Eager to Tap into New Migratory Trends Zoom Towns Recruit Workers

With the flexibility to work wherever they want, 20% of Americans moved during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Pew Research.

Many of these people who moved were apartment dwellers seeking more space in locations that people have started to refer to as Zoom towns. In an article on NAIOP’s website, Kathryn Hamilton, vice president for marketing and communications at the association, writes that these hot spots offer roomy homes and yards, lower costs of living and proximity to outdoor activities.

Aware of their appeal, some of these Zoom towns are ramping up their efforts to attract new residents, according to Hamilton. For instance, Tulsa Remote offers $10,000 to remote workers who move to the city, according to Ownerly. In Georgia’s Chatham County, The Savannah Technology Workforce Incentive reimburses relocation expenses for qualified technology workers who move to the area. A public-private partnership called Choose Topeka funds housing and relocation expenses for professionals relocating to the area.

Still, Hamilton points out that these newcomers to these Zoom towns put strains on these city’s infrastructure, including increased traffic, an influx of new students into the school systems, demands on broadband and internet connectivity.

In addition, these newcomers are putting pressure on the local housing markets, which are hit with lower inventories and rising prices. 

One question that looms large for these metro areas is whether the work-from-home trend continues or even accelerates after the pandemic is over?

There have been countless surveys dissecting this issue, each with nuanced findings. Hamilton cites a New York survey of remote office workers that showed that 86% of respondents were satisfied working from home. In addition, around 20% of respondents said they wanted to go back to the office full-time. One in three indicated they would move to a new city or state if remote work continued indefinitely.

One interesting trend that has emerged during the pandemic and that suggests these newcomers have enough control over their working lives to stay put is that, unlike in the past, many of these people migrating to new areas are wealthier, according to a report from Apartment List.

Over the last decade, households earning over $150,000 were the least likely to move, according to Apartment List. In 2010 the Census Bureau’s mover rate was 27% among workers living in households earning less than $25,000. For households earning $150,000 or more, it was only 9%.

But during COVID, those households posted the most significant jump in residential migration. In households making over $150,000 annually, 16%  of workers moved, which was a 39% increase above the Census Bureau’s estimate in 2019, according to Apartment List. In addition, a smaller increase occurred among households earning between $100,000 and $150,000.