These Cities Will Pay You to Move

We live in a divided world, but now most people can agree that the cost of housing is too high. House prices have come down a bit , but house prices, mortgage rates and rents remain sky-high in many places, and many people, especially young people, have despaired of ever owning a home . It’s just too expensive .

However, a more radical solution, if you’re flexible, is becoming more and more common: getting paid to move somewhere. All over the country (and even in Europe ), small towns and even larger cities offer quite attractive packages to encourage people to move there. In addition to cash, some cities even offer free property – like completely free plots of land or (in some cases) perfectly nice houses that just need a little attention. These are areas of the country that have lost population over the years or have seen old businesses close and are looking for remote workers to shore up the tax base.

The list of places that offer promotions is quite long – you can see a comprehensive list on MakeMyMove that lists these features, and often acts as the official app site for many of these programs. If you love getting paid to move, here are a few places you will soon be able to call home.

Paducah, Kai.

Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, Paducah is a beautiful small city of just over 25,000 people . The city wants more remote workers, and they will pay you to work remotely with a package that is valued at around $6,500, depending on your annual salary. This includes tax exemptions, travel reimbursement, an online scholarship, and many free passes to local attractions and cultural events. It’s a lovely little town, and if your job is at least 100 miles away, you can get paid to live there.

Topeka, Kan.

Topeka is not a small town – over 125,000 people live there and they will pay you up to $15,000 to be one of them . It’s not as easy as yelling “We’re moving to Topeka!” and loading a van – your employer must be in the program and allow you to move there full-time, and there is an application process. You must also commit to making the area your primary residence within a year. Some employers have even matched Topeka’s funds by doubling the cash people get for moving there, so it might be worth checking out.

West Lafayette, Indiana

Instead of the city itself, this time it’s a school that pays people to move somewhere: in West Lafayette, Purdue University is offering a Work From Purdue program to bring people to the area. If you don’t currently live in Indiana, you can get $5,000 plus a free co-working space and free membership to various professional development programs.

Newton, Iowa

If you’re looking to buy a new home and aren’t sure you can afford it, Newton, Iowa ( pop. 15,688 ) will give you up to $10,000 to buy a new home (assuming the home is worth at least $190,000) . It actually gives you a lot of choice in this charming little town. The program is designed simply to ensure the city retains its population as it continues to reinvent itself after Maytag shut down a factory that once provided greater economic stability for the community.

Mankato, Kan.

Mankato is tiny – less than 1,000 people live there. But if you’re looking for a deal, this small town will literally give you a piece of land for free if you commit to build a house on it. The idea is to encourage growth because there is not much housing in the city. Even if someone wants to move to a charming little town in Kansas, they will have trouble finding housing, so getting a free piece of land is meant to make it easier to build your own home.

Morgantown, West Virginia.

A vibrant city of nearly 30,000 people , Morgantown is part of the Ascend West Virginia program, which offers $12,000 in cash as well as free access to co-working spaces, outdoor recreation areas, and acclimatization services to help you settle in. All you need is a full-time remote job at a company located outside of West Virginia and you are eligible to receive cash just to make the move. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, this might be the perfect option.

Noblesville, Indiana

If you’re making at least $60,000 a year, Noblesville, Ind., would be happy if you moved into their quaint town of nearly 70,000 people . In fact, they’ll love it so much that they’ll pay you $5,000 in cash up front and an additional $10,000 in various perks. These perks are designed to integrate you into the community and make you love the place – it includes a golf membership and a coffee date with the mayor (who looks like a nice enough guy )!

Rochester, New York

Looking for somewhere less small town and countryside? Rochester, NY is offering an incentive package of around $20,000 to move there and work remotely. As with similar programs around the country, the whole idea is that it’s cheaper to live in Greater Rochester (median home prices are around $184K , and the average rent in the area is under $1,000 ), so you can get remote income and more for it in an area with a population of more than a million people .

Burlington, W.

If you’re looking for a more northeastern lifestyle, Vermont is open for business. The ThinkVermont program offers incentives of up to $7,500 to move to a place like Burlington if you bring a remote job with you or are willing to move there looking for a job (however, you must get that job yourself). This program is so popular that it regularly runs out of funding, so your best bet is to apply now and be ready to move on if and when you get the nod.