Get Paid To Relocate: 7 States With Towns That’ll Pay Remote Workers Cash To Live There

Towns and cities across the U.S. are recruiting remote-working professionals with their own type of want ads. Offering stacks of cash and other goodies as incentives, the communities’ outreach programs invite remote workers—and their out-of-state paychecks—to move in. The newcomers’ role: stimulating the economy, bolstering the population and reinvigorating the local culture.

One Family Gets $7,000 to Relocate From Florida to Small-town Indiana

Perry County, in southwestern Indiana, is one area offering incentives for relocation. The rural county is home to roughly 19,000 people.

“My focus is growing our population,” says Erin Emerson, CEO and president of Perry County Development Corporation. “People have moved out of the area while local residents are aging, so we must bring people here.”

Ryan Kolter and his family took Perry County up on its offer in June. They previously lived in Sanford, Florida, a small city about 25 miles north of Orlando. Kolter says the family’s rent in Sanford was about to jump by 25%. The cost of living was getting prohibitively high, with Sanford’s grocery prices 3% above the national average, according to data from Payscale. In southwestern Indiana, groceries cost 8% less than the average.

“I have two teenagers who go through six gallons of milk per week,” Kolter says.

The $7,000 cash incentive got the Kolters’ attention, but the more they learned about Perry County, the more they found to like it. The area’s good schools, affordable housing and a higher level of safety also appealed to them, says Kolter.

So far, the family is happy they made the move. While they miss Florida beaches, they feel that having a lower cost of living, a safe neighborhood and extended family living nearby outweigh the benefits of their former city.

“If it weren’t for this program, we wouldn’t have known about this town,” Kolter says. “Two hurricanes hit us, so we didn’t have money to move. We may have moved in a few years, but that money allowed us to move now. And we’re glad we did.”

Remote Work Gives Small Towns an Opportunity to Grow

Evan Hock, co-founder of Indianapolis-based online marketplace Make My Move, points out that before the pandemic there were about 5 million remote workers; now there are about 30 million.

“People with remote jobs are free to work wherever they want,” he says. “They’re moving for lifestyle, not career opportunities.”

Hock says that gives small towns an opportunity to target the people they’re looking for.

“The cash portion is a way to de-risk the move” for the newcomers, says Hock. For the towns, “it’s a way of communicating how serious they are about attracting talent.”

Before Applying, Read the Fine Print

Before signing up, make sure you like the place you’re going. Participants are usually required to live in the community for a minimum amount of time before they receive the total sum offered.

If the area is rural, certain amenities that many Americans take for granted, like access to a Target or Starbucks, may not be available.

You’ll also want to check that you’ll have access to high-speed internet if your work depends on a fast, reliable connection.

Here Are The States Where Cities Will Pay You To Relocate

1. Alabama

Florence, Alabama

Program name: Remote Shoals
Where: The Shoals area, which includes the cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia
Financial incentives: Up to $10,000 cash; 25% is paid upfront to help with the costs of relocating, with the remainder paid out at six months and one year
Residency length: One year
Applicants must:

• Relocate to the Shoals region within six months of acceptance
• Have a full-time remote job at a business based outside of Colbert and Lauderdale counties or
• Be self-employed outside Colbert and Lauderdale Counties
• Have a minimum annual income of $52,000
• Be over 18 and eligible to work and live in the U.S.

How to apply: You can apply online at Remoteshoals.com.

2. Indiana

Bloomington, Indiana

Program name: MakeMyMove
Where: Multiple locations including Bloomington, Culver, Elkhart, Evansville, Noblesville, Lincoln County, Perry County and Wabash County
Financial incentives: Cash plus lifestyle freebies such as event tickets or gym memberships; Henry County’s offer includes $200 worth of ice cream and treats.
Residency length: Requirements differ by program.
Applicants must:

• Be full-time remote workers with employment outside of Indiana, or
• Be business owners who can operate their business remotely
• Meet minimum income and residency requirement

How to apply: You can apply online at makemymove.com.

3. Iowa

Newton, Iowa

Program name: Newton Housing Initiative
Where: Newton
Financial incentives: $10,000 in cash for newcomers who buy a new single-family home valued at $190,000 or more
Residency length: No minimum
Applicants must:

• Use the new home as a primary residence
• Have an appraisal or assessment that verifies the value of the improvements (not including the land value)
• Have completed the home’s construction and obtained a certificate of occupancy from the city of Newton
• Install a radon remediation system
• Own, not rent, their home

How to apply: For more information, call the Newton Housing Development Corporation at 641-521-6031.

4. Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

Program name: GO Topeka
Where: Topeka
Financial incentives: Up to $10,000 for renters; up to $15,000 for those who buy a home
Residency length: One year
Applicants must:

• Sign a residential rental agreement for one year, or
• Purchase a home within the first year

How to apply: You can apply online at ChooseTopeka.com.

5. New York

Rochester, New York

Program name: Greater ROC Remote
Where: Rochester
Financial incentives: $10,000 cash; home buyers can apply for additional grants up to $9,000
Residency length: One year
Applicants must:

• Currently reside 300 miles or more from downtown Rochester or in any state other than New York
• Have a full-time remote job
  Be over 18 and eligible to work and live in the U.S.

How to apply: You can apply online at Greaterrocremote.com.

6. Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Program name: Tulsa Remote
Where: Tulsa
Financial incentives: $10,000 cash and a curated list of affordable housing
Residency length: One year
Applicants must:

• Reside outside of Oklahoma at the time of application
• Be able to move to Tulsa within 12 months after applying
• Have full-time remote employment or be self-employed outside of Oklahoma
• Be at least 18 years old and eligible to work in the U.S.

How to apply: You can apply online at the Tulsa Remote website.

7. West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia

Program name: Ascend West Virginia
Where: Multiple locations including Greater Elkins, Greenbriar Valley, Morgantown, New River Gorge and the Eastern Panhandle
Financial incentives: $12,000 in total; $10,000 paid over 12 months during the first year of residency, $2,000 after the second year
Residency length: Two consecutive years
Applicants must:

• Be a full-time remote worker employed outside of West Virginia, or
• Be a business owner based outside West Virginia
• Relocate within six months of approval; some flexibility is possible

How to Apply: You can apply online on the Ascend West Virginia website.