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Indianapolis Star

Incentive programs are drawing remote workers here. Here's how successful they've been

Moving his family back home to Central Indiana was always the goal for Christopher Bates. The Purdue graduate, who works as a toxicologist, lived in Washington, D.C. then Cincinnati after getting his PhD. After more than a decade away, Bates returned with his wife and two young sons to Central Indiana. The family moved into a house on the south side of Westfield in early June. Bates is one of dozens of people to take advantage of a program incentivizing remote workers to move to Central Indiana this year, amid a nationwide increase in remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic. Westfield, Noblesville, Indianapolis, Avon, Plainfield and cities in eight other Central Indiana counties partner with MakeMyMove, a for-profit tech platform that helps communities design, promote and manage incentive programs tailored to their local goals. 'Hamilton County checks all the boxes with good schools and a safe place to live,' Bates said. 'I would've moved here with or without the incentive program, but it was the cherry on top.' The Westfield incentive program for remote workers, through Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove, is valued at $8,000. It includes a one-year Westfield Chamber membership, a coffee conversation with Mayor Scott Willis, a kit with local goods and the opportunity to choose from packages that include tickets to family events, sporting events, a gym membership or a local restaurant gift package. Each community has different incentive packages. For Indianapolis, the incentive package includes memberships for a coworking space and a gym, tickets for Pacers games and other sports events and tickets for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and it's valued at $10,000. Some cities offer cash for relocation as part of their packages, including Avon and Noblesville, which both offer $5,000 in cash with other perks included. More: What's coming to Westfield?: Sun King, Graeter's Ice Cream, Wawa and Bub's Burgers planned 'Those extra goodies help you figure out where everything is,' Bates said. 'It's a good extra boost to help people get to know the community in a more seamless way.' Funding for the incentive programs typically comes from cities, local economic development organizations and chambers of commerce, or private foundations, according to MakeMyMove. Westfield pays the costs of their incentive packages, according to the city. 'The goal is to bring in residents who contribute not just economically, through spending and income taxes, but also by engaging in the community,' said the city's director of communications Kayla Arnold. 'Encouraging people to live where they work can help ease infrastructure demands caused by daily commuting, while also supporting local businesses and fostering long-term community investment.' Since March, Westfield has attracted six remote workers to move to the city through the MakeMyMove program. Noblesville, Indianapolis, Avon and Plainfield had already participated in the incentive program for remote workers when, earlier this year, MakeMyMove partnered with the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Indy Chamber to extend the program to 11 counties in Central Indiana. The 11 participating counties are Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Hendricks, Boone, Madison, Brown and Putnam. So far this year, the programs have brought seven remote workers to Indianapolis, six to Carmel, five to Fishers and 13 to Noblesville. MakeMyMove first partnered with the City of Noblesville in 2022. Overall, 89 new households have moved to Noblesville as part of the remote worker incentive program, with an estimated $37.6 million economic impact, according to the city. 'It is an innovative tool to attract a talented and diverse workforce,' said Lexie Rock, communication director for Noblesville. 'This program helps grow the local talent pool in high-wage and high-skilled jobs, and it is not only achieved through the relocation of remote workers but also their spouses and families.'