Simulators

SIMULATORS: 🧍‍♀️New residents 🏠 Housing 💵 Property tax
The New Residents Simulator projects the impact of stay-at-home workers, a trend that began long before Covid-19, but certainly accelerated with the pandemic. We’ve also added a section for the number of tourists who move to a community they visit. You can change outcomes by changing the entries for each data line. (Click the ? icon for source information.)

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Source: Check latest number from U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey
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Small towns can reasonably attract 10–50 new remote workers annually, especially post-COVID. This is consistent with trends seen in similarly sized, amenity-rich communities in New York and New England.
Sources:
Brookings Institution (2022): Remote Work and the Geography of Jobs
Headwaters Economics (2021): Remote Work and Rural Economic Development
NYS Office of the Comptroller (2021): New Yorkers Working Remotely
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Source: Check latest number from Households and Families Table of American Community Survey
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Rationale: Many remote workers relocating to rural towns are seeking home ownership, especially where housing is affordable. However, some may rent initially.
Sources:
Pew Research Center (2021): Remote Work and Living Preferences
Redfin (2022): Pandemic Migrations and Homebuying Trends
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Sources:
Zillow
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Sources:
NYS Park Annual Attendance Figures
Tourism Economics – Empire State Development
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Rationale: National surveys suggest a small fraction of leisure visitors return to relocate, especially in towns with scenic, walkable downtowns. Conservative assumptions are used here to avoid overstating impact.
Sources:
National Association of Realtors (2022): Migration Influenced by Listyle
Oregon Travel Impacts Study (model used in rural migration research)
Headwaters Economics: How Recreation Supports Rural Economies