Place, People, and Policy: Essays on Regional Development, Migration, and Entrepreneurship

Abstract

This dissertation examines how localized shocks and place-based policy interventions shape entrepreneurial activity, migration dynamics, and regional development in the United States. The first chapter studies the impact of violent tornadoes on ZIP code-level entrepreneurship. Combining tornado path data from the National Weather Service with startup data from the Startup Cartography Project and employing an event-study framework, I find that startup formation increases by approximately 20% immediately following a tornado before reverting within four years. Entrepreneurial quality does not change in the short run but improves over time. Additional analysis reveals a strong association between SBA disaster loan programs and post-disaster startup formation, underscoring the importance of institutional responses in local recovery. The second chapter evaluates the Tulsa Remote program, a large-scale remote-worker attraction initiative offering $10,000 relocation grants. Using county-level migration data and individual microdata, I document increased interstate in-migration alongside reduced intrastate inflows and higher intrastate outflows. Migration responses are strongest among married, middle-aged individuals with moderate incomes from high-cost metropolitan areas, highlighting both the potential and trade-offs of place-based incentives. The third chapter (joint with Cynthia Rogers) provides a comprehensive overview of Remote Worker Attraction programs nationwide, documenting substantial heterogeneity in program design. Drawing on the Tiebout Hypothesis and yardstick competition theory, we argue that remote work decouples employment from residential location, intensifying interjurisdictional competition. Together, the findings demonstrate that both natural shocks and policy interventions meaningfully shape entrepreneurship and migration patterns, contributing to a broader understanding of regional development in an era of increasing geographic flexibility.