Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – The Choose Southern Indiana talent attraction program had its best year to date in 2025, bringing 34 movers to the Radius Indiana region.
More than a dozen regional employers worked with Choose Southern Indiana to attract new talent, including three schools, a police department, defense industry, banking/finance, healthcare and manufacturing.
Among the 34 movers, 25 joined the workforce and eight brought their remote jobs with them.
For the second straight year, each of the eight counties in the Radius Indiana region received a mover.
These new residents relocated from all across the United States, including Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, California, Arizona, Minnesota, Tennessee, North Dakota, West Virginia and Alabama.
Kristal Painter, program manager of Choose Southern Indiana, said there’s no shortage of reasons that motivate these new residents to seek out new opportunities in southern Indiana.
“People were motivated by employment opportunities and jobs, lower cost of living, a good place to raise a family, schools, the ability to purchase land, have yards, neighbors and be closer to family,” Painter said.
Radius Indiana launched the Choose Southern Indiana program in 2021, bringing five new residents to the region that year. In 2022, the program partnered with MakeMyMove, a platform that assists workers looking to relocate by connecting them with communities offering incentives to movers.
A total of 111 households have relocated to the Radius region since 2022. When accounting for spouses and children, the number of new residents rises to 269, according to MakeMyMove.
Orange County was able to attract two new teachers via Choose Southern Indiana.
“Orange County’s participation in Choose Southern Indiana helped bring two recently graduated teachers to the county in 2025. It’s a great example of how even a small number of relocations can have a meaningful local impact on our community,” said Skylar Whiteman, executive director of Orange County Economic Development Partnership.
CSI offers a $5,000 relocation incentive. The financial incentive for potential residents is jointly funded by Radius Indiana and participating counties, with costs offset by revenue from property taxes, income taxes, and license plate fees from new residents.
To help new residents learn about their communities, CSI hosts quarterly gatherings that showcase some of the unique features in the Radius region. Over the past year, movers explored the Outdoor Sculpture Trail and had lunch at Yoho’s General Store in Greene County, walked the new Monon South Trail in Orleans and enjoyed ice cream at Hometown Scoops, took a guided tour of the Monastery of Immaculate Conception and enjoyed lunch and beer tasting at St. Benedict’s Brew Works, visited the Season of Lights at French Lick Resort where they received gift cards to purchase treats while enjoying the festivities.
Choose Southern Indiana quick facts
- Average household income: $98,032
- Average age: 36
- 36% of spouses are income earners and work or can work for local employers
- 50% of households have children
- $6.37M in new economic output, annually
- 38.08 new local jobs created
“The Choose Southern Indiana program continues to grow each year. That momentum has garnered national attention including a live broadcast featuring our program and region and a national feature article in 2025,” Painter said. “We’re excited to continue the program into 2026 and hope to partner with additional employers to grow our workforce and population.”