re not looking for someone who can only do a good job at work. We’re looking for people who will add to the vibrancy of our community,” the website adds.

To be eligible for the incentive, applicants must be able to relocate within six months of acceptance, be at least 24 years old, and have at least two years of work experience.

Applicants must also have full-time employment, or be self-employed, currently live outside the state of Arkansas and be a US citizen or have the credentials to work legally in the US.

You can apply here.

With the offer, Arkansas joins numerous other states currently offering incentives to prospective residents.

In Osborne, Kansas, newcomers are being offered free commercial and residential lots to “stimulate growth for business and population in our area,” according to the website, while Oklahoma is also offering a $10,000 incentive to convince remote workers to move to Tulsa.