Wheat fields in central Kansas are mostly ready for harvest.
Ricardo Leitmeyer | Getty Images
It has a population of about 2,100 people, and Neo Desha, Kansas, is about 100 miles from Wichita and Topeka in Kansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its claim to fame is a 65-foot tall tower that supported the first commercial oil drilling framework west of the Mississippi River, locals say.
But as an old oil town, Neodesha has struggled for many years with population decline and elderly housing supply.
“The population was cut over half a night,” according to Devin Johnson, mayor of Neodesha. When the refinery previously owned by Standard Oil Co., closed in 1971.
“We’ve seen its decline, as all small communities have over the last 50 years,” Johnson said. “What’s with a small community is that if you’re not growing, you’re dying.”
Last year, Neodesha partnered with Makemymove, an online relocation market that connects communities seeking to attract workers and new residents.
Incentives include tax exemptions and free universities
The town is currently offering incentives for new eligible residents. This includes exemptions from property tax rebates through 2026, helping worker parents with daycare access, access to existing perks, helping to repay student loans up to $15,000 through the Neodesha Promise Scholarship program and free university tuition fees.
Having worked with 88 U.S. communities, Makemymove selects applicants and connects them with local resources.
According to Evan Hock, co-founder and chief operating officer of Makemymove, the program launched in 2024 is in the process of moving to Neodesha.
“We have awarded more than $1 million in scholarships, and we feel we are supporting our community and making real progress,” he said, growing up in Neodesha, and now funding a scholarship programme that Neodesha High School graduates can use to outstanding alumni. (Neodesha’s Promise program covers tuition fees at participating colleges or associate degree programs and vocational schools nationwide.)
“One of my important focuses was helping to build a community and to help Neodesha in any way possible to make it a more attractive community for young families. I think we have made some real progress in that regard.
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Meanwhile, efforts are underway to build hundreds of new homes, apartments and duplexes in the area, along with the development of retail and commercial spaces and renovation of several historic buildings on Main Street.
“We have to cherish what we have, but make sure that Neodesha is a fascinating place for people to come,” Johnson said.
These cities pay you to move there
Other communities across the country are also raising ante with cash incentives and voucher programs for those looking to move.
For example, workers relocating to Topeka can receive rentals of up to $15,000 for the first year or to purchase a home.
Another program, affiliated with the West Virginia Tourism Department, offers a $12,000 cash incentive, along with access to free coworking spaces and outdoor recreation packages, for those who have moved to the state for at least two years.
The Shoals Economic Development Authority offers $10,000 in cash to full-time remote employees willing to relocate to the Shoals community in northwest Alabama.
“It’s a cost-effective way to develop economically,” says Hock of Makemymove. Communities “usually get a return within the first year.”
But “incentives are not the reason people actually move,” he said. He said affordability is important, but the community also plays an important role.
“They are looking for quality of place. They want community connections, and that’s what motivates the movement,” Hock said.
“A place to live in a family friendly place”
Neodesha and other regional incentive programs are increasingly steaming as residents of major cities across the country are increasingly moving to spots in the southern and Midwest where housing costs are less severe and construction keeps up to demand.
United Van Line’s annual 2024 survey shows an increasing shift from cities and suburbs in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to “livable” places with low daily living costs.
In front of a house I bought in Neo Desha, Kansas, we had our dogs Max and Bella along with Caitlin and Jack Sandberg.
Courtesy: Kaitlyn Sundberg
Kaitlyn Sundberg didn’t expect her to move to Kansas. Sandberg and her husband Jack lived in Southern California, but they struggled to save enough for a down payment at their own home.
“We lived with my in-laws and couldn’t afford anything,” said Sundberg, 27.
Sandberg’s husband, who worked as a telecom company presumptive, expanded his job search significantly and found the opportunity as a program manager for South East Kansas.
When they visited Neodesha, “it just seemed like a family-friendly place to live,” Sandberg said.
“We spent Saturday looking for a house. We had kids riding bikes,” she said.
The couple moved to Neodesha with two dogs 18 months ago, even before the incentive program began. Sundberg is currently working as executive director of the town’s new Early Learning Center after a neighbor took over the job, and has proposed applying for that position.
“Being away from family is the most difficult part,” she said.
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