Three remote workers relocating from California to Tulsa, Oklahoma: "We feel like foreigners in our own country"

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Cynthia Rollins, the COO of a software company based in San Francisco, had been working remotely from her small apartment in the city. With the lockdowns limiting her days to her cramped space, she began exploring potential places to move to. That's when she discovered Tulsa Remote, a program that has incentivized over 2,500 remote workers from across the country since 2018 with $10,000 in financial assistance to relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Despite not knowing anyone in Tulsa, she decided to apply and eventually relocated there in November 2020.

According to Tulsa Remote, 88% of participants who receive a grant from the program choose to stay in Tulsa for longer than a year, despite the requirement to remain in the city for only one year.

Tawny Ann De La Peña, a former journalist turned personal coach and a Tulsa Remoter since 2021, has lived in New York City, the Bay, LA, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and all the places she's lived in are great spots. However, she wants to mention these places because they are all dope, and her favorite place is Tulsa.

Three Californian remote workers who relocated from the Golden State to Tulsa shared their experiences and why they have no regrets.

If I desire, I can construct my enterprise and pause.

The "California Exodus" has been occurring in recent years, with over 700,000 people leaving the state between April 2020 and July 2022, compared to the number of people who moved in during the same time period.

When Rollins arrived in Tulsa, the first thing that struck her was the simplicity of living there.

Moving to Tulsa has relieved Rollins of logistical concerns, as parking is easy to find and free all day on weekends and after 5 p.m. Additionally, running errands and meeting up with friends is much simpler, as everything in Tulsa can be accessed in just 20 minutes.

Feeling isolated is less challenging in Tulsa compared to other big cities where it's difficult to navigate, as she explains, comparing it to her life in San Francisco, which has a population of 883,305 people, according to the 2022 US Census.

De La Peña found relief from stress because she didn't have to worry about logistics. She is thankful for Tulsa's "breathing room" that allows her to work on her business without feeling overwhelmed. She says, "I can focus on building my business and take a break whenever I need to."

Worrying less about everyday finances helped them focus on their work

Tulsa is more affordable than California cities, and Oklahoma is the 47th most expensive state in the country.

To keep up with her bills in California, Rollins had to work hard and make a lot of money, which made her job stressful.

She has discovered the ability to pursue her passions in Tulsa because of its lower cost of living.

Rollins, now a consultant, states that she can choose to decline clients and only take on those she wants to work with, which she finds incredible.

"I never thought I could be a property owner in California, but the lowered living costs made it possible," Rollins said.

Laura Landers, a former social media strategist and current business owner, purchased a house in Tulsa for $171,000. She recalls a house she had been interested in buying in Los Angeles, which cost $600,000 before the pandemic. Despite the fact that the house in Los Angeles is in a "not-so-good neighborhood," she says it still hasn't sold after three years and is currently being sold for $1.2 million.

Landers had been unsuccessful in realizing her dream of opening a clothing store in Los Angeles, but found the financial means to do so only after moving to Tulsa with her husband.

In Los Angeles, working multiple jobs is often necessary to make ends meet and pursue one's dream. However, this leaves little energy and excitement to actually live out the dream year after year. Ironically, downtown LA offers an abundance of fashion resources, yet individuals may struggle to utilize them to bring their clothing line to fruition.

After moving to Tulsa Remote, she was able to find an answer to her problem by having more disposable income to invest in her business. Now, more than two years later, she is in the process of launching her own online retail store.

The vibrant remote worker community

Since 2020, the number of corporate co-working spaces in the city has grown from one to at least seven, and this trend is expected to continue, according to Rollins. The city and Tulsa Remote have been investing in remote working infrastructure to attract more talent to the city. One of the main focuses of these investments has been building a sense of community among remote workers to combat loneliness, a common issue associated with remote work.

De La Peña, who has historically struggled with creating a friend circle due to traveling and working remotely, credits the regular events and activities hosted by Tulsa Remote for making the process much easier and quicker for her. She says, "We are like expats in America."

Tulsa has a large creative and entrepreneurship-driven community, which Landers finds similar to Los Angeles.

People in this community are eager to take action and achieve their goals on a larger scale, not just in Tulsa," she remarks. "My husband and I are thrilled to have found a community that supports our creative pursuits and helps us move towards our desired careers.

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