MUSKOGEE, Okla. — With the cost of living being the fourth lowest in the country and a large number of competitive jobs, Port Muskogee, the City of Muskogee and the City of Muskogee Foundation enticed three families to move and buy a house with a $10,000 stipend.
“The opportunities for a job, to live, to work and play are all right here in Muskogee, USA,” said Mayor Marlon Coleman.
Levi Gassaway just signed on a new house. A Muskogee native, he moved back with his fiancée after working in Stillwater.
“Obviously, home is where the heart is,” said Gassaway. “This was a great opportunity to move back and be with people who are important to me.”
Lemeul Young is married with a toddler. He landed a Director of Sales position at Paradigm Shift and is leaving the hustle and bustle of Houston to live here.
Coleman says he’s encouraged that young families are taking advantage of the incentive program. He says opportunities for families, like parks and trails, plus a low crime rate, have been a huge draw.
The new program is funded this year by the City of Muskogee Foundation. 22 spots are left this year. Officials say they are one of the few rural communities addressing talent recruitment in a time there is a record number of jobs available.
The town of Duncan, Oklahoma, recently launched a similar program. “Move Duncan” gives eligible applicants $4,000 to move to Stephens County. It is paid out in a three-year period.
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