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How Working from Home Accelerates the Shift from Big City to Small Town

By pocedc In Uncategorized

Working from home has become a growing trend in the U.S. over the past decade. Before Covid-19, moving out of big cities meant walking away from some of the most prestigious and highest-paying jobs in America. Now, amid these new and unprecedented times, more and more employers are seeing that working remotely is becoming a very viable option for the long haul. The pandemic and increasing work-from-home option have merely accelerated the migration patterns to more affordable smaller cities that were already in place. 

 

Since tech companies like Facebook and Twitter have announced the option for their employees to work from home for an extended period of time, we are starting to see a mass exodus from major cities like San Francisco, Boston, San Jose, and New York. Additionally, young professionals are on the move out of San Francisco and New York to grow their careers in smaller cities. Texas, Washington, and Colorado are the top 3 states millennials are moving to. Many people have come to realize that life in the big city isn’t what it was all cracked up to be – expensive rent, tons of traffic, no parking, crowded, dirty, and the list goes on. 

 

A survey of 381 Bay Area tech workers by the recruitment marketplace Hired, found in mid-May of 2020 that 42% would make the move to a less expensive city if they were able to work from home indefinitely. Another survey of more than 3,300 Bay Area professionals conducted by Blind, a platform for workers to discuss their jobs anonymously, found at the end of July that 15% had already left the region since the pandemic began – both temporarily and permanently. Of the ones remaining, 59% said they would consider relocating if their employers allowed them to work remotely full time.

 

After living in the concrete jungle for years, we understand why Pend Oreille County has seen those national trends reflected with increased numbers of queries from remote workers looking to make a move – especially from markets where real estate and housing costs are sky-high. “Real estate and housing here are a half or third the cost of some big metro areas,” said POCEDC Executive Director Jamie Wyrobek. “And remote work is especially feasible for our county residents, thanks to the $34 million fiber-optic network that provides gigabit-speed Internet.” She added that the other benefits rural Northwest living – such as proximity to beautiful natural areas, abundant outdoor recreation,  little traffic, less stress, and friendly communities – are other factors that lure remote workers. Wyrobek welcomes queries from remote workers or small businesses looking to make a move.

 

Although many companies are requiring pay cuts for employees that are choosing to move and work from home permanently, these employees say that even smaller paychecks can buy more for their families elsewhere. For those who have always dreamed of living in the mountains, on a lake, or in just a bigger home with more land, now is the time to make those dreams come true.