Short answer
Reliable, fast internet comes first; without it, nothing else matters. After that, remote workers look for housing they can buy or rent, outdoor recreation, everyday basics like groceries and health care, and a community that welcomes them. West Virginia’s Ascend program, which pairs $12,000 with outdoor recreation and a built-in community, has relocated about 1,000 people and kept about 96% of them.
Last reviewed November 3, 2026 by McKenzie Community Partnership. Applies to rural towns with natural amenities. Part of the Small-Town Economics series.
Featured image needed · editors only, hidden from the public
Show: A person working on a laptop at an outdoor table on a deck in the forest.
Envato search: “working on laptop cabin porch forest”, “remote work cabin”
Envato pick: open in Envato (register the license to “McKenzieCommunity.org”)
Local photo to swap in later: A local remote worker on a deck with a McKenzie River or forest view (with their permission).
Alt text: A person works on a laptop at a table on a forest deck
Why do remote workers matter to a small town?
They bring outside paychecks that don’t depend on local jobs (see Guide 3). Ascend members report average individual incomes above $97,000, and each brings about 1.9 other people with them. Their spending supports restaurants, trades and shops, and their children can fill a school.
What do they need?
- Reliable broadband. In one survey of remote workers, 92% said they’d be lost without reliable home internet. A backup connection matters in places where storms or fires cut lines.
- Housing. Most are looking for lower costs than a city. If homes are scarce, newcomers compete with local workers (see Guide 4).
- Recreation and scenery. Ascend is built around outdoor recreation, and many applicants say a love of the outdoors is why they apply.
- Everyday basics. In a 2026 European survey, rural remote workers ranked groceries, parks and health care among the amenities that matter most.
- Belonging. People stay when they have friends, a role in town and a reason to be there beyond the view.
Who moves?
A Virginia Tech study of remote workers grouped them into types. One is “boomerangs”: people with family or friends already in a place. Former residents, visitors who come back every year and second-home owners are often the easiest to attract.
What can a small community do?
- Map where internet service is strong, weak or missing, and press providers and the state for upgrades.
- Offer a shared workspace, even a few desks with strong Wi-Fi in a community building.
- Reach out to people who already know the place: former residents, regular visitors and second-home owners.
- Plan housing at the same time, so newcomers add to the town instead of pricing out workers.
On the McKenzie River
- The 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed about 27 miles of fiber that carried the area’s only connection. Onward Eugene won a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant in 2021 to build a sturdier wireless link into the valley, with new fiber to the school.
- Today, cable, DSL and Starlink are all reasonably good options in Blue River.
- Former residents, regular river visitors and second-home owners are the most likely remote workers to move here.
Outside Oregon
The FCC’s National Broadband Map shows reported service at any address. Your state broadband office can explain grant programs. Ascend West Virginia and Tulsa Remote publish details on how their programs work.
Frequently asked questions
Do cash incentives work?
They help draw attention. Programs that also build community and housing tend to keep people longer.
Will remote workers raise housing costs?
They can, especially where housing is scarce. Pair recruitment with new housing.
What internet service is enough?
Enough for steady video calls and large file uploads, with a backup option. Reliability matters as much as speed, so ask current residents how service holds up in storms.
The Small-Town Economics series
- How many people does it take to support a grocery store or restaurant?
- What income and spending does a small town need?
- Where do jobs come from in a small rural town?
- Workforce housing vs. low-income housing: what’s the difference?
- What brings remote workers to a rural town? (this guide)
Sources
- Ascend West Virginia: program expansion and results (2025)
- Route Fifty: ten questions communities trying to attract remote workers should ask
- Cardinal News: reimagining Main Street for the remote work revolution
- From Core to Periphery? Remote work and EU regional development (2026)
- Benton Institute: building internet resilience after the Holiday Farm Fire
- Sen. Wyden: Onward Eugene awarded $300,000 NSF grant
This guide is general information, not financial, legal or planning advice. McKenzie Community Partnership doesn’t sell anything; we explain your options. Free to copy and adapt; please credit McKenzie Community Partnership.